Andre Gunder Frank's View on Underdevelopment

Andre Gunder Frank, a prominent sociologist, argued that underdevelopment in regions like Latin America is not a historical stage but a direct consequence of their integration into the global capitalist system. His Dependency Theory critiques traditional views that blame internal factors.

Analysis of Factors Causing Underdevelopment

According to Frank's theory, the primary drivers of underdevelopment are:

• The Satellite-Metropolis Relationship: This describes the exploitative economic link where peripheral regions (satellites) are structurally dependent on, and exploited by, dominant centers (metropolis), both internally and globally. This relationship channels resources from the satellite to the metropolis, hindering the satellite's autonomous development.
• Integration into World Capitalist Development: Frank argued that participation in the global capitalist system, far from fostering development, actively generates underdevelopment in the periphery. This integration forces peