| Dudley Seers | |||||||||
| Birth Name: | Dudley Seers | ||||||||
| Birth Date: | 11 April 1920 | ||||||||
| Birth Place: | England | ||||||||
| Death Date: | 21 June 1983 | ||||||||
| Death Place: | Washington D.C., U.S.A. | ||||||||
| Occupation: | Economist | ||||||||
| Spouse: | Patricia Seers | ||||||||
| Children: | Four children: Pauline, Phillip, Adina & Susan | ||||||||
| Father: | George C Seers | ||||||||
| Mother: | Mabel Seers (Hallett) | ||||||||
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Dudley Seers CMG (1920–1983) was a British/New Zealand economist who specialized in development economics.[1] He was born a single child of Mabel (Hallett) Seers and George C Seers. George C Seers took the family across the world including New Zealand where George C Seers was the managing director of General Motors New Zealand working with (the Honourable) R Semple, the then Minister of Transport and Minister of Public Works. From his time in New Zealand, he entered military service with the New Zealand Royal Navy during WWII. After he taught at Oxford and then worked for various UN institutions. He was the director of the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex from 1967 till 1972.[2]
During WWII he served in the Royal New Zealand Navy, reaching the rank of Sub Lieutenant. One of the many WWII missions he was involved with was Operation Starkey. He served on HMS Cook and at HMS King Alfred. He was discharged from the Navy with full honours after receiving an injury to his left hand. He became a New Zealand citizen from serving in the Royal New Zealand Navy.
Dudley Seers is famous for replacing the "growth fetishism" of the early postwar period with a greater concern for social development. He stressed the relativistic nature of judgements about development and questioned the value of the neoclassical approach to economics.[3]
Writing on the Criteria for Development Nixon Reports, Seers argues that "Surely the values we need are staring us in the face, as soon as we ask ourselves: what are the necessary conditions for a universally accepted aim, the realization of the potential of human personality?"(Seers in Baster). Assuming that the aim and yardstick of development is implied by this, Seers goes on to identify a number of objectives for development for developing countries:
There is explicitly in Seers a sequent aspect to this. As progress is made towards the economic goals, that is 'undernourishment, unemployment and inequality dwindle'.. 'educational and political aims become increasingly important objectives of development'.
Dudley was married to Patrica Seers with which they had three daughters, Pauline, Andina, Susan and a son, Phillip.These in turn created 9 grandchildren.
He was appointed CMG in the 1975 Birthday Honours.
New Zealand