- David Barkin, doctor in economics from Yale University, is Distinguished Professor at the Univerisad Autonoma Metropo... moreDavid Barkin, doctor in economics from Yale University, is Distinguished Professor at the Univerisad Autonoma Metropolitana. (Mexico City) and an emeritus member of the National Research Council. He published numerous books on problems related to Mexican economic development, food systems analysis and sustainable development. His latest book is: De la Protesta a la Propuesta: 50 años imaginando y construyendo el futuro. He collaborates with communities in many parts of Mexico to advance projects for sustainable regional resource management. These projects are designed to promote local capacities for self-government and ecosystem management while consolidating their ability to improve their quality of life.edit
This essay addresses some of the underlying causes of the numerous conflicts between indigenous and peasant communities and the nation-states within which they reside. It gives voice to the actors involved in forging alternatives to the... more
This essay addresses some of the underlying causes of the numerous conflicts between indigenous and peasant communities and the nation-states within which they reside. It gives voice to the actors involved in forging alternatives to the development proposals of the hegemonic forces in the world-system. They are participating in social movements guided by different cosmologies, products of their multiple ethnic origins, and the profound philosophical and epistemological debates of the past half-century. Their organizations are discovering new ways of integrating their belief systems, their cultures and their relationships to their environments to create contrasting models of society, models that directly address the demands for social justice and sustainability while protecting the whole panoply of traits that define a people. They are consciously involved in implementing collective solutions to consolidate their autonomy, improve well-being, and assure responsible environmental management.
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Reflections on the evolution of the Union of Radical Political Economics and its relation to the Global South.
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... perfectamente la decepci?n cubana sobre la estructura econ?mica existente as? como el deseo de contarse ... m?s amplia, los planificadores pueden transformar la estructura econ? mica mediante la inversi?n en nuevas industrias. De esta... more
... perfectamente la decepci?n cubana sobre la estructura econ?mica existente as? como el deseo de contarse ... m?s amplia, los planificadores pueden transformar la estructura econ? mica mediante la inversi?n en nuevas industrias. De esta forma la ...
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Research Interests: Sociology and Humanities
Millions of people around the world are defying conventional thinking, often at great risk to themselves and to their communities. Instead of toeing the line of free trade and regional economic integration, they are retreating into more... more
Millions of people around the world are defying conventional thinking, often at great risk to themselves and to their communities. Instead of toeing the line of free trade and regional economic integration, they are retreating into more insular patterns to exercise control over the ecosystems that they are called on to husband, to produce more of their own basic needs, and to diversify productively so that they do not have to close themselves off to the world economy. They are actively rejecting the call for a crusade to shape a single international economy, impetuously setting out on a different path to social and cultural diversity and environmental democracy in an attempt to ensure themselves a modicum of security and material well-being. Large contingents of people in the Third World and even in the wealthy countries are actively attempting to construct their own alternatives. They are creating bold new strategies that not only offer greater possibilities for their own satisfaction but also promise to produce a new set of goods and services that will contribute to improving the quality of life for those who have become trapped in the globalized society while helping to ameliorate the environmental crises that threaten us all. Even as the world's leaders bask in the reflected heat of the preachers of globalization, assuring all who will listen of the unlimited benefits of free trade and integration, vast contingents of workers and peasants and even some renegade professionals and intellectuals are obstreperously bursting into the meetings of the rich and powerful, giving voice to their disenchantment. From the perspective of the South, there is a growing understanding of the costs of the new world order for people who have been dismissed by the powers that be. Especially in Mexico-one of the celebrated "heroic participants" cementing the conduits of global interchange-an unexpected groundswell of opposition has produced a remarkable proliferation of alternative strategies.
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ABSTRACT
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This book, of which we present an preliminary offprint version in English, is the result of a collective analysis undertaken at the invitation of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) as part of the... more
This book, of which we present an preliminary offprint version in English, is the result of a collective analysis undertaken at the invitation of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) as part of the discussions supporting preparations for the thirty-eighth session of the Commission. With the collaboration of Nicolo Gligo, it was possible to bring together a group of pioneers in the analysis of sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean whose thinking has been informing this field of the social and scientific disciplines since the 1970s. Their different contributions are integrated into the 12 chapters of this document, which address the great issues being debated in the region and the world in relation to development and the environment. In the authors’ opinion, humanity is at a crossroads. They argue that increasing harm has been done to the planet’s biosphere, aggravated by climate change, in the context of an international economic or...
