MACMILLAN Development in Latin America: Critical Discussions from the Periphery

This edited volume discusses the development theory advanced by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in the 1940s, and its transformations through the second half of the twentieth century. In this time frame, the authors identify two approaches: structuralism (1950-1980) and neo-structuralism (1980-onwards). The contributors describe the transition in terms of economic theory and policy; the conceptualization of the State; and the consideration of space on regional and global scales. They argue that structuralism is still relevant for understanding the current problems of development if a careful and appropriate recovery and update of its main ideas and concepts is made in relation to the current context of globalization and internationalization of production and finance. Review “This book exemplifies critical development studies at its best. It makes one of the most significant reformulations of the structuralist centre-periphery paradigm since Prebisch’s manifesto. What is striking is the attempt to overcome some of the limitations of neo-structuralism by ‘going back to the future’ and recovering some of the original strengths of structuralism while at the same reformulating it by enriching it with notions such as heterogeneity, multi-scalar articulation, geopolitics and analysing the state, industrialization, financing and integration in the context of globalization.” (Cristóbal Kay, author of Latin American Theories of Development and Underdevelopment) “Latin America’s critical social imagination (as its economies) has stalled, changing from a prolific post-war period revolving around structuralism, to an intellectually barren one. Neo-liberalism―as it fitted perfectly with its power structure and rent-seeking bias―has conquered the region just as fiercely as the Holy Inquisition conquered Spain, transforming critical thinkers into an endangered species. However, its progressive intelligentsia is fighting back. This book’s attempt to rethink structuralism under current conditions is an example.” (José Gabriel Palma, Emeritus Senior Lecture, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge, UK)     From the Back Cover This edited volume discusses the development theory advanced by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in the 1940s, and its transformations through the second half of the twentieth century. In this time frame, the authors identify two approaches: structuralism (1950-1980) and neo-structuralism (1980-onwards). The contributors describe the transition in terms of economic theory and policy; the conceptualization of the State; and the consideration of space on regional and global scales. They argue that structuralism is still relevant for understanding the current problems of development if a careful and appropriate recovery and update of its main ideas and concepts is made in relation to the current context of globalization and internationalization of production and finance. Víctor Ramiro Fernández is Professor at the National University of Litoral (UNL), Researcher of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), and Director of the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (UNL and CONICET), Argentina. Gabriel Brondino is Lecturer at the National University of Litoral (UNL) and Doctoral Fellow of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Argentina. About the Author Víctor Ramiro Fernández is Professor at the National University of Litoral (UNL), Researcher of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), and Director of the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (UNL and CONICET), Argentina. Gabriel Brondino is Lecturer at the National University of Litoral (UNL) and Doctoral Fellow of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Argentina.