Suchergebnisse

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 term 'formation of human capital' refers to the development of certain skills necessary for modernization, & thus leads to a consideration of the educ'al system. The Latin Amer countries borrowed many educ'al features from foreign countries, but these features became rigidified & nonadaptable when transplanted from their original milieu, could not be fitted into the traditional Latin Amer class structure, & hence remained unrelated to the needs of development. Moreover, the Latin Amer's have responded to their own problems uncreatively, mainly by comparing themselves unfavorably with the more advanced countries. The participation of the pop was not thought to be essential for development; rather, human capital was merely conceived as a ballast to be overcome. In these conditions it did not make sense to speak of a rational utilization of human capital; there was no definite praxis dictated by theory. But a recent response to this has been an act of self-affirmation of development from within, ie, religious, pol'al, econ & philosophical realizations of self & of the fact that the people have a responsible pol'al power. A Bibliog. A. Peskin.

The widely held conception of several developing Latin American states as being fascist is disputed on the grounds that fascism is applied in too general a manner to these military dictatorships. While fascism is considered a terrorist, imperialist domination, bourgeois democracy may be considered a 'legal' domination, which may use violence for the sake of preventing revolution during the process of capitalist development. Countries experiencing the label of fascism are therefore undergoing 'imperialist stages of capitalism.' Other factors distinguishing these authoritarian regimes from fascist regimes are the lack of unified mass support, idolic leaders, & totalitarianism. The situation of state monopoly is discussed in terms of being a present 'phase' of the imperialist stage of capitalism. C. Strong.

It is observed that 'In no other continent is the sociol'st held in such esteem' as in Latin America. No Latin Amer U today is without either its dept of sociol or plans for creating one. Teachers of sociol are frequently given what other U staff are still denied: full-time employment, high salaries, & funds for res. Sociol'ts are in a professional category like MD's, lawyers or engineers. The sociol'st is by no means a mere theorist, but rather is asked not only to account for & explain the crisis Latin America is passing through, but also to deal with it. However, the sham importance conferred on the sociol'st brings him little advantage. Often all he can do is line up statistics, make a few resounding tautological statements & endorse the prevailing ideas of the environment in which he lives. An overestimation of the power of sociol results in the virtual destruction of any possibility of genuine res & of the conditions necessary for sound teaching. The outcome will be as many sociol's as there are ideologies-not to mention countless minor variations-each claiming that it alone is sci'fic. If by any chance one particular approach is adopted by res workers, their agreement will be due not to the perfection of their logic, but the efficiency with which they have eliminated other doctrines. Many countries are so taken up with creating or maintaining instit's that sci itself is forgotten. Important also is that the diff soc sci's & sociol tend to merge into each other in Latin America; this makes it difficult for sociol to develop independently & to be self-critical. A new conception of the role of sociol'st is emerging. M. Maxfield.

Particular projects are sketched out in the areas of demography, marriage & the fam, SC structure, pol'al, Ru, & Ur sociol, & ethnic group relations. Over-pop, for example, makes the identification & description of the various factors affecting diff'ial fertility an important task. Efforts to raise the standards of living of the vast majority of mankind necessitate an examination of the hypothesis that peasantry & a large-sized fam are almost synonymous. The areas of Latin America which have high proportions of Indian pop are seen as excellent laboratories for the study of racial diff's & prejudices. Finally, the value of a sociol'al approach to problems such as public health which are 'not strictly sociol'al in nature' is emphasized. M. Duke.

Two Latin American economic cooperation treaties are studied: the Latin American Free Market (ALALE) & the Andes Pact. Though both schemes are theoretically based on collaboration of the industrial bourgeoisie & the state, they have worked out differently in practice. ALALE has sought mainly to eliminate customs duties, a goal still far from being realized; the Andes Pact, on the other hand, sets out with the more ambitious program of reversing the relationship of dependence vis-a-vis developed countries. A discussion of the origins of the industrial bourgeoisie in Latin American countries & the nature of state intervention reveals the reasons for the failure of the first & the relative success of the second scheme. The Andes Pact originated in countries with a weak or nonexistent bourgeoisie; hence primary responsibility for the integration process devolved on the state, which saw integration as an instrument for renegotiating dependency from a better bargaining position. Modified HA.

A bibliography designed to serve as the nucleus for a deeper study of the common problems of the Latin American labor movement, particularly to clarify the background of the workers' movement in each country during the twentieth century. For countries with considerable industrial development, the reading list is more extensive; for countries in which such development has been insignificant, the works cited are concerned mainly with the history of workers' political parties. S. Karganovic.