ABSTRACT
Once there was the sociology of development. Without necessarily having any more intrinsic coherence or unity than other specialisms within sociology (or the subject in general), a body of literature developed, bibliographies were compiled, conferences held, university courses on the sociology of development were established. This new field had hardly started its career of academic institutionalisation when it was subjected to aggressive attack: the sociology of development typified the ‘underdevelopment of sociology’ (Frank, 1967), the need to go ‘beyond the sociology of development’ was asserted (Oxaal, Barnett and Booth, 1975).
