Showing papers on "Underdevelopment published in 1979"

Taiwan's Economic History: A Case of Etatisme and a Challenge to Dependency Theory

Abstract: Taiwan distinguishes itself as one of the few non-socialist economies since Japan to rise from the grossest poverty and to enter the world of the developed. As if this were not enough, and if the figures are correct, income distribution has also been far less inequitable in Taiwan than in other poor "market economies." Both phenomena together have earned Taiwan the title of "economic miracle." In seeking an explanation for these phenomena, which are rather miraculous in the context of continued underdevelopment in the rest of the Third World, we have come face to face with two schools of thought: neoclassical and dependency theory. The former, to generalize somewhat, sees the explanation for the Taiwan "miracle" in the application of free market principles. The latter ignores Taiwan altogether, probably because it sees it as a "special case" undeserving attention. Concerning the popular conception of Taiwan as an economy wherein market forces guide capital accumulation, it is quite true today that government interference does not assume the form it has taken in many other Third World countries, i.e., heavy

The Underdevelopment of Development Literature: The Case of Dependency Theory

Abstract: As a vehicle for the growing association of southern nationalists and Marxists, dependency theory is an important part of the history of our times, something much more than a school of academic writing. Whatever the varieties of analysis existing within this school (and there are many), a major historiographie shortcoming is common to most of its literature: having grasped the Hegelian insight that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, dependencistas exaggerate the point, making the mistake of refusing any autonomy, any specificity to the parts (southern countries) independently of their membership in the whole (the imperialist system established by the North). A better approach to the study of the place of the South in the international system is to emphasize the variety of state structures present there with their different abilities to mobilize forces internally and translate this into international rank. Southern advances are more substantial than many realize; the essay concludes that southerners should pay more attention to the real room for initiative and maneuver they have, but which dependency theory systematically overlooks. Most of the illustrative examples concern India, the Ottoman Empire, and Latin America before World War I.

Underdevelopment in Northern Ghana: natural causes or colonial capitalism?

Abstract: The ‘natural’ conditions of soil, climate and even population have been used by several anthropologists and historians to ‘explain’ the relatively underdeveloped condition of Northern Ghana during the colonial period and its aftermath. Such explanations take no account of the requirements of the colonial economy for the labour power for mines and cocoa plantations. It was the demand for labour which determined migration from the North, and not the North's mythical lack of resources. In fact, prior to colonial conquest, the North had been at the heart of 19th Century trade routes and food production. An analysis of the incorporation of the North into the circuit of the world economic system reveals the fallacy of the ‘naturalistic’ arguments.

Marxism After Marx

Abstract: Introduction: The Legacy of Marx PART 1: THE GERMAN SOCIAL DEMOCRATS The Contribution of Engels The Revisionist Controversy The Radicals Austro-Marxism PART 2: RUSSIAN MARXISM Origins Trotsky Lenin Russian Marxism in the 1920s Stalinism Post-Stalin Communism PART 3: EUROPEAN MARXISM BETWEEN THE WARS Lukas Korsch Council Communism Gramsci PART 4: CHINA AND THE THIRD WORLD The Making of the Chinese Revolution Maoism in Power Asian Marxism outside China Latin America Marxism and Underdevelopment PART 5: CONTEMPORARY MARXISM IN EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES Introduction The Frankfurt School Existentialist Marxism Italian Marxism Structuralist Marxism British Marxism Marxism in the United States Marxism and Postmodernism Conclusion

Aspects of Development and Underdevelopment

Abstract: Joan Robinson shows how the economic mechanisms that produce wealth in the midst of growing misery can be understood. For this purpose she uses the classical theory of accumulation and the modern theory of international trade and finance. Her simple but penetrating analysis illuminates the problems of poverty, accumulation, industrialization and trade, while exposing misleading conceptions of the Third World. Throughout the book, general principles are demonstrated with particular examples, making those principles both clearer and more relevant. The book's conclusion is that the economic problems of the Third World remain rooted in deep-seated political conflicts of national and international interests.

