Abstract

MEDINA VALDES, Zoe. Development Theories: Alternative or Reform?. Econ. y Desarrollo [online]. 2021, vol.165, n.1, e6.  Epub Dec 15, 2020. ISSN ISSN.

The development, as a theoretical construction, appeared in the post-World War II context. In general, the theories and models applied have been conceived by developed societies to guarantee that the underdeveloped ones are functional to their interests. The passive assimilation of the theories that have been internationally disseminated can hold back underdeveloped societies in the design and conduct of their own development processes. This work aims to reflect on the alleged neutrality of current theories of development, functional to the logic of capitalist accumulation. It adopts the following starting criteria: it does not accept the supposed neutrality of economic science, assumed by conventional economics; it conceives development as a dialectical, multidimensional process, influenced by national and international factors; it assumes a dialectical relationship between development and underdevelopment; it considers that as a theoretical-practical construction, development is determined by power relations.

Keywords : capitalist accumulation; criticism; political economy; underdevelopment; development theories.

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