3992130Introduction to the Sociology of 'Developing Societies' by Hamza Alavi; Teodor Shanin

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Third World Quarterly

Introduction to the Sociology of 'Developing Societies' by Hamza Alavi; Teodor ShaninReview by: R. S. PannuThird World Quarterly, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Jan., 1985), pp. 162-164Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.

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THIRD WORLD QUARTERLY

physicalandsocialisolationandpowerlessness-whichinteractandcombine

to trap the ruralpoor in deprivation.Chapter2 describesthe contrasting

approacheshat outsiders romdifferentoccupationalanddisciplinary ack-

groundsuse to explainruralpoverty.Both chaptersareentirelyadmirable.

Chapters 1, 3 and 5 represent the core of Chambers'message-that

outsiderswho direct ruraldevelopmentmisperceivethe problemsand the

solutions,andthattheirperceptions anbe improved.Withthe general hesis

this reviewerstronglyagrees;but two doubtscontinueto niggleaway at the

backof his mind.First,whatevidencedo we have, in the formof contrasting

situations n one of whichone 'information' ystemsexists andin the other

another,to show that the system Chambersrecommendsworks better inpractice hanthe one he condemns?Secondly, upposinga perfect nformation

system were installed so that the decisionmakers n rural development

correctlyperceivedthe problemsand the solutions,how big a difference, n

practice,wouldthis make to the directionand speed of ruraldevelopment?

Chambershas made perceptionthe centre-pointof his book. Is it reallyso

important?Ontwopoints,at least,Chambershassimplygot it wrong.On pp 104-5 he

suggests hatChristianityustifies nequalitynwealth.Alas,Chamberswasnot

payingattentionat

SundaySchoolandChristian octrineprovidesno hopefor

us rich.He shouldquicklyread Luke 18.25 ('It is easier for a camel to go

through he eye of a needlethanfora richman to enterthe kingdomof God')

before t is toolate. Onp 195he asksrhetorically,Should t beacceptedasfair

that poor people who have no alternativeemploymentshould be paid an

unremunerativewage?Canthe answerbe anythingbutno?'This reviewer s

not going to be browbeaten like that. Strip Chambers'question of its

tautologiesand thecorrectanswer s, 'Yesit does sometimesmakesensetopay

poor people low wages in their own short- and long-terminterests';and

rigorous conomicanalysis s a betterguidein these matters hansentiment.

Threeof thisbook'sepigramsdeserveacclaimandwideruse:'self-sustainingmyth';'if economicsis dismal,developmentstudiesare morbid';and 'those

whoshiftfrom foot to foot maylose theirbalance;thosewho tryto standon

both poles risk hernia'.This book has manyimportant hingsto say, it says

them admirably;t is cheap, and it is well suited to the needs of students,

academicsandpractitioners f all disciplinarybackgrounds. f you have not

readit yet, do so now.

Introductionto the Sociology of 'Developing Societies'

Edited by Hamza Alavi and Teodor Shanin

London: Macmillan. 1982. 473pp. ?12.95. ?5.95pb

In this reader, Alavi and Shanin present thirty-four carefully selected readings, the

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BOOK REVIEWS

majority f themwrittenbysome of the mostprominent adical cholars ftoday.UsingMarxistpoliticaleconomy as their preferredtheoreticalapproachto the study ofnationaldevelopment, he editors dentifyfive genericthemesas the agendafor thisvolumeand use them to select forinclusionand to group hepapersaccordingly. hesequestionsare: the historicalgenesisof the 'developingsocieties';the currentglobalcontext n which hese societiesarelocated;the internalcharacteristicsf thepoliticaleconomyof 'developing ocieties';andthe dynamicsof theirdevelopment;he socialbases of the state,power,dominationandresistance;andculture,consciousness ndideology.Usingthisorder, he selections- manyof themabridged ersionsorexcerptsfrom ull-length ublishedpapers,booksorreports-are groupedntofiveparts ntitled'TheMaking f the ThirdWorld',TheGlobalContext', PoliticalEconomy',StateandRevolution',and'Community,Culture,andIdeology'.Eachsetof readingss prefacedwitha succinct ntroductorytatementby the editorsin which attention s especiallydrawnto those readingswhichrepresentdifferingpositionsand perceptions n thecontinuingdebaterelativeto the generictheme in question.In a masterfullywrittengeneral Introduction'o the volume,the editorsoffera briefbutperceptive eviewofthedevelopmentdebateof the last twodecadesanduseit asanindispensable ackdropto introduce he materialsncluded n thisbook.

