Andre Gunder Frank: «Unity in Diversity» from the Development of Underdevelopment to the World System
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to critically review the work of Andre Gunder Frank. This is no easy task given the prolific and controversial nature of his life work. His main distinction is as a paradigm breaker and a paradigm maker. Frank is one of the founders of contemporary World system theory. He coined some memorable expressions such as the ‘development of underdevelopment’ and ‘Re-Orient’. Indeed, these two concepts highlight two distinct phases in his work. His first phase is characterised by his writings on dependency theory and his initial understanding of world system theory broadly in line with Amin, Arrighi and Wallerstein. His second phase is distinguished by what he considers to be the ‘Eurocentric’ interpretation of world system theory of Wallerstein and others as well as by his critique of his own earlier work. While some of Frank’s analyses and assertions proved to be wrong, he provided much inspiration to a new generation of scholars and activists, some of whom provided the necessary empirical evidence and theoretical rigour lacking in parts of Frank’s work. But he excelled in his mission of providing the big picture, asking the unimaginable questions and exploring hitherto inconceivable interrelationships.
Downloads
References
Addo, H. (1996), «Developmentalism: a eurocentric hoax, delusion, and chicanery», in S.C. Chew and R.A. Denemark (eds), The Underdevelopment of Development: Essays in Honor of Andre Gunder Frank, London: Sage.
Banaji, J. (1980), «Gunder Frank in Retreat?» Journal of Peasant Studies, 7 (4), pp. 508-21.
Bernstein, H. and Nicholas, H. (1983), «Pessimism of the Intellect, Pessimism of the Will? A Response to Gunder Frank», Development and Change, 14 (4), pp. 609–24.
Booth, D. (1973), Andre Gunder Frank: an introduction and appreciation, in I. Oxaal, T. Barnett and D. Booth (eds), Beyond the Sociology of Development, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Cardoso, F.H. (1972), ‘Dependency and Development in Latin America’, New Left Review, 74, pp.83–95.
Chew, S.C. and Lauderdale, P. (eds) (2010), Theory and Methodology of World Development:The Writings of Andre Gunder Frank, London: Palgrave.
Dobb, M. (1980), «Prólogo», in C. Kay ed., El Sistema Señorial Europeo y la Hacienda Latinoamericana, Mexico City: Ediciones Era, pp. 11–12.
Dos Santos, T. (1996), Latin American underdevelopment: past, present and future. A homage to Andre Gunder Frank, in S.C. Chew and R.A. Denemark (eds), Underdevelopment of Development, London: Sage.
Foster-Carter, A. (1976), «From Rostow to Gunder Frank: Conflicting Paradigms in the Analysis of Underdevelopment», World Development, 4 (3), pp. 167–80.
Foster-Carter, A. (1978), «The Modes of Production Controversy», New Left Review, 107, pp.47–78.
Frank, A.G. (1966), «The Development of Underdevelopment», Monthly Review, 18 (4), pp. 17-31.
Frank, A.G. (1967a), «Sociology of Development and Underdevelopment of Sociology», Catalyst,3, pp. 20–73.
Frank, A.G. (1967b), Capitalism and Underdevelopment in Latin America, New York: Monthly Review Press.
Frank, A.G. (1969), Latin America: Underdevelopment or Revolution, New York: Monthly Review Press.
Frank, A.D. (1972), Lumpenbourgeoisie: Lumpendevelopment. Dependence, Class and Politics in Latin America, New York: Monthly Review Press.
Frank, A.G. (1975), On Capitalist Underdevelopment, Bombay: Oxford University Press.
Frank, A.G. (1976), Economic Genocide in Chile, Nottingham: Spokesman Books.
Frank, A.G. (1977), «Dependence is Dead, Long Live Dependence and the Class Struggle: An Answer to Critics», World Development, 5 (7), pp. 55–70.
Frank, A.G. (1978a), World Accumulation: 1492–1789, New York: Monthly Review Press.
Frank, A.G. (1978b), Dependent Accumulation and Underdevelopment, London: Macmillan.
Frank, A.G. (1980a), Crisis: In the World Economy, London: Heinemann.
Frank, A.G. (1980b), Crisis: In the Third World the Third World, London: Heinemann.
Frank, A.G. (1977/1981), Reflections on the World Economic Crisis, London: Hutchinson.
