WHAT DOES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONSIST OF? INTERDISCIPLINARY CONCEPTION

Abstract

This article offers a critical and comprehensive analysis of the concept of economic development from an interdisciplinary perspective. Traditional approaches, focused primarily on quantitative indicators such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), income growth, and industrialization, prove limited when confronting the complexity of contemporary social processes. Drawing on the contributions of classical authors like Schumpeter and Sen, as well as contemporary theorists such as Sachs, Latouche, and Acosta, this study demonstrates that development cannot be understood in isolation from social, environmental, political, and cultural realities. Critiques of conventional economic approaches reveal shortcomings in addressing structural inequalities, social exclusion, and environmental degradation, highlighting the need to build new integrative epistemologies and practices. In this context, the article presents interdisciplinary development models and experiences, including solidarity economy, sustainable territorial development, intersectoral public policies, and alternative paradigms such as buen vivir and degrowth. It also discusses current challenges, including the asymmetric effects of globalization, technological transformations, persistent inequalities, and environmental and climate crises. Finally, the study advocates for a sustainable and inclusive development agenda guided by values such as social justice, diversity, and democratic participation. Interdisciplinarity, beyond being a methodology, is presented as an essential path to rethink economic development in its entirety and to build viable alternatives in response to the demands of the 21st century.