Dimensions of Development traces the 'development' of Allpachico, a village in the Peruvian central highlands. Susan Vincent examines four aid projects in the area, each following distinct international trends, that took place between 1984 and 2008 within the context of wider state and global political and economic systems.

A unique historical ethnography, Dimensions of Development illustrates how state and NGO projects have drawn Allpachiqueños deeper into capitalism and have brought about challenges to the local political structure, the comunidad campesina. While highlighting the continual reorganization of the local population into new groups, Vincent also reveals why the comunidad remains the group's preferred form of representation.