The First Export Era Revisited: Reassessing its Contribution to Latin American Economies

Description

This book challenges the wide-ranging generalizations that dominate the literature on the impact of export-led growth upon Latin America during the first export era. The contributors to this volume contest conventional approaches, stemming from structuralism and dependency theory, which portray a rather negative view of the impact of nineteenth-century globalization upon Latin America. It has been considered that, as a result of the role of Latin American countries as providers of raw materials produced in enclaves dominated by foreign capital, their participation in the world economy has had adverse consequences for their long-term development. This volume addresses a representative sample of countries with varied initial conditions and resource endowments, a diverse productive specialization, as well as different degrees of integration to the world economy. This allows a direct comparison among the different experiences within the region, which in turn enables a more nuanced understanding of the contribution of exports to economic growth and economic modernization. Eight national case studies are presented – Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Bolivia and Uruguay – which offer an insight into the successes of a region traditionally viewed as disadvantaged by globalization and export-led growth. Front Matter ....Pages i-xxii Latin America’s First Export Era: Reassessing Its Economic Contribution (Sandra Kuntz-Ficker)....Pages 1-35 The Contribution of Argentine Exports to the Economy, 1875–1929 (Sandra Kuntz-Ficker, Agustina Rayes)....Pages 37-72 The Bolivian Export Sector (1870–1950) (Jose Alejandro Peres-Cajías, Anna Carreras-Marín)....Pages 73-110 The Brazilian Export Economy, 1822–1913 (Christopher David Absell, Antonio Tena-Junguito)....Pages 111-150 The Impact of Nitrates on the Chilean Economy, 1880–1930 (Marc Badia-Miró, José Díaz-Bahamonde)....Pages 151-188 Exports and Economic Development in Colombia: A Regional Perspective, 1830–1929 (José Antonio Ocampo, Santiago Colmenares Guerra)....Pages 189-231 Mexico in the Export Era (1870s–1929): Export Boom, Economic Modernization, and Industrialization (Sandra Kuntz-Ficker)....Pages 233-276 Exports and Their Impact on the Economy. The Case of Peru, 1830–1930 (Luis Felipe Zegarra)....Pages 277-312 Latin America’s First Export Era: A Preliminary Balance (Toward a New Synthesis) (Sandra Kuntz-Ficker)....Pages 313-336 Back Matter ....Pages 337-348