Research Interests: Climate Change, Natural Resources, Environmental policy, Economic Growth, Environmental Management, and 15 moreCapitalism, Indigenous Peoples, Medio Ambiente, Capitalismo, Natural Resources Management, Crecimiento Economico, Development Models, Campesinado, Desarrollo sostenible, Cambio Climatico, Gestion Ambiental, Peasantry, Environment, Modelos De Desarrollo, and Environmental Aspects
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Los cambios observados en la sociedad mexicana en los últimos decenios han provocado crisis alimentarias en el país. Este ensayo aborda esta problemática nacional que de alguna forma afecta también el desarrollo de las fronteras de... more
Los cambios observados en la sociedad mexicana en los últimos decenios han provocado crisis alimentarias en el país. Este ensayo aborda esta problemática nacional que de alguna forma afecta también el desarrollo de las fronteras de México. El agro nacional se ha transformado en un emporio capitalista, perdiendo con ello su capacidad para proveer los productos básicos de consumo masivo y marginando con ellos a las mayorías campesinas. El sistema económico no ha sido capaz de ofrecer empleo o ingresos suficientes a amplios sectores de la sociedad, por lo que se ven obligados a consumir menos de lo necesario para sostener una vida sana. Incluso quienes tienen los medios están bombardeados con propaganda y limitados por los canales de distribución orillándolos a elegir productos que sistemáticamente deterioran los niveles nutricionales de su consumo diario.
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Addresses the question as to whether the forces of capitalist development have managed to generate forces of resistance capable of moving beyond capitalism. He argues that indeed the communities on the extractive frontier constitute a... more
Addresses the question as to whether the forces of capitalist development have managed to generate forces of resistance capable of moving beyond capitalism. He argues that indeed the communities on the extractive frontier constitute a revolutionary force, a collective agency of transformative change, and an alternative future.
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... Unfortunately, these grassroots initiatives, and the model of small-scale, community-controlled activities they propose, face consider-able political opposition from local power ... Such opportunities, if properly implemented, could... more
... Unfortunately, these grassroots initiatives, and the model of small-scale, community-controlled activities they propose, face consider-able political opposition from local power ... Such opportunities, if properly implemented, could generate additional sources of financing to pay ...
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Many people in Mexico and Latin America are organizing alternative ways of assuring their livelihood and that of their communities. There are numerous examples of people in urban areas promoting local activities, small workshops, and... more
Many people in Mexico and Latin America are organizing alternative ways of assuring their livelihood and that of their communities. There are numerous examples of people in urban areas promoting local activities, small workshops, and organizing cooperative and markets for local exchanges (through barter or use of local currencies or national monies) within and among communities. But in most of Latin America, these alternatives are emerging among peasants and indigenous groups, organized collectively in rural areas, forging evolving models of social economics that reflect their commitments to a variety of models of social, solidarity, and ecological economies (SSEEs). The proliferation of these initiatives reflects the recognition of their importance for human development and the relationship of socioeconomic processes with the environment.<br><br>In this chapter, we examine a number of experiences, joining them in an initial conceptualization of the SSEE. The chapter presents an integrated paradigm that highlights the ethical character of exchange, production and consumption processes. These alternatives are widely recognized as contributing to transforming the conception of individuals and their integration into social (collective) organizations, a dynamic that also transform their very essence. They are also changing the logic of production, deepening and extending communal processes, and contributing to improve synergies between the communities and their environments.
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This paper examines the contribution that domestic tourism can make to the Mexican tourist industry and identifies policies that may stimulate domestic demand in Mexico. It focuses on the present state of &#x27;social&#x27; or... more
This paper examines the contribution that domestic tourism can make to the Mexican tourist industry and identifies policies that may stimulate domestic demand in Mexico. It focuses on the present state of &#x27;social&#x27; or mass tourism (including local activity) and reflects on the potential for ...
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In response to the deep social and ecological crisis for which the international community is proving incapable of attenuating, many Peasants and Indigenous peoples in Mexico, and in other parts of the Global South, are transforming their... more
In response to the deep social and ecological crisis for which the international community is proving incapable of attenuating, many Peasants and Indigenous peoples in Mexico, and in other parts of the Global South, are transforming their visions of their futures, shaping a new ethos of self-management and conviviality, consistent with a responsible relationship to their territories. From the vantage point of the Global South, these peoples constitute a social and economic force that is altering the social and productive dynamics in many countries, proposing models of organization and building alliances among themselves regionally and internationally to exchange information, develop common strategies, and provide political support. In Mexico, many continue to produce traditional crops, while modifying their techniques to incorporate agroecological experiences from other communities, diversifying output and protecting the environment. Recently, they are enriching local practices with...
