Democracy and Development in Latin America: Economics, Politics and Religion in the Post-War Period - Softcover

Lehmann, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1566390117 ISBN 13: 9781566390118

Publisher: Temple University Press, 1992

Synopsis

In this wide-ranging history of Latin American thought since the 1930s, David Lehmann sets out to integrate three topical areas of considerable importance to the modern history of Latin America: the intellectual currents of social science; the renovation of Catholic thought and practice; and the emergence of popular social movements. Concentrating on Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, he provides an intellectual history of the past forty years and follows the fate of the generations whose ideas—in economics, politics, and religion—became the most influential in the developing world.

In terms accessible to people unfamiliar with the details of modern Latin American history, Lehmann explains the origins of dependency theory, the disappointing effects of import-substitution, the rise of Liberation Theology, the nature of grassroots politics, as well as a variety of other schools of thought and the audiences to which they have been addressed. The book also offers an up-to-date analysis of the many social movements that have proliferated in Latin America, in the context of unprecedented repression and economic crisis.

Lehmann concludes by distilling from these social movements and the ideologies they have inspired a non-utopian contribution to the idea of democratic development: a basismo, or grassroots agenda for the reinvention of civil societies on the verge of disintegration and states on the verge of bankruptcy. His book will be indispensable for anyone concerned with the politics, sociology, and economics of development.

About this title

From the Publisher

The integration of three considerable topics for modern Latin American history

From the Inside Flap

"It is refreshing to find a book that cuts to the heart of the ideological dilemma and does so with clarity and readability.... Lehmann's excellent explanation of 'basismo' (grassroots democracy) is probably the clearest available in the English language.... This clearly written book is a must for anyone truly interested in the political, economic, and religious life of Latin America."
—Choice

"In this wide-ranging history of Latin American thought since the 1930s, the author sets out to integrate three topical areas: the intellectual currents of social science, the renovation of Catholic thought and practice, and the emergence of popular social movements."
—Abstracts of Development Studies

"[An] important contribution to the political, economic, and religious history of Latin America since the end of the second world war.... The book is important...because of the range of knowledge, quality of analysis and subtlety of interpretation which Lehmann brings to all the topics he addresses. There is something of interest being said on every page."
—Political Studies

Edition details

• Publisher: Temple University Press
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 1566390117
• ISBN 13: 9781566390118
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 288