Whereas I am regularly told that the project of development uplifts the poor and restores the environment, too often I see it impoverishing the majority and enriching the few.

- Michael Goldman (2005: x).

Any real effort at “social change” cannot help but have powerful political implications.

- James Ferguson (1990: 226).

The idea that we are well on the way to having a meritocratic society - that is, one in which the most able and hard-working rise to the top - is a myth...

Andrew Sayer (2016: 177).

Biography

Kearrin is a critical development scholar trained in sociology and international relations. His approach to academia is centered on finding creative and collaborative mechanisms for bringing together teaching, research and community engagement activities. To this end, Kearrin was a founding executive committee member of the Development Studies Association of Australia (DSAA) and the Association of Mainland Southeast Asia Scholars (AMSEAS). He is also an executive committee member of the Research for Development Impact (RDI) Network and a Review Editor for Asian Studies Review. At James Cook University (JCU), Kearrin is the program convenor of the Master of Global Development and Chair of the University’s Sustainable Development Working Group.