Introduction

Abstract

Following a repetitive pattern, the world gets closer then drifts away from the complex issue of development. Development as a process is a constant presence in our lives; nevertheless, the debate surrounding it---especially with regard to its intensity and quality---is more or less articulate. How did different theories and models guide development? Looking at this topic 30 years after the end of the Cold War allows us to identify three distinct periods. The first one ranges from the end of the Cold War to the brink of the 2008--2009 economic crisis, the second covers the next decade of slow recovery, while the third, the one we are currently experiencing, is the least studied and understood of all. Before detailing these time intervals, we need to stress a fundamental fact: during the whole timespan of 30 years, development took place within the more general context of globalization, a setting dramatically different than any other in history.