Economic imperialism in theory and practice: The case of South African gold mining finance 1886-1914

Abstract: This is a timely work that provides us with a carefully researched and sensibly argued examination of late-nineteenth-century economic imperialism in action. Given current international debate on supposed European underdevelopment of the third world and the manner in which it affected the subsequent growth of today's emerging nations, a reasoned analysis of this nature is long overdue. It is a thoroughgoing appraisal, based on full utilization of mining records, the personal papers of key Randlords, and a wide range of printed materials. As such, it provides both a corrective to and updating of J. A. Hobson's classic Imperialism: A Study (London, 1902), although it should quickly be added that it is a far more searching work than that masterful piece of anti-imperial and anti-war propaganda. Furthermore, its subject matter assumes additional currency in light of the seemingly endless spiral of rising gold prices in today's market. Following an exceptionally fine opening chapter that is an excellent capsulation of historiographical trends on the subject (as such it will become standard reading for graduate students preparing for preliminary examinations), Professor Robert Kubicek discusses all the vital economic aspects of South African gold mining. These topics include mining capital, the manner in which this capital was obtained and utilized, technological developments, and the personalities and companies that comprised the industry. A concluding chapter summarizes his findings and makes pointed comments on previous theories of economic imperialism, such as those advanced by Hobson, Lenin, and others. Kubicek concludes, and one feels rightly in light of the impressive array of evidence he brings to bear to support his interpretations, that no single, simplistic explanation of economic imperialism and its causal connection with events such as the Boer War will suffice. Indeed, it can be argued with considerable cogency that capitalism of the international nature that characterized the South African gold mining industry "was in competition if not in conflict with imperialism and nationalism" (203). According to Kubicek, international capitalism, Birtish imperialism, and Afrikaner nationalism coexisted in South Africa during the period in question, but as forces at cross purposes. Accordingly, in his view, "South African developments . . . should be seen basically as a function of clashing priorities and the inability of any one or combination of these forces to achieve supremacy" (204). Kubicek's will not be the final word on the subject, but it is likely to be the catalyst, together with other recent works, such as Myra Fraser and Alan Jeeves (eds.), All That Glittered: The Selected Correspondence of Lionel Phillips 1890-1924 (Cape Town, 1977), for further study and debate on the connection between the mining industry, economic im-

Tourism and underdevelopment in Southeast Asia

Abstract: (1979). Tourism and underdevelopment in Southeast Asia. Journal of Contemporary Asia: Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 274-287.

Aspects of development and underdevelopment

Abstract: Series preface Foreword 1. Misleading lights 2. Surplus and accumulation 3. Land and labour 4. Trade in primary commodities 5. Aid and loans 6. Dependent industrialisation 7. Armaments 8. What now? Index.

An Experiment with Coffee Production By Kenyans, 1933-1948

Abstract: The economic impact of Britain's colonial policy in Kenya has received considerable attention in recent years especially within the framework of underdevelopment. European settlement in Kenya was accompanied by government support which evolved to provide monopolies such as those for production, purchase, and export of profitable primary products; control of high-potential land; and access to labor and government services. In particular, the work of Colin Leys discusses the monopolistic character of colonialism in Kenya. Ley maintains that since the operation of capitalism at the periphery is monopolistic in character, it was the attempt to create an enclave of the metropolitan society within Kenya which distinguishes it from other colonial economies. In creating this enclave an extensive set of institutions were established, most notably in the agricultural sector. However, during the peak period of settler dominance of politics, the mid-1920s to later 1940s, settler control of policy through committees of the legislative council and government bodies was so commonplace that 2 these other institutions were only part of a larger system of monopoly management. European dominance meant that Africans could act only within those options permitted by the colonialists, since the indigenous people did not have the power to decide the direction in which they wanted to move.3 An important settler monopoly was over the production of profitable crops. One of the main settler enterprises in Kenya, coffee growing, was reserved exclusively for Europeans until 1933 when an experiment was undertaken with coffee cultivation in Gusii, Embu, and Meru areas. This article analyses why the experiment was launched and provides a case study of one of the trial areas to assess the extent to which African response was directed by the colonialists.4 It seeks to further an understanding of the degree of control exercised by the settler enclave over economic activities by Africans.

Technology, Planning, and Self-Reliant Development: A Latin American View

Abstract: Spend your time even for only few minutes to read a book. Reading a book will never reduce and waste your time to be useless. Reading, for some people become a need that is to do every day such as spending time for eating. Now, what about you? Do you like to read a book? Now, we will show you a new book enPDFd technology planning and self reliant development a latin american view that can be a new way to explore the knowledge. When reading this book, you can get one thing to always remember in every reading time, even step by step.