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The hope for a unique revolutionary actor that prevailed throughout the XX Century evaporated as a result of the weaknesses of social organizations and the ongoing crises that confront them. In this context, it is essential to identify... more
The hope for a unique revolutionary actor that prevailed throughout the XX Century evaporated as a result of the weaknesses of social organizations and the ongoing crises that confront them. In this context, it is essential to identify actors whose visions and abilities might contribute to building new societies with a different balance of power among social and productive forces. The paper examines the potential of an almost forgotten group of revolutionary actors –collectively organized and deliberately involved in processes of social and productive transformation with a legitimate claim to territory– whose present-day activities involve them in concerted processes to consolidate a different constellation of societies on the margins of the global capitalist system. Indigenous and peasant communities throughout the Americas are self-consciously assembling to restructure their organizations and governance structures, in many cases taking control of territories that that they and/or ...
La Economia Ecologica ofrece la vision de un nuevo campo de estudio que propone integrar las diversas disciplinas que abordan la problematica de construir una relacion mas sana entre la sociedad y el planeta en que vivimos. En contraste... more
La Economia Ecologica ofrece la vision de un nuevo campo de estudio que propone integrar las diversas disciplinas que abordan la problematica de construir una relacion mas sana entre la sociedad y el planeta en que vivimos. En contraste con lo que su nombre podria sugerir, construye un analisis de los acontecimientos sociales, de los ambientales y de las propuestas para la construccion de una sociedad mejor capacitada para enfrentar los retos de mas de dos siglos de la organizacion capitalista de nuestras sociedades. Este campo de estudio pretende integrar multiples metodologias para producir una explicacion mas completa del proceso de destruccion socio-ambiental que estamos sufriendo y extraer lecciones que contribuyan a la construccion de una sociedad mas justa y sustentable. Entonces, como campo que emerge de la economia, abarca muchas de los mismos retos asumidos por economistas durante largos periodos; sin embargo, a diferencia de ellos, rechaza la posibilidad de hacerlo con ba...
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El artículo es una autorreflexión metodológica de educación no formal basada en un proyecto colaborativo de investigación (coinvestigación) entre actores sociales y académicos (docentes y estudiantes). Los actores sociales son de las... more
El artículo es una autorreflexión metodológica de educación no formal basada en un proyecto colaborativo de investigación (coinvestigación) entre actores sociales y académicos (docentes y estudiantes). Los actores sociales son de las comunidades zapotecas de la Sierra Juárez de Oaxaca y los actores académicos pertenecen a dos universidades públicas. Exploramos la reflexión desde cuatro dimensiones: la posibilidad de participar en un diálogo intercultural; el alcance de la propuesta en tiempo y espacio; las características operativas de la coinvestigación; y una autoevaluación de los investigadores comunitarios, que se enfoca a su contribución en esta actividad intercultural.
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People develop in direct consonance with their environments and the natural pressures emanating from the ecosystems of which they are a part. This ‘animistic’ formulation of society finds a complex intertwining of human society and... more
People develop in direct consonance with their environments and the natural pressures emanating from the ecosystems of which they are a part. This ‘animistic’ formulation of society finds a complex intertwining of human society and culture that contrasts sharply with the JudeoChristian traditions that tell of a world in which man was given dominion over the beasts, or, to relate to the images evoked by the ancient epic Tale of Gilgamesh, man was embroiled in the primordial struggle between the kingly civilization and the forests, the source of all evil and brutishness.
En el contexto de una abundante diversidad —biologica, cultural, etnica—, de profundas desigualdades sociales y las actitudes de las fuerzas hegemonicas en Latinoamerica, un proceso coherente de gobernanza ambiental esta resultando ser... more
En el contexto de una abundante diversidad —biologica, cultural, etnica—, de profundas desigualdades sociales y las actitudes de las fuerzas hegemonicas en Latinoamerica, un proceso coherente de gobernanza ambiental esta resultando ser dificil y la injusticia ambiental se esta agravando. Sin importar que zona de la region se observe, hay un aumento en el numero y la intensidad de conflictos entre los grupos comprometidos a promover el desarrollo economico (es decir, la acumulacion privada) y los que afirman hablar a favor del planeta y/o por el bienestar de la gran mayoria de la poblacion o de minorias particulares, que se sienten excluidas de estos procesos y que son las mas perjudicadas por los impactos negativos de estas actividades. Este articulo aborda las causas subyacentes de estos conflictos, dando voz a algunos de los actores que participan activamente en el desarrollo de sus propias alternativas para la construccion de sociedades pos-capitalistas. Estas alternativas surgen...
