The political economy of discrimination and underdevelopment in Rhodesia, with special reference to African workers, 1940-73

[摘要] The studybegins byexaminingthe orthodox theoryofdiscrimination as a possible model with whichtoevaluatethesocio-economicbasisof race relationsin Rhodesia.It is argued that it is inadequate because the theory is notgroundedin thesettler-colonial system,its historiographyandthe peripheral capitalist socialformation in Rhodesiain which a complex articulationbetweenmodes of productionis found.A critiqueis then undertaken of the principaltheorieshitherto used toexplain the course of Rhodesian economicdevelopment- namely, dualism andthose termed neo-marxist.It isarguedthat Barber's modification ofthe dualistic modelof W. A. Lewis is deficientparticularlybecause of theabsence of atheory of'primitiveaccumulation' and alsothe lackof an analysis of the political economy of the'labour transfer', the basisof peripheral capitalistdevelopment. Arrighi's 'neo-maraist'analysis of Rhodesiandevelopment isalso criticized for its inadequate theoryof'primitiveaccumulation' and the lackof attention paidtothe labour mobilization process. An analytical alternativeis proposed,basedon an explanation of'primitivecapitalaccumulation' and thespecificforms of-labour utilizationfound in Rhodesia inassociation with particular modes ofproduction existentduring theperiod under review. Anattempt ismade tospecifythesemodes and thesocialrelations related thereto.The labourstructuresfound in theeconomic system arethenexaminedin thecontext of the income distributionpattern, theclass structure of thesocialformationandtheprimary'dynamic'of Rhodesian postwardevelopment- industrialization. It issuggested that changesin labourpolicyin various modes of production were essentiallyconcerned with ensuringthe maintenance of a system of cheaplabourwhereby employers acquiredlabour-power belowthe cost of itsown reproduction. The development ofperipheral capitalism under conditions of settler colonialismrequired changes to labour policy. These modificationsleft the basicstructures ofthesocio-economic systemintact,althoughtheygave rise tosubstantial pressuresfor change,e. g. from unions and African nationalism.The State hasbeen particularly significantincontainingthesesocio-economic and political pressures, especiallyin the field oflabourpolicy.Anattemptismade to identify thechangesin labourmobilization that have takenplace,toassesstheir impactonthe nature of discriminationand underdevelopment, and topoint out some of themoreimportant features ofthe classformation process that have resulted from the developmentof capitalismin Rhodesia.

[发布机构] University:University of St Andrews;Department:Economics & Finance (School of)

[效力级别] Islamic countries--Economic conditions--Case studies

[关键词] Islamic countries--Economic conditions;Islamic countries--Economic conditions--Case studies