Latin America Transformed: Globalization and Modernity (review)

Over the course of the past several decades, the processes of globalization and modernization have wrought unprecedented changes throughout Latin America. This book addresses the broad nature of these transformations affecting the economic, political, social and cultural landscapes and peoples of the region. Utilizing a broad political economy approach the authors examine how globalization, neoliberalism and modernity have affected the region and how these structural transformations are affecting the dynamics of people's livelihoods across a variety of scales of analysis and geographic contexts.

The organization and content of the second edition of the book have been significantly reworked, which includes four new chapters (three by new authors) and revisions throughout the remaining nine chapters. In addition, to all of the chapters have been appended recommended web sites for readers to consult and suggestions for further readings. The book is organized into four parts that address globalization and modernity, political transformations, space, society and livelihoods and Latin American futures.

The first chapter introduces the approach and organization of the book and then focuses upon a preliminary discussion of globalization and neoliberalism in Latin America. The authors argue that globalization has been a broad and powerful transformative force in the region that has had very uneven effects and is responsible for increasing economic asymmetries and widespread social and cultural change. In addition, the authors argue for a reconsideration of theories of structuralism and dependency in the context of Latin America as "relevant" for understanding problems of underdevelopment in the region.

The remaining chapters in the first section of the book address questions of globalization and modernity. Jorge Larraín explores the development of modernity throughout the region and how it has produced distinctive cultural identity characteristics such as clientelistm, authoritarianism and social marginalization. Robert Gwynne and Thomas Klak evaluate the effects of structural reforms and neoliberalism in Latin America's large economies (South America and Mexico) and the smaller economies of countries in Central America and the Caribbean. Alan Gilbert explores the relationship between neoliberal change, urbanization and migration in Mexico, Chile and Colombia. Finally, Warwick Murray and Eduardo Silva present a discussion of the political-economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability of natural resource use in Latin America.

The second section of the book is primarily concerned with the relationship between the processes of democratic consolidation that have been taking place in countries throughout the region, economic development, and modernization. Eduardo Silva's contribution to the book explores theories treating the relationship between globalization and the state. This includes the presentation and critical discussion of theories of modernization, dependency, bureaucratic-authoritarianism, and the latest stage of neoliberalism and modernization. Patricio Silva then explores how the latest period of democratization has allowed for the almost unchallenged ascendancy of technocrats and consumerism, which has led to a weakening of traditional mechanisms of political dissent and the "depoliticization" of Latin American societies.

The third section of the book turns to a broad discussion of how these structural transformations have affected local geographies of the region through analyses of local livelihood production strategies, civil society and grassroots politics, gender and the future of rural agrarian reform. Anthony Bebbington argues that one way of grounding the discussion of globalization and modernization is by focusing upon people's livelihoods. The author then outlines three ways of conceptualizing and understanding current livelihood transformations, explores how civil society actors have affected livelihoods and development, and highlights the increasing linkages between local livelihoods and transnational processes. Sarah Radcliffe examines the nature of civil society and grassroots politics since the 1970s and discusses new geographies of civil action and transnationalism. Sylvia Chant focuses on the relationship between neoliberal restructuring and urban livelihoods by highlighting the gender-differentiated impacts of structural adjustment on labor markets. Finally, Cristóbal Kay evaluates the status of agrarian reforms and new peasant movements throughout the region.

The final section of the book concludes with...