Giving a sure and utilizable definition of development as an analytic category is practically impossible because of the difficulty in avoiding to affirm implicitly personal judgements of value. In the attempt to overcome the obstacle, in the last decades various particularistic approaches to development have been elaborated. I will underline especially two approaches that during the 90s achieved - and it seems they are still achieving - a widespread support in the context of two specific disciplines: the theory of social capital in the context of the sociology of development and the approach of sharing development in the context of the anthropology of development. An issue is still open at the end of the century: to find an efficient and effective unit of measure of development that will be able to achieve a substantial international support.