In this episode, Professor Deborah James gives an anthropological perspective on ethics and ethical development, drawing on years of research and professional experience in South Africa and the UK. The main takeaway: ethics cannot be thought of as a set of fixed principles, but rather as something constantly evolving and being renegotiated. Professor James explores why this is the case.

What does it mean to approach development ethically—not just in theory, but in practice, amid complexity, power dynamics, and imperfect systems? In this episode, Dr. Duncan Green shares reflections from years of experience in the sector, challenging us to rethink what ethics means in day-to-day development work.

Spoiler: he doesn’t see himself as an “ethical person”—and maybe that’s the point. Ethics, as we explore here, is often shaped by context, relationships, and the messy realities of practice.

As we approach graduation, we students are now faced with the task of combining academic learning with practical development work. Discussions with classmates have revealed shared uncertainties about translating interdisciplinary knowledge into practical applications. Thus, this panel discussion emerges from our shared interest in understanding how interdisciplinarity translates into action in the field of development.

This discussion encourages interdisciplinary, thought-provoking conversations regarding how to navigate between development academia and practice, while challenging different notions and paradigms in development thinking. Topics covered include both the theoretical differences and practical implications in development approaches across disciplines in the field while providing LSE students with practical insights on navigating such complex terrains of development practice post-graduation.

This podcast episode was developed and recorded by LSE ID students Lena Stefan and Sabrina Salameh.

Speakers:

Thana’a Al-Khasawneh Transformative leader in the private and non-profit sectors in Jordan, and is currently the Executive Director of the Business & Professional Women Association in Jordan with a Master’s in Diplomacy and Foreign Services. Her expertise includes advocating for gender equality and women’s inclusion in the workforce and across fields.

Dr. Tom Aston is a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning consultant and Honorary Associate of the Institute of Development Studies in Sussex with a Master’s and PhD in Development Planning. Having worked with a wide range of clients including CARE, Oxfam, World Bank, or UN Women, he specialises in participatory, theory-based, and configurational approaches to MEL.

Dr. Tom Kirk is an LSE Researcher and consultant based at the LSE. With an Master’s in Security Studies and a PhD in International Development, his interests include the provision of security and justice in conflict affected regions, protection, social accountability, civil society, activism, governance and public authority.

Student hosts:

Lena Stefan is a recent MSc graduate in Development Studies at the LSE, with a strong passion for locally-led development, feminist economics, and the global political economy. She is currently working at UNICEF's Social and Behaviour Change Unit in Kathmandu, Nepal, as part of the prestigious DAAD fellowship. Lena holds a bachelor's degree in Social Sciences from Humboldt University of Berlin and has gained diverse work experience across development consultancies, governmental institutions, and NGOs.

Sabrina Salameh is a recent MSc graduate in Development Management at the LSE and a 2023/2024 Saïd Foundation Scholar. She is currently a consultant at Shared Planet, with a strong background in inclusive trade, gender equality, and social issues, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Sabrina has three years of experience in Jordan's development sector, and earned her bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Jordan.