The field of social development is a relative newcomer to the social welfare arena, emerging out of widespread interest sparked by a series of UN-led meetings during the 1990s that eventually led to the eight Millennium Development Goals. Those concerned with social welfare often bandy about the term social development, confident that everyone has a uniform understanding of the meaning. However, similar to other terms in social welfare such as social justice, and even social welfare, varying and nuanced definitions exist. As a result, discussions can be clouded because of differing interpretations and understandings. Midgley (1995) decisively advanced the field by providing perhaps the first comprehensive yet concise definition of social development: BA process of planned social change designed to promote the well-being of the population as a whole in conjunction with a dynamic process of economic development^ (p. 25). Using Midgley’s foundation, many scholars have proposed models of social development that most often envision the process as ascending stages like the rungs of a ladder (Homfeldt and Reutlinger 2008). However, the process is rarely that simple or linear, and typically requires a multifaceted approach with the capacity to operate simultaneously on several fronts. Thus, the definition of social development has evolved, with the UN defining social development as referring to the promotion of individual well-being that involves the use of a social perspective to consider issues of human activity (UN report 2002). Further, Midgley (2014) has elaborated on his definition by explaining that for social development to occur, economic and social progress must reach harmony in the following three areas: the creation of institutionalized, conjoint formal social and economic policies; economic investments that create opportunities for employment or self-employment; and policies and programs that generate and sustain human capital, including investments in education, housing, and services for maternal and child welfare
