Participative research, globalization and sustainable human development

Abstract

The author argues for the need to think about sustainable human development by way of the profound transformations of contemporary society springing from economic globalization and the productive restructuring it generates. He argues that from the ongoing concept of development we can not hope to attain the quality of life as conceived and expected by every society, and presents three proposals that do qualify for more adequately respond to a socially desirable sustainable human development. They are Ecodevelopment, Sustainable Development and Endogenous Development. After this, the author postulates the importance of creating participatory research to advance towards the desired development, and illustrates this with several local development projects in Brazil.