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Inequality is the watchword associated with development these days. Throughout the Global South the burgeoning literature on growing inequality is testimony to the profound social impacts that 'development' is having on... more
Inequality is the watchword associated with development these days. Throughout the Global South the burgeoning literature on growing inequality is testimony to the profound social impacts that 'development' is having on people's lives and their environments. A great deal of the material on inequality comes from the North, in part stimulated by Piketty's book (2014) and on-going work by Milanovic (2015). In general, however, the literature and its critics do not take into account the structural conditions of the global economy that increased inequality among and within countries (Barkin 2015).
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In the context of the prevailing abundance of diversity (biological, ethnic), the profound social inequalities, and the trends and attitudes of hegemonic forces in Latin America, a coherent process of environmental governance is proving... more
In the context of the prevailing abundance of diversity (biological, ethnic), the profound social inequalities, and the trends and attitudes of hegemonic forces in Latin America, a coherent process of environmental governance is proving difficult and environmental injustice is aggravated. Regardless of where one turns in the region, there is an increase in the number and intensity of conflicts between groups committed to promoting economic development (i.e., growth), and those claiming to speak for the planet and/or the welfare of the large majority of the population or particular minorities, who feel excluded from these processes and are bearing the brunt of the negative impacts of these activities. This paper gives voice to the actors actually involved in developing alternatives to the development proposals of the hegemonic forces driving the transformations in their societies. These alternatives emerge from groups whose organizations are shaped by different cosmologies, products ...
David Barkin∗ ∗ Resumen: Como respuesta a la incapacidad de los enfoques ortodoxos de ofrecer soluciones adecuadas para el mejoramiento de la calidad de vida, varias comunidades campesinas e indígenas están consolidando sus alternativas... more
David Barkin∗ ∗ Resumen: Como respuesta a la incapacidad de los enfoques ortodoxos de ofrecer soluciones adecuadas para el mejoramiento de la calidad de vida, varias comunidades campesinas e indígenas están consolidando sus alternativas con base en cosmovisiones propias. Estas estrategias involucran complejos procesos de gobernación interno y negociaciones con las instancias oficiales que siguen tratando de imponer sus visiones desarrollistas que incluyen el “despojo” de sus recursos naturales más valiosos para impulsar el desarrollo e integración al mercado internacional. El análisis derive de una síntesis de las experiencias de numerosas comunidades y experiencias de diversas partes de México y otras regiones de América Latina, ejemplificando la gran variedad de enfoques actualmente en curso en la región como parte de los esfuerzos de forjar alternativas que contribuyen a la justicia ambiental. Palabras Clave: justicia ambiental, sustentabilidad, estrategias alternativas
Autonomy is the desire of millions of people living in communities around the world. Radical Ecological Economics (REE) offers a methodology to understand and support them in their struggles, consolidating their societies, improving their... more
Autonomy is the desire of millions of people living in communities around the world. Radical Ecological Economics (REE) offers a methodology to understand and support them in their struggles, consolidating their societies, improving their quality of life and conserving their ecosystems. Incorporating core concepts such as: community institutions, governance and self-management, and networks of interaction and organization, we examine multiple success stories of groups that propose to remain on the margins of capitalist organization in the nations of which they are part. We offer a necessary and new theoretical interpretation of the practice of community organizations and their clear advantages in the way they relate to nature.
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Inequality in the rich countries is inextricably bound to the continuing impoverishment and polarization in the Third World. Picketty’s focus on conditions within the richer countries deflects attention from the mechanisms that exacerbate... more
Inequality in the rich countries is inextricably bound to the continuing impoverishment and polarization in the Third World. Picketty’s focus on conditions within the richer countries deflects attention from the mechanisms that exacerbate the process within the Global South. By not considering the structural and class-based nature of economic processes, his analysis cannot contribute to an understanding of the nature and dynamics of inequality in Mexico or its terrible impacts on society and the environment. The significant mobilizations by indigenous peoples and peasants are ineffective in halting the advance of international capital in its drive to control the economy in alliance with domestic elites.
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Research Interests: Commons, Political Ecology, Ecological Economics, Political Science, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and 14 moreLocal Government and Local Development, Autonomy, Autonomia, Sustentabilidade, Polis, Autonomía, Sustentabilidad, Sustentability, Social Metabolism, Alternatives, Alternativas, Sustainability, Comunes, and Comum
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Título original: regional economic development the river basin approach in mexico. Incluye referencias bibliográficas e índice. Cap. 1. Política del desarrollo regional en los paises menos desarrollados.-- Cap. 2. El desarrollo regional... more
Título original: regional economic development the river basin approach in mexico. Incluye referencias bibliográficas e índice. Cap. 1. Política del desarrollo regional en los paises menos desarrollados.-- Cap. 2. El desarrollo regional en México.-- Cap. 3. La preocupación ...