ABSTRACT

... The study of national development occupies a paradoxical position within sociology. From classical times to the present, it has had a central place in the minds of theorists concerned with the transition toward more advanced social stages. At the same time, familiarity with the concrete historical experiences of countries in the "underdeveloped" world has remained a tangential preoccupation. This is especially true with regard to the actual dilemmas faced by nations attempting to break away from their past and move toward different models of the future.