The Rise and Fall of Development Theory

Examines three decades of development theory, discusses the determinants of the course of its evolution and decline, and exemplifies it from the viewpoint of a participant in the debate. Leys suggests that Africa has some lessons to teach about the meaning of uncontrolled capitalist development.

This work comments on three decades of development theory, discusses the determinants of the course of its evolution and decline, and exemplifies it from the viewpoint of a leading participant in the debate. The author suggests that the African experience has some lessons to teach about the real meaning of uncontrolled capitalist development on a global scale.

The rise and fall of development theory
Samuel Huntington and the end of classical modernization theory
underdevelopment and dependency
conflict and convergence in development theory
African economic development in theory and practice
the state and the crisis of simple commodity production in Africa
the Kenya debate
the Kenya debate ten years on
from Ghana to Namibia - the meaning of African independence.