Latin America in Law and Development

Abstract

Abstract Latin American countries have experienced both right-and left-wing paths to development. The goal of this chapter is to broaden liberal- and neoliberal-centred narratives by analysing dependency-oriented approaches to economic development that have been influential in the region at diverse moments. The chapter analyses how gender was incorporated into these debates. It seeks to show the ways in which ideas about development have taken form in Latin America: framed by colonialism, geopolitics, and particular economic, social, and cultural characteristics. The chapter begins with the developmentalist ideals of the late 1950s, moves through the early 1970s and then through the neoliberal wave that swept the region from the 1980s through the early 2000s. The chapter ends with a description of contemporary dependency inspired initiatives and an analysis of how gender has been incorporated into notions of economic development.