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Title Er Demokratisk styring = Menneskelig udvikling - Hvilke strukturer, normer og institutioner påvirker den kausale sammenhæng. Demokratisk styring og Menneskelig udvikling Hvilke strukturer, normer og institutioner påvirker sammenhængen
Full text http://rudar.ruc.dk/handle/1800/25873
Date 2016
Author(s) Kragh, Mads Randeris
Contributor(s) Hansen, Allan Dreyer; Lauridsen, Laurids Sandager
Abstract This master thesis takes its departure in the discussion about what development is and what drives development. Over the last twenty five years the discussion has centred around whether development should be understood as economic development or more broadly as human development. Today development is most commonly understood as human development. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a main exponent of this view. However to UNDP human development cannot be separated from democratic governance. According to UNDP there is a correlation between the two concepts, and this can be understood as no human development without democratic governance, which is the main hypothesis. A main focus of this thesis is therefore to explore the significance of democratic governance in relation to human development and more importantly what is impacting the correlation between these two concepts. Empirically there is a correlation between democratic governance and human development, as democratic governance is seen to have a significant impact on human development. This relationship is backed by Amartya Sen's capability approach, where democracy is seen as the main regime to promote human freedom and capabilities. To understand the relationship between democratic governance and human development Robert Dahl's democracy theory has been applied. It provides insights to some of the structures, norms and institutions potentially impacting the correlation between the two concepts which includes: public administration, democracy, the population, freedom, human rights, participation, decentralisation, equality, basic and complex capabilities and functionings. These can affect the significance of democratic governance for human development. However, they cannot be separated from context. Taking context into account is important to understand how the structures, norms and institutions affect the correlation between democratic governance and human development. Hence context is included in this thesis by exploring the relationship on Mauritius - a country characterised by full democracy and a very high human development. The case of Mauritius shows that those structures, norms and institutions, mentioned earlier, are present on Mauritius. It is also found that context specific notions like a diverse ethnic society, economy, education, health and how the government has developed the population's capabilities can have a significant impact on the correlation between democratic governance and human development on Mauritius. In conclusion democratic governance is of significance to human development, but certain structures, norm and institutions may impact the correlation between democratic governance and 2 human development. Some of these are context specific whereas others are universal in nature and they could have an impact in all contexts. It is most likely that the correlation between democratic governance and human development identified on Mauritius will also play a role in another context. However both universal and context specific structures, norms and institutions have to be taken into consideration to understand what drives development in a country.
Subject(s) Democratic governance; Human development; Structures; Norms; Institutions; Context
Language da_DK
Type of publication Thesis; Politik og Administration / Politics and Administration - Master thesis
Repository Roskilde - Roskilde University Digital Archive (RUDAR)
Added to C-A: 2016-02-03;09:39:09