Theoretical Model of Capital Accumulation and Development in the Contemporary World

Abstract

The aim of this study is to show that there is a basic difference between the model of the accumulation of capital and economic and social development that is characteristic of an autocentric system and that of a system in the periphery. This difference—that we consider to be absolutely fundamental—having been highlighted, it is in the general theoretical framework that we shall try to relocate questions of social structure as well as the diverse aspects that are essential to the problems of the contemporary world, both social (particularly that of unemployment, under-employment and marginalization) as well as ideological and political (especially problems of social consciousness, class consciousness, problems of planning, the mobilization of resources and people, problems of education and its social role etc.).

This text was first published in Samir Amin: Imperialisme et Sous Developpement en Afrique (Paris: Editions Anthropos 1988). This publisher does not exist any more. The copyright belongs to the author. This text was translated from French by Josephine Victoria Bawtree (Australia/France) with financial support from AFES-PRESS, a non-profit scientific society under German law.