Integrated Regional Planning as an Agent of the State Vis-à-Vis the Local Community and the ‘Patria Chica’ (Homeland): A Summary of Central American Experiences

Abstract

This paper is a critical analysis of the local community as an instrument in the integration of development policies. It is a tentative analysis, providing a critical reconsideration of some of the main options comparing ‘from the top down’ policies with ‘from the bottom up’ policies. This involves an awareness of a competing perspective (‘from below’) and of the questions ‘for whom?’ and ‘development to what extent?’. According to this perspective, the point of departure is the conflict existing in the local community, and the conflict between the local community and the state.