Marx and "Underdevelopment"

Abstract: Recently a new current of interpretation of Marx's view of British free trade in the nineteenth century seems to be on the rise among historians and theorists interested in the historical experiences of Third World peoples as "consumers of imperialism." One allegation usually shared by these interpreters is that Marx failed to grasp the historical function British free trade played in retarding or distorting the development of backward countries' economies through their integration into the world market system. In other words, Marx is criticized for having optimistically believed that British free trade would promote industrialization throughout the world on the European model. It seems worthwhile to see if these critiques do indeed do justice to Marx or not. Before re-examining Marx's theses on British free trade, however, I think I had better briefly review how Marx's view is criticized by the aforesaid current of interpretations. Let us look at some of the most typical examples.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.

Allende's Chile and the Soviet Union: A Policy Lesson for Latin American Nations Seeking Autonomy

Abstract: The fall of Salvador Allende's government on September 11, 1973, has given rise to debates over many issues, such as the role of the United States in bringing about the conditions that led to a military coup, the feasibility of a peaceful road toward socialism, and the existence or nonexistence of a democratic and national bourgeoisie in Chile (Valenzuela and Valenzuela, 1975). One issue remains relatively unexplored, however, namely, how much was the Soviet Union willing to aid the Popular Unity (UP) government in its quest for autonomy from the United States? This quest for autonomy was a paramount foreign policy goal because the basic program of Allende's coalition government, approved by the Communist, Socialist, Radical, Social Democratic, Movement for Unitary Popular Action, and Independent Popular Action parties, stated that the basic cause of Chile's poverty and inflation was their intimate economic ties with the United States. The resulting dependence brought about the underdevelopment of Chile and prevented the Chilean bourgeoisie from being truly nationalistic. These dependent ties with the United States would have to be broken for Chile to be capable of autonomous development.

Competing Hypotheses of Underdevelopment: A Thai Case Study

Abstract: This paper will test three models of underdevelopment against the experience of Thailand from 1850 to 1940, when Thailand became a major rice exporter. The models are a dependency model, a staples model, and a supply and demand model of technical and institutional change. The technical and institutional change model provides the best explanation. Divergences between the goals of national security and economic development as well as those between the private interests of the elite decision makers and the social interest explain Thai underinvestment in increasing agricultural productivity and account in large part for the persistence of underdevelopment.

The National Policy Tariffs: Industrial Underdevelopment Through Import Substitution

Abstract: A central preoccupation of the new wave of Canadian political economists has been the relative international weakness of Canada's contemporary industrial structure. This is scarcely surprising given the historical context in which their work has found its inspiration. The last decade's economic dislocations have revealed clearly the structural problems of branch plant manufacturing-technological dependence, export impotence, market fragmentation, and, finally, an alarming trend towards deindustrialization. Whereas earlier writers had focussed on the physical achievements of an industrialization process which they saw, either approvingly' or disapprovingly,2 as being the artificial creation of the politics of the National Policy tariffs,3 the new dependency school highlighted the gaps and limitations in this strategy.

Bulk Exports, Trade Tiers, Regulation, and Development: An Economic Approach to the Study of West Africa's “Legitimate Trade”

Abstract: During the nineteenth century the export of bulk commodities from West Africa expanded at the expense of slave exports. Research has focused on the political implications of the expansion of so-called “legitimate trade” rather than on its economic character. In the interests of an economic approach, new terminology and a conceptual framework are proposed, and then applied to a historical problem—the levels of competition prevailing in the African trader networks serving the coastal ports. The conclusions of this study are related to the issue of the historical origins of African underdevelopment.

Aesthetics of the Rural Slum: Contradictions and Dependency in "The Bear"

