Aníbal Quijano: Marginality and dependent urbanization in Latin America

Abstract

Anibal Quijano was the author of an original synthesis of dependency theory, the urbanization process in Latin America and the marginalization of growing population sectors from the formal economy. By critically analyzing the intellectual production of the Peruvian sociologist during his stay in Chile working for ECLAC (1966-1971), one of the institutions that contributed to the visibility of the problem of marginalization, this paper discusses how, despite being a member of that institution, Quijano proposed an independent research agenda, to some extent conflicting with the international organization. This paper will be guided by three main questions: what are the specific contributions of Anibal Quijano to the theoretical field that at this time sought to understand Latin America? Who were his main partners and theoretical opponents? What are the limits and potentialities offered by his theoretical proposal to understand and update Latin American debates about dependency, urbanization and marginality?