Introduction:In the Light of Andre Gunder Frank
Abstract
Introduction: In the Light of Andre Gunder Frank Pat Lauderdale Arizona State University Richard Harris California State University, Monterey Bay My professional/personal conclusion is the same as Pogo’s – We have met the enemy, and it is US (Andre Gunder Frank’s by-line) This special issue is devoted to the late Andre Gunder Frank’s groundbreaking research, and the illumination it provides for our research. Since his seminal critique of economic dependency and development in Capitalism and Underdevelopment in Latin America: Historical Studies of Chile and Brasil in 1967, scholars increasingly note that his analysis then and his subsequent works are essential to understanding the problems associated with any nation’s economic dependence. The editors of this issue of the Journal of Developing Societies assume that all societies are developing societies, especially if we consider factors such as cultural development. Frank’s research makes it clear that some ‘poor’ societies that have become economically dependent may, in fact, be quite developed if we consider factors other than economic ones (Frank, 1967, 1996). He explained how rich, developed countries gained from poor, underdeveloped countries when those poor nations remained in the global economic system. More generally, he showed how persistent structural economic crises