Ranges from “rethinking political development” to implications of various national development experiences for theory construction; instead of depending on universal validity claiming theoretical models, the research committee looks to the growing knowledge of the complexities and actualities of historical legacies, cultures, visions of leaders, internal diversity and group dynamics of different societies and emphasises: sensitivity to development pluralism; deeper understanding of social and cultural background which influences development; and incrementally building a body of theoretical knowledge which is sensitive to the actuality and complexity of the development process in different societies.
Focus :
- to seek to refine the theoretical tools which are used in the study of political development ;
- to acquire empirical understanding of the actualities of the developmental process ;
- to include a cross-cultural perspective on the basis that different societies have come through different historical and cultural experiences which have vitally influenced their own development.
The plea, therefore, is to recognise a much greater degree of developmental pluralism than was ever acknowledged by scholars.