Abstract: Faulkner's writing presents literary criticism with a challenge at all levels of its operation, from style and the production of sentences to the interweaving of mythic and realistic modes of narration. Faulkner's period cannot be adequately understood in terms of a general history of the American 30s or in terms of the narrower concerns of rural populism. His work, like that of modernism in general, has its genesis in a society whose traditional organization is being transformed by global changes in capitalism. Only by situating Faulkner's writing in relation to the historical conflicts that erupted into a rural agricultural society defined by slave labor as well as sharecropping as it was affected by financial investment and industrialization can we grasp the social meaning of his formal "innovations." The recent and exciting work being done in what is now generally termed dependency theory, specifically that of Andre Gunder Frank and Immanuel Wallerstein, has a great potential for literary analysis in general, and Faulkner in particular. What distinguishes dependency theory from other economic theories of underdevelopment is the way it sees the underdevelopment of the Third World as a direct result of contact with capitalism. In so doing, it understands dependency in terms of a global system where different modes of production define degrees of dependency and constitute a synchronic dialectic. As yet, little has been done in the application of dependency theory to literary analysis. However, it raises the possibility of understanding the texts of the Third World in a way not possible for other criticism generated in the First World. Faulkner's position as a Southerner suggests the necessity of seeing his work in terms of dependency, and what makes dependency theory so useful for literary analysis is that it defines the historical contradictions of domination in terms which can then be related to the form and language of the literary text. Because dependency theory defines relationships in terms of a global system, it offers

Underdevelopment and the evolutionary imperative

Abstract: In colonial times there was not much work done by economists on conditions in the 'backward regions' mostly they were not national entities at that time least of all, directed work at the abject poverty and what could be done about it. The colonial power system was in general not such as to call forth intensive research on economic underdevelopment by giving political importance to such research or investing it with public interest. Nevertheless, one can distil from the scanty economic literature of the time a certain structure of thoughts, thoughts which were also shared by educated people generally in the developed world, and not infrequently, by people from the higher classes in the colonised regions. I have called it 'the colonial theory'. It was apologetic writing, attempting to absolve the colonial regimes from responsibility. It was taken as established by experience and observation that people in the backward regions were so constituted as to react differently from Europeans; that they normally did not respond positively to opportunities for improving their incomes and living standards. Generally, they were also supposed to be racially inferior. In more sophisticated writings, these traits were, however, understood to have roots in various elements in the local system of social relations and institutions with which the colonial governments, for good reason, generally abstained from interfering too much. Occasionally it was also noted that undernutrition and generally inferior living standards among the masses of people lowered their stamina. The climate was seen as a crucial cause of impairing people's ability and willingness for sustained work. The decolonisation hurricane that swept over the globe after the Second World War created an altogether new situation. From that time, steadily growing numbers of economists were drawn into the study of planning for development of underdeveloped countries and I was one of them. This was not an independent development of economics as a science, but clearly brought about by a radically changed political world environment for economic research. In the cold war that

The Model of the Plantation Economy: the Case of Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract: This paper seeks to analyze and offer a critique of the model of the plantation economy with reference to the experience of Trinidad and Tobago. The model, conceptualized by Lloyd Best of the University of the West Indies with some collaborative involvement of Kari Levitt of McGill University (Best, 1968; Best and Levitt, 1969), has been chosen for three main reasons. First, it seems to be a seminal work in the new phase of Caribbean literature on development. A number of leading academic economists attached to the University of the West Indies and elsewhere have been influenced by this contribution. In his discussion of plantation economy, Beckford (1972:45) notes his indebtedness to Best, who "has described the situation exceptionally well in his 'Outlines of a Model of Pure Plantation Economy' " (1968). Girvan (in Beckford, 1975:125) acknowledges the support of Best and Levitt in the research work done for the project from which the plantation economy model developed. This work seemed to have strongly influenced Girvan's subsequent orientation. And Kari Levitt (1973:xix) states: "My collaboration in work on plantation economy with Mr. Lloyd Best of the University of the West Indies during his two-year stay at the Centre for Developing Areas Studies of McGill University assisted me in clarifying the concept of the new mercantilism." Second, the school of thought which Best represents continues to exercise intellectual dominance in the English-speaking Caribbean. It should be added here that Thomas has in large measure moved out of this tradition, and his work (1974) marks a noteworthy contribution to dependency/underdevelopment debate with particular reference to small economies. And third, Best is a practicing politician, and it is of interest to see to what extent, if any, the assumptions and analysis which characterize the model bear any relation to his political prescriptions. What follows is divided in a general schematic way into four sections. The first gives a brief outline of the main features of the plantation economy model. In the second, an attempt is made to ascertain whether, at a very general level, there is empirical evidence for the applicability of the model to Trinidad and Tobago and what tentative conclusions can be drawn. The third section subjects the model to a critique which involves reference to one stream of thought associated with the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA) tradition (see O'Brien, 1975, and Harding, 1976) subsumed under the broad amorphous category called dependency theory. Finally, the relevance of the model to a