Frank, A.G. (1983), «Global Crisis and Transformation», Development and Change, 14 (3), pp. 323–46.
Frank, A.G. (1984), Critique and Anti-Critique: Essays on Dependence and Reformism, London: Macmillan.
Frank, A.G. (1990a), «Book Review of Kay (1989)», Development and Change, 21 (3), pp. 560–62.
Frank, A.G. (1990b), «A Theoretical Introduction to 5000 years of World System History», Review, 13 (2), pp. 155–248.
Frank, A.G. (1991a), «The Underdevelopment of Development», Scandinavian Journal of Development Alternatives,10 (3), pp. 5–150.
Frank, A.G. (1991b), «Latin American Development Theories Revisited», European Journal of Development Research, 3 (2), pp. 146–59.
Frank, A.G. (1991c), «Transitional Ideological Modes: Feudalism, Capitalism, Socialism», Critique of Anthropology,11 (2), pp. 171–88.
Frank, A.G. (1992), «The Centrality of Central Asia», Studies in History, 8 (1), pp. 43–97.
Frank, A.G. (1995), The modern world system revisited: re-reading Braudel and Wallerstein’, in S.K. Sanderson ed., Civilizations and World Systems, London: Sage.
Frank, A.G. (1996), The development of underdevelopment, in S.C. Chew and R.A. Denemark (eds), Underdevelopment of Development, London: Sage.
Frank, A.G. (1998), ReOrient: Global Economy in the Asian Age, Berkeley: University of California Press.
Frank, A.G. (2000), «Immanuel and Me With-out Hyphen», Journal of World-Systems Research, 6 (2), pp. 216–31.
Frank, A.G. and Gills, B.K. (eds) (1993), The World System: Five Hundred Years or Five Thousand Years?, London: Routledge.
Gills, B.K. and Frank, A.G. (1990), «The Cumulation of Accumulation: Theses and Research Agenda for 5000 Years of World System History», Dialectical Anthropology, 15 (1), pp. 19–42.
Hilton, R. (ed.) (1976), The Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism, London: New Left Review Editions.
Kay, C. (1980), El Sistema Señorial Europeo y la Hacienda Latinoamericana, Mexico City: Ediciones Era.
Kay, C. (1989), Latin American Theories of Development and Underdevelopment, London: Routledge.
Laclau, E. (1971), «Feudalism and Capitalism in Latin America», New Left Review, 67, pp. 19–38.
Landes, D.S. (1998), The Wealth and Poverty of Nations, New York: W.W. Norton.
Lauderdale, P. (2008), «In the Light of Andre Gunder Frank: Terror, Domination and Dependency », Journal of Developing Societies, 24 (1), pp. 1–94.
Manning, P. and Gills, B.K. (eds) (2011), Andre Gunder Frank and Global Development, London: Routledge.
Mayer, D. (2010), Del subdesarrollo a la determinación del conjunto sistémico: el vagabundaje intelectual de André Gunder Frank, in A. Galarza ed., Debates y Diagnósticos Sobre las Sociedades Coloniales Latinoamericanas, Mar del Plata: Universidad Nacional.
Mcneill, W.H. (1996), How to think about world history, in S.C. Chew and R.A. Denemark (eds), Underdevelopment of Development, London: Sage.
Nederveen Pieterse, J. (2005), «Paradigm Making While Paradigm Breaking: Andre Gunder Frank», Review of International Political Economy, 12 (3), pp. 383–86.
Roxborough, I. (1976), «Dependency Theory in the Sociology of Development: Some Theoretical Problems», West African Journal of Sociology and Political Science, 1 (2), pp. 116–33.
Taylor, J. (1974), «Neo-Marxism and Underdevelopment – A Sociological Phantasy», Journal of Contemporary Asia, 4 (1), pp. 5–23.
Toye, J. (1993), Dilemmas of Development, Oxford: Blackwell.
Wallerstein, I. (1991), «World System versus World-Systems: A Critique», Critique of Anthropology, 11 (2), pp. 189–94.
Warren, B. (1980), Imperialism: Pioneer of Capitalism, London: Verso.
Watts, M. (2006), Andre Gunder Frank (1929–2005), in D. Simon ed., Fifty Key Thinkers on Development, London: Routledge.
Copyright (c) 2023 Revista de Estudios Globales. Análisis Histórico y Cambio Social
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
