The southern question in the Graziani's thought

Abstract

This paper shows that there is a unitary aspects in Graziani’s works on Southern question: the idea that is necessary to supplement the economics aspects that in different period have determined the policies toward Mezzogiorno with an analysis that explains the dynamic of Southern Italian social structure. The conclusion of Graziani is that the dominance in the South of social groups which are not interested in the process of industrialization is the main factor which prevents the Mezzogiorno from making further progress on the way of development. This paper examines also if there is an empirical evidence in the period 1951-2005 to support the Graziani dependent economy model. The paper shows that such evidence exists only from the period 1951-75. The conclusion of the paper is that the approach to Southern question made after 1980, Graziani an heterodox economist relative dominant thought but that his ideas has always aroused lively interest also from people that disagree with him.