What disappoints me so much is people I admire talking about the developing world in a flippant & superficial way.
“Solar is the answer.”
“X country can leapfrog to EVs.”
And yet when talking about their work, typically centered on the West, they delve into nuance & complexity.
“Solar is the answer.”
“X country can leapfrog to EVs.”
And yet when talking about their work, typically centered on the West, they delve into nuance & complexity.
Whether these simplistic narratives are correct is beside the point.
They reinforce a damaging & imperialistic view of the developing world - that solutions to their challenges are easy & obvious, if only they listened to us.
This is getting into white man’s burden territory.
They reinforce a damaging & imperialistic view of the developing world - that solutions to their challenges are easy & obvious, if only they listened to us.
This is getting into white man’s burden territory.
The developing world is at least as complex and nuanced as the developed world and is as worthy of careful study.
It’s perfectly okay to say “I’m not an expert on country X” if that’s not your area of research.
It’s perfectly okay to say “I’m not an expert on country X” if that’s not your area of research.
To be clear, this isn’t about gatekeeping. Of course, you’re entitled to your opinions, on the developing world or otherwise.
But it is a plea to think about the underlying narratives you’re reinforcing by being comparatively less thoughtful when discussing the developing world.
But it is a plea to think about the underlying narratives you’re reinforcing by being comparatively less thoughtful when discussing the developing world.
