The Social Context of Project Proliferation—The Rise of a Project Class

Abstract

This article analyses the rise of a new social formation, the project class which represents a recent complex societal and political change. It is argued that project proliferation along with reforms of the administrative structures, changes in the nature of developmental policies and the increasing importance of cultural and cognitive elements of territorial development are the driving forces behind the emergence of a new class. This article analyses the mediatory position of the new social class in the redistribution of public and particularly private development funds, and in the transfer of materials, ideas, knowledge and power. Special attention is given to the intellectual capital that provides legitimacy for the project class and to the flexible social and economic positioning by which the members of the new class create, use and consume intellectual and material products of the information society in order to be competitive on the markets of the projectbased economy. The article apprehends the relationship between the emergence of the project class and the transformation of the local power structure. Finally, it demonstrates the challenges related to new forms of knowledge use associated with the emergence of the new social class.

Is LEADER Elitist or Inclusive? Composition of Danish LAG Boards in the 2007–2013 Rural Development and Fisheries Programmes

“…However, in situations where elites develop relationships that are too close to maintain competition and where they start to redistribute material resources, advancements and so on internally, they adulterate their relative autonomy and establish connections that are too close (Etzioni‐Halevy 2003, p. 6). Such situations in relation to LEADER are touched upon by Kovách (2000, p. 188; Kovách and Kučerova 2006, 2009, p. 210) who states that, when introducing an intervention like LEADER, strengthening civil society is fundamental in order for it to monitor the project class that appears as a result. Nevertheless, on Danish LAG boards, people from the local associations and local citizens make up more than 60 per cent of the board members, so newcomers without predefined networks as well as civic associations seem to be able to enter the boards.…”

Translating Development Aid Into City Management: The Barrio Acahualinca Integrated Development Programme in Managua, Nicaragua

“…Second, in the context of a project society (Lundin and Söderholm, ), project management has become an important part of public policy formulation and implementation. Accordingly, the Acahualinca Project also represents the tendency towards the projectification of local politics, policies and public administration organisation (Sjöblom, ) under the pressure of global organisations such as development aid organisations (Kovách and Kucerova, ).…”

Projets de développement et changements dans l'action publique

“…On peut noter ici que la multiplication des projets participatifs leur a permis de se positionner en interlocuteurs incontournables pour tous les projets, leur permettant in fine de mobiliser des ressources conséquentes. Si ces stratégies ont favorisé une forme d'ascension sociale pour les courtiers qui n'étaient pas issus de familles de notables ruraux tels que les décrit Leveau (1985Leveau ( [1976), entraînant dans certains cas des concurrences entre nouveaux notables et anciennes notabilités, il ne semble cependant pas possible de parler de l'émergence d'une « classe de projet » telle que l'évoque Kovàch (2009) courtiers, malgré leurs prétentions, peinent à les enroler. Les usagers continuent ainsi à négocier de manière informelle leur accès aux espaces forestiers, même ceux mis en défens, et ce d'autant plus que leur principal interlocuteur se trouve être, cette fois, l'agent de terrain, lui-même marginalisé par rapport au projet.…”