The following paper addresses the widely discussed assertion that the Structural Adjustment Plans (SAP) are the cause for under development in Africa.
This is in particular an interesting lesson learned for the development community, as it becomes obvious that mass poverty cannot be tied to one single issue, like household austerity. Moreover, the author stresses the point that poverty alleviation can only be achieved through interdisciplinary approaches that address the complexity of wide spread poverty in Africa. In conclusion, the SAP was an attempt, based on developed country thinking at the time, to fix the issue – the results were not convincing, as purely technocratic solutions hardly will solve the complex problems of Africa. This holds in particular true, when both the socio-economic backgrounds as well as the cultural foundation of people is ignored. In essence, the SAP were falling way short of considering “the human dimension”.
About the Author
Sebastian Veit, M.A. Social Science in Globalization, B.A. Hons in Business and Economics.
Over the last two years he has been working on projects as a freelance
consultant for the UNFCCC, GTZ and the World Bank.
Despite the loss of his vision in an acceident in late 1990, he has studied on four continents. Thus, he has gained an understanding of the importance to include “the local perspective” of people in the combat of mass poverty. By utilizing his inter disciplinary experience, he stresses the need to take peoples socio-economic as well as cultural backgrounds into consideration for a successful solution. His goal is to further deepen his expertise in development strategy and energy services, that contribute in a sustainable manner to poverty alleviation.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- The African Economic Crisis
- Structural Adjustment Plans
- Criticisms of the Structural Adjustment Plan
- Conclusions
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper explores the impact of structural adjustment plans (SAPs) on African economies in the aftermath of the economic crisis that emerged in the 1980s. The paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Western aid and development interventions implemented under the SAP framework. The paper seeks to shed light on the complexities of the African economic crisis, analyzing its root causes and the role of colonial legacies in shaping the continent's economic landscape.
- The African Economic Crisis of the 1980s
- Structural Adjustment Plans and their Implementation
- Criticisms and Challenges of SAPs in Africa
- The Role of Colonial Legacies in Africa's Economic Development
- Impact of Western Aid and Development Interventions
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter sets the stage for the paper by introducing the context of the African economic crisis in the early 1980s. It outlines the key characteristics of the crisis, including stagnant or declining production and growing external debt. The chapter then introduces the structural adjustment plans (SAPs) as a response to this crisis by the IMF and World Bank.
- The African Economic Crisis: This chapter delves deeper into the causes and consequences of the African economic crisis. It examines the role of declining export prices for agricultural products, overvalued currencies, and the emergence of black markets. It also explores the impact of the crisis on government budgets, social services, and the overall economic performance of African nations.
- Structural Adjustment Plans: This chapter outlines the main features and objectives of the structural adjustment plans. It discusses how SAPs aimed to address the economic crisis through a combination of macroeconomic reforms, trade liberalization, and privatization.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper examines the complex interplay of structural adjustment plans, Western aid, development interventions, African economic crisis, colonial legacies, macroeconomic reforms, trade liberalization, privatization, fiscal crisis, external debt, and economic performance in the context of post-colonial African economies.
- Quote paper
- M.A. Sebastian Veit (Author), 2004, Structural Adjustment in Africa. An Evaluation of Western Aid and Development Interventions in Africa after 1980., Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/70101