Who among the following uses the phrase "anti-politics machine"?

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Correct option is B

James Ferguson

The phrase "anti-politics machine" is used by James Ferguson in his work to describe the way development projects, particularly in Africa, often operate in a manner that disengages from the political context and fails to address the underlying political and economic issues. In his book The Anti-Politics Machine: Development, Depoliticization, and Bureaucratic Power in Lesotho (1990), Ferguson examines how development agencies and projects, while ostensibly aimed at improving the lives of people, often ignore or suppress political factors that would truly affect change. He argues that development can become a bureaucratic and technical enterprise that disguises the real political struggles and power dynamics within societies.

Ferguson’s term "anti-politics machine" critiques how development processes often depoliticize issues by treating them as technical or economic problems, thus avoiding the complexities of political decision-making and power relations.

Information Booster:

1. Depoliticization of Development – The anti-politics machine concept highlights the way development organizations remove politics from discussions about development, treating it as a mere technical issue instead of a social and political challenge.
2. Bureaucratic Power – Ferguson critiques the bureaucratic nature of development projects, where interventions are framed as technical solutions without addressing the political realities of the communities involved.
3. Lesotho Case Study – Ferguson’s analysis of Lesotho, a country in Southern Africa, shows how international development efforts often misinterpret or fail to engage with the political economy of the region.
4. Critique of Modern Development – His work is a critical study of modern development theory, challenging the assumptions that development can be simply solved through economic aid or technical expertise.
5. Global Power Structures – The term emphasizes how global development institutions maintain power by ignoring local politics, presenting themselves as neutral actors in solving problems, rather than addressing the root causes of those problems.

Additional Knowledge:

• Robert Chambers – Chambers is known for his work on participatory development and participatory rural appraisal, but he does not use the phrase anti-politics machine.
• Keith Hart – Hart focuses on informal economies and economic anthropology, particularly in the context of development, but he is not associated with this phrase.
• Thomas B. Hansen – Hansen is a scholar in the field of political sociology and migration studies, but he is not connected with the concept of anti-politics machine in the context used by Ferguson.