Suchergebnisse

The social sciences, including political science, developed in Latin America between the 1930s & 1950s, on the basis of theoretical & methodological orientations imported from advanced capitalist societies. They have been unable to solve the problems of the region, especially those of economic development. They have been characterized by developmental reformism, & disjointed studies of microsociological & isolated processes (eg, migratory movements or community studies) on the one hand, & classical global conceptualizations on the other. These trends require synthesis. Only recently have there been efforts to move from these orientations toward historical interpretations, taking into account all the social contradictions & conflicts which constitute Latin American reality, particularly from a dialectical, Marxist viewpoint. During the last 10-15 years these efforts have resulted in historical studies of dependency & the insertion of local economies into the world capitalist system, the characteristic class & power structures of Latin American societies, & the exploration of revolutionary goals. While the social sciences have contributed to showing the necessity for revolution in Latin America, they have done little toward its realization. S. Whittle.

Demonstrated is the explanatory value of the study of union organizations, based on their division into industrial branches. To that end, the subject is approached first on the basis of the classical categories of the DofL & the productive process; then the locus of the discussion is shifted to Latin American societies. After suggesting some methodological clarifications, two specific issues are treated: union demands, & union strategy on the industrial branch level. Although the approach taken is basically theoretical, its application to a research project on the Mexican rubber industry from 1970 to 1980 is envisioned. Consequently, much of the illustrative data to support the argument are derived from that particular branch of industry. HA

Theoretical & methodological aspects of the status quo of medical practice are analyzed. It is suggested that the relationship between medical practice & scientific knowledge is mediated by: (1) the problems of scientific research as posed by productive forces; (2) the influence on science of relations of production; & (3) the relationship between scientific knowledge & political, cultural, & social institutions at a given historic moment. The study of medical practice has been influenced by the static orientations of social science. Some general observations on medical practice are followed by comments on the Latin American situation, based on the observations of authors presenting a Marxist viewpoint on the 'new hospital industry.' It is concluded that the rigid, functionalistic approaches of traditional social science must be supplemented by research on the actual problems of medicine in Latin America. S. Whittle.

The concept of the city as an aspect of civilization & human development is discussed. The history of man's life in towns is briefly reviewed, from the earliest Neolithic settlements to the modern city. Particular attention is paid to Mexico & the attempts of the first Spanish settlers to express utopian ideas in the material form of new towns. This is contrasted with Ur transition in modern Latin America, which has resulted not from development or even industrialization, but from the negative force of Ru poverty. The need for integrated planning that would treat Ru & Ur space as complementary is stressed. The dehumanizing nature of the modern city is discussed, & suggestions are made for approaches to city planning that could reverse this trend & improve residents' social well-being. Inhabitants should participate in the planning process, & design should seek to further social contacts among residents. 1 Table, 6 Illustrations. C. Waters

Brief separate overviews are given of the literature on sociological factors in the prevalence of illness, divided into four areas: Socioeconomic studies; social-psychological & cultural studies; historical-structural research; & studies on concepts of health & illness & their causality. Socioeconomic studies are especially concerned with the effects of social class; social-psychological, with conditions of social stress; historical-structural, with demographic & ecological factors & the historically determined relations of production. Conceptual explorations are divided by methodology (positivist, statistical, & social-phenomenological). Each section includes a bibliography. All these approaches are found to be limited; a new line of research must be developed in which genetic causes, influenced by historic & structural conditions, are related to the individual's episodes of illness. The interconnections between social & individual factors must be explored; a redefinition of the theory of disease & the production of disease is needed. S. Whittle.

No Marxist theory of communication & the media exists, although attempts have been made to apply Marxist concepts-eg, alienation, manipulation, dependence, & bourgeois capitalist control-& to develop a leftist structural-functionalism. Existing communications theory & research deals with specific semiotic & psychological aspects; its actual superstructure & historic background have not been examined. Such research has been controlled by the processes of capitalist concentration & accumulation, & the necessity for optimizing control over these processes. The global communications-information complex must be seen within the globalized structure of the transnational capitalist system. Existing theories & models are ideological to the extent that they serve this system; eg, the cybernetic model views the human being as a manipulable object that can be dominated & controlled, ignoring the social, anthropological, historical, economic, ethical, & political aspects of communication. Alternative approaches, originating in Latin America & other Third World areas, to communication's role in the construction of new societies are briefly noted. S. Whittle.

The present state of the social sciences in Latin America goes back to the foundation of the Organization of American States & to the Cold War begun during the Truman administration. From 1945 to 1959, a neopositivist & neoempiricist sociology, inspired by conservative North American sociologists, dominated the field. Nevertheless, starting with the Cuban revolution (1959), a sociology directly committed to popular movements & in favor of a renovation of Marxist & revolutionary thinking emerged & confronted the reformist approach to social sciences. In the 1970s, the critique took position mainly against the "developmentalist" thinking of the ECLA (acronym not defined), the traditional theory of dependency, denouncing as an illusion the notion of independence & development under the leadership of the national bourgeoisie. In Chile, Salvador Allende's government & its overthrow (1970-1973) demonstrated the relationship between power & politics, while the revolutionary struggles in Central America drew emphasis to the problems of SC & coalitions, SC struggle, & national & international negotiation. In the 1980s, the dominant preoccupations in the countries with a constitutional regime centered on tensions between democracy & crisis. Latin American social thinking & the social sciences investigations must confront the "Second Cold War," which has bases for legitimation not only in the US but also in Europe, & not only in neoliberal thinking, but in neo-Marxist thinking as well. Modified AA