Latin American Development and the Globalization Imperative: New Directions, Familiar Crises

Abstract

Globalization has emerged as the defining conceptual and contextual socioeconomic framework of analysis for the early 21st century. Throughout Latin America, globalization has become a buzzword for profound structural change, as well as the focus of vociferous and rigorous criticism by those sectors of society disadvantaged, damaged, or bypassed by the forces of global restructuring. This article examines the theoretical and practical implications of globalization for Latin America development, analyzes key regional and local conditions, discusses 'glocalization,' and argues for a policy approach that rethinks the extant framework and restructures the analytical context in a more proactive manner. La globalizaci�n ha surgido como el marco anal�tico, conceptual y contextual definitivo para el siglo XXI. En todas partes de Am�rica Latina, la globalizaci�n ha llegado a ser un clich� para el cambio estructural, como tambi�n el foco de una cr�tica vociferante y rigorosa por aquellos sectores en desventaja, da�ados, o evadidos por las fuerzas de la re-estructuraci�n global. Este art�culo examina las implicaciones te�ricas y pr�cticas de la globalizaci�n para el desarrollo de Am�rica Latina, analiza las condiciones locales y regionales, discute "glocalizaci�n", y argumenta por una pol�tica que reconsidere el marco existente y reestructure el contexto anal�tico de una manera m�s proactiva.