Rethinking The Third World: Contributions Towards A New Conceptualization

This book rethinks the relevance of the social sciences, both Marxist and liberal, to social change in the Third World . The authors are concerned with the failure of contemporary development theory to explain and take seriously the dynamic histories of the peoples of Latin America, Africa and Asia. Breaking with unlinear, ahistorical approaches in economics, sociology, political science, and philosophy, the essays explore a broad range of issues in an attempt to break new ground. Topics discussed include: the link between democracy and raising productivity; the respective influence of technology and social relations in industrialization; the contribution to and participation in development of peasants, primitives and other often ignored, stereotyped peoples; the conflict between individual freedom and authoritarianism; the changing relations of governments, institutions and subject populations; and political alliances formed around development issues.