PartI, 'TheMakingof the ThirdWorld'presents,amongothers,thewritings f suchprominentcholasasMagdoff,Wallerstein,Brenner,andEmmanuel. nparticular,hechaptersby Wallersteinand Brennerrepresent two distinctpositions in a major

contemporarydebate about two interrelatedquestions: a) the developmentofcapitalism s a worldsystemand tsstructure; ndb) thegenesisof developing ocietiesin the courseof their social transformation nd concomitant ncorporationnto theworldeconomy.Careis takenby the editors to present,through heseselections, hemajordifferingormulationsndpointsof controversy nddebaterelated o thegeneraltheme.The foursubstantive ontributionsn 'TheGlobalContext' ocuson thenatureanddynamics f 'developing ocieties' ntheir nternationalontext.Theseinclude heclassic tatementof Cardoso n 'DevelopmentandDependencynLatinAmerica', wopaperson multinationalsand their significanceto the political economies of thedevelopingsocieties, and an importantcontributionby Alavi on 'The StructureofPeripheralCapitalism',nwhichheoffersatheoretical

onceptionquitedifferent o thatof thedependency heoristswithrespect o the internal tructure f those'developingsocieties'whoserecenthistorieshavebeenshapedbythe directexperienceof colonialcapitalism.n'PoliticalEconomy', he analysis ocuseson theinternal haracteristicsf'developingocieties'-the structure f theireconomiesandclassrelations,patternsofpropertyelationsandpower,classexploitation ndpoverty. tiscomposedof anumberof excellentcontributionsncluding xcerptsfrom the writingsof Baran,SweezyandAmin.Also includedhere s theabridged ersionof apaperbyGriffinandKhanwhichexamines he structural ootsof increasingmasspoverty n 'developing ocieties'. Inanothermportantpaper,Bernsteinreviewsandbuildsuponanimportant ontroversyaboutthe possibilitiesandlimitsof industrialisationn 'developing ocieties'.PartIV,

'State and Revolution' addressesthe issues of power and domination and theirembodiment n the structuresof the state in 'developingsocieties'.The selectionsincludedherearenarrow ntermsof thescopeof the issuesexaminedand,relative o theotherparts,arefew innumber.Alavi'spaperreviewsdifferent heoriesof thestate andthen presentsa carefullyformulatedconceptualisation f the state in 'developing

163







THIRD WORLD QUARTERLY

societies'-a conceptualisation which is firmly anchored in his model of peripheral

capitalism. This paper should therefore be read in conjunction with his article on

peripheral capitalism. Shanin reviews various aspects of the debate about revolution

and its agencies, linking it to the issues of state and class in peripheral capitalism. Colin

Ley's critical review of Huntington's work and the piece by the famous Colombian

novelist, Gabriel Garcia Mairquez,on Allende's death, round out the discussion. As the

editors themselves concede in their introduction to this part of the book, the readings

cannot present a comprehensive discussion of this very important dimension of

'developing societies'. 'Community, Culture, and Ideology'-the final part-presents a

mixed bag of articles on topics as diverse as urbanisation, female labour, education,

control of information and mass media, and ideology. This set of readings suffers from

too diffuse a focus in substantive terms; yet, several of the readings make valuablecontributions to the study of matters of culture and ideology specific to 'developing

societies'. The papers by Dale, Davidson, Smith and Pine readily come to mind.

Although the editors claim that 'about half of the text was specifically commissioned

for this publication' (p 6), the selections containing the core theoretical argumentshave

alreadyappeared in a published form elsewhere, albeit in a different format. However,

the contribution of this volume need not be judged entirely on the basis of the

'newness' of the materials presented. It is greatly enhanced by the general coherence of

the conceptual framework within which the editors have selected and organised the

papers, the highly perceptive nature of the introductions which have been used to

present them in relation to conceptually interrelatedbut distinctgeneric themes, andthedeliberate attempt made to juxtapose differing and varying points of view and to

highlight debate and controversy in the literature. Within the tradition of radical

scholarship on 'developing societies', this reader presents a judicious selection of

positions and perspectives representing the work of many brilliant and committed

scholars.The usefulness of this volume would have been further enhanced, particularly

forstudentreaders, had the editors clearly outlined, perhaps in the general introduction,

the substance of the major issues of debate among different schools of thought on

'developing societies' and indicated which of the readings included in it address one or

more of them.

Perhaps it is worth noting also that this book is the Introduction volume in a major

series on the 'Sociology of Developing Societies' planned for publication, presumably

over the next few years. The series is expected to include separate volumes on the major

regions of 'developing societies' such as Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, South

Asia, etc., as well as further thematic volumes on socialist 'developing societies' and on

theories of social transformation and change. The final volume, the editors note (p 7),

will attempt systematically to relate the major questions presented in the volume under

review here to the different schools of thought and the controversies among them.

R S PANNU

University of Alberta

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3992130Introduction to the Sociology of 'Developing Societies' by Hamza Alavi; Teodor Shanin