Contested Perceptions - Quantitative Differences in Understanding the Meaning of Development in the Philippines

Presenter Information

Adam Kis, Burman UniversityFollow
Cheyanne Welch, Burman UniversityFollow

Presenter Status

Assistant Professor, International Studies

Second Presenter Status

Student, International Studies

Presentation Type

Oral

Presentation Abstract

This study conducted a quantitative survey of various stakeholders in the international development process to statistically determine if there are significant differences in their understanding of the term “development”. Using qualitative data gathered in Bato, Leyte, Philippines, a pictorial survey instrument was produced. Respondents in an ADRA Philippines livelihoods project near Tacloban, Leyte were shown a series of staged photographs depicting one of the themes emerging from the qualitative data. Respondents then rated how developed each photograph seemed to them, using their own understanding of the word “development”. Data were analyzed using ANOVA to highlight differences in perceptions between stakeholders.

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Adam D. Kiš is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and the Internship Coordinator for the International Studies Program at Burman University in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada. He holds a BA in French from Andrews University and a PhD in anthropology from the University of Florida with a concentration in research methods. Both his Master’s and Doctoral work focused on HIV/AIDS in sub- Saharan Africa – the former studying the effects of AIDS on funeral culture in Malawi, and the latter examining how migrant gold miners in Guinea protect themselves from HIV infection in a typically high- risk yet currently low-prevalence environment. Before his current position, Dr. Kiš was an Assistant Professor of Research and Statistics and Director of the Asia-Pacific Research Center (APRC) at the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS) in Silang, Cavite, Philippines and a Visiting Professor at the Institute of Graduate Studies, San Sebastian College-Recoletos, Manila, Philippines. Prior to that, he was the Programs Director for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Madagascar, Chief of Mission for a World Bank/International Development Association-funded AIDS prevention project implemented by ADRA Madagascar, Country Director for ADRA in Sao Tome and Principe (STP), Director of a USAID-funded health project implemented by ADRA-STP, and Deputy Country Director and HIV/AIDS Technical Assistant for ADRA Guinea. While finishing his dissertation, Dr. Kiš was an instructor of anthropology for the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Andrews University. He has also taught for the ADRA Professional Leadership Institute (APLI) and for Andrews University’s Master’s program in International Development at the Ghana and South Sudan field sites. Dr. Kiš has published several papers in peer-reviewed journals focusing on international development and the intersection of culture and the AIDS epidemic. His first book, "The Development Trap: How Thinking Big Fails the Poor", was just published by Routledge, which analyzes the prospects for poverty eradication and the motivations of the international development industry. Dr. Kiš is fluent in English, French, and Portuguese and conversant in Spanish.

Cheyanne Welch is in her fourth year of International Studies at Burman University in Canada. Throughout her travels around the world, she discovered her passion for global health work in India and has been pursuing a career in refugee work. She enjoys reading, writing, outdoor adventures and spending time with her family, including their small menagerie of pets. She is passionate about environmental activism and human rights, hoping that her passion will inspire others to stand up for what's right.