Discourses of Empowerment

Abstract

This chapter explores empowerment from the perspective of its discursive function, in particular, in the agendas of development and peacebuilding. It first shows how empowerment—originally a radical concept that questioned existing patterns of domination—became a ‘technical’ concept often equated with ‘capacity building’, where donors play a crucial role. Second, it contrasts empowerment with ‘local ownership’, the preferred term in the peacebuilding policy arena. Finally, it examines the academic literature on peacebuilding, pointing out how empowerment became central in the 1990s only to be replaced later by the concept of emancipation, which accompanies the most recent critical literature in this field.