University IR Module: Article Summary and Structure Assignment

This report summarizes Uma Kothari's (2006) article, "From colonialism to development: reflections of former colonial officers." The article examines the influence of colonial practices and the perspectives of colonial administrators and expatriate consultants on the post-independence international aid industry. Kothari explores how these individuals' experiences, narratives, and understanding of development shaped the field. The report then provides a structured analysis of the article, outlining its introduction discussing the impact of colonialism, the recruitment and selection of officials, the ways narratives depict the past and its impact on the individual's identity and the critique of the development process as discussed by the officials. The article highlights the symbolic and social status of colonial administrators and its impact on the relationship between colonizers and the colonized. The report presents the article's structure in bullet points, covering the key arguments and narrative progression throughout the text.

Running head: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS – ARTICLE SUMMARY AND
STRUCTURE
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS – ARTICLE SUMMARY AND STRUCTURE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS – ARTICLE SUMMARY AND STRUCTURE
Article Summary
Kothari (2006) in the article entitled “From colonialism to development: reflections of
former colonial officers” attempts a discussion on the issues that are presented in the form as
well as the extent till which the workings of the developmental post-independence international
aid industry is affected by the various cultures, discourses and the practices of the various
colonies within the country. The article is majorly based on the narratives of the individuals who
have been involved with the development of the countries both as the colonial administrators as
well as the expatriates who have been featuring as the consultants for the transition of the
administration form the colonialism to the development cooperation (Kothari 2006). The authors
further state that the expatriates help in the discussion on the basis of the colonial governance
and rules as well as the developmental purpose and practices. The author of the article tends to
discuss the various factors that are related to the performance of the experts and the authorities as
is demonstrated through the varied forms of knowledge. The author further states that the
colonial officers as well as the practitioners of development were highly influential in the
development of the spaces and the relationships that have been maintained by the difference in
the forms of the knowledge. The author opines that the development that is experienced all over
the world is not neo-colonial in nature (Kothari 2006). The diversity that is observed in the given
field of knowledge is known to have undergone various stages during the opening up of the field
of research over the spread of time. The author states that the colonial administrators in the field
of the development are implemented with the symbolic and the social status of the concerned
people. The authors state that this status helps in the development of the understanding of the
relationship that exists within the colonized state and the colonizers, who were the British in the
majority of the cases.

2INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS – ARTICLE SUMMARY AND STRUCTURE
Article Structure
The structure for the article in the bullet form is presented as follows.
 The introduction of the article discusses the attitude towards the survival of the
colonialism on the demise of the concerned empires. The article considered the narratives
that were provided by the individuals who had served in the colonial administration
mostly in the official ranks.
 The article discusses the people who were recruited in the official ranks within the system
and the reason behind their selection. The authors look into the development of the
several understandings of the issues that are presented through the personalized narratives
of the concerned officials
 The article then focusses on the ways in which the narratives depict the days of the past
and the ways in which the historical factors shape the identity of the individual.
 The article tends to analyze the statements that are put forth by the colonial officials who
have been serving the government during the colonial reign. The article further attempts a
critique on the process of the development as is discussed by the concerned officials.

3INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS – ARTICLE SUMMARY AND STRUCTURE
References
Kothari, U., 2006. From colonialism to development: reflections of former colonial
officers. Commonwealth & Comparative Politics, 44(1), pp.118-136. Available at DOI:
10.1080/14662040600624502