Is Dependence a Useful Concept in Analysing.pdfVIP

WorldDevelopment, 1975, Vol. 3, Nos. 11 12, pp. 799-810. Pergamon Press. Printed in Great Britain. Is Dependence a Useful Concept in Analysing Underdevelopment? SANJAYA LALL* Oxjbrd University bzstitute o f Economics and Statistics Summary. The concept of dependence is being increasingly used as a comprehensive explanation of the state of underdevelopment. It is, however, impossible to defme in terms either of static or dynamic criteria, and most of its arguments are aimed at the capitalist system in general rather than dependence as such. Many of its conclusions about the effect of dependence on development may apply to particular cases but cannot be generalised, and as an analytical tool dependence is not conducive to a useful analysis of underdevelopment. I. I N T R O D U C T I O N country may be described as being dependent on foreign trade or foreign technology; or a This essay was originally intended to pro- process of great complexity may be said to duce a working definition of dependence. It involve greater interdependence between has ended up by being a critique of the concept different workers; or the world may be said to of dependence itself, at least as it is currently become more interdependent because of used in development economics. It is meant to increasing international trade and invest