Re: John Saul on Colin Leys

[Anon Anon <inprekorr@xxxxxxxxx>]

The genesis of dependency theory probably owes most,
in intellectual terms at least, to Raúl Prebisch
("Theoretical and Practical Problems of Economic
Growth", 1950) and a few other Latin Americans based
at the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA) -
a UN agency.  This is, although he was critical of
their work, where Frank and most dependency theorists
drew many of their insights (a bit like Hegel to Marx,
if you will).  Frank's most renown dependency work
"Capitalism and Underdevelopment in Latin America"
appeared in 1967. Baran's "Political Economy of
Growth", which lays the foundations for much of the
later english language schools of dependecy (though
more of the North American, rather than English,
variety) appeared in 1957 (which draws out ideas from
an article from the early 1950s I believe).  You can
find a good essay by Frank on his intellectual
evolution here:
http://csf.colorado.edu/agfrank/underdev.html

I think some on this list are rather harsh on on Colin
Leys.  I would recommend reading the first chapter of
Leys' "The Rise and Fall of Development Theory" (1996)
as one of the best short and accessible pieces
available as a survey of development theory.  By
contrast, there are a far larger number of ex-Marxists
who embraced the possibility of capitalist development
in east Africa tout court and remain unassessed.  For
example, Teddy Brett (ex-Marxist come World Bank
consultant) or Gavin Kitching.  See for example this
depressing piece by Kitching, probably one of the more
famous of the participants in the Kenya debates, who
has clearly given up the 'game'.

Why I gave up African studies
http://www.arts.uwa.edu.au/MotsPluriels/MP1600gk.html


Michael wrote:

2 comments.

Paul Baran's concept of the "development of
underdevelopment" is really from A.G.
Frank, isn't it?

Brenner emphasized the ability to exploit rather than
the entrepreneurial energy that
Leys seems to attribute to Keyna.


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