Reflections on rural poverty in Latin America

In: The European journal of development research: journal of the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), Band 17, Heft 2, S. 317-346

Abstract

In recent years there has been a major rise in poverty studies. Different approaches to poverty, with their diverse theoretical underpinning and focus, are analysed. Some of these studies have significantly advanced the understanding of the causes, characteristics and consequences of poverty; others have only marginally, if at all. It is argued in this paper that poverty is being produced and reproduced by certain economic, social, political and cultural relations at local, national and global levels. Thus to overcome inequality and poverty it is necessary to change such systemic relations via major reforms at all these levels. Integrating further developing countries and their peasantries and rural labourers into the world economy through neoliberal measures is not the panacea for overcoming poverty. Quite the contrary, it could entrench poverty even further in the Latin American countryside. (InWent/DÜI)