IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bpj/nglost/v10y2016i1p73-99n3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mismeasuring Humanity: Examining Indicators Through a Critical Global Studies Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Darian-Smith Eve

    (Global Studies Department, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA)

Abstract

Social and economic indicators measure and monitor the relative level of each country’s “progress”, be this in education, poverty, mortality, gross domestic product and so on. This essay examines indicators in the contemporary development paradigm and their use by the United Nations, World Bank, NGOs and corporations, as well as their increasing presence in global governance decision-making. Drawing upon a critical global studies perspective, I argue that indicators are producing and privileging certain kinds of knowledge over other kinds of knowledge that may not be so easily “captured” by nationally structured numerical reductionism. Reflecting on the limitations of the Human Development Index and the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, I suggest that the empirical data produced ultimately mismeasure the fullness of human experience and often undervalue non-western worldviews. I conclude by returning to the insights suggested by a global studies perspective and offer a number of recommendations for envisaging and shaping a more inclusive post-development paradigm.

Suggested Citation

  • Darian-Smith Eve, 2016. "Mismeasuring Humanity: Examining Indicators Through a Critical Global Studies Perspective," New Global Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 10(1), pages 73-99, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:nglost:v:10:y:2016:i:1:p:73-99:n:3
    DOI: 10.1515/ngs-2015-0018
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1515/ngs-2015-0018
    Download Restriction: For access to full text, subscription to the journal or payment for the individual article is required.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1515/ngs-2015-0018?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bpj:nglost:v:10:y:2016:i:1:p:73-99:n:3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.degruyter.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.