2. Development and social change in Latin America (original) (raw)

This chapter explores the influence of Latin American thought on development theory and highlights the region's critical stance against mainstream development practices driven by Western institutions. It discusses the emergence of dependency theory, its roots in the socio-economic transformations of the 1950s and 60s, and the contribution of Latin American theorists, particularly those associated with ECLAC, to a Southern perspective that critiques the unequal North-South relations. The evolution of dependency theory is delineated, emphasizing its implications for understanding the interrelationship between development and underdevelopment in the global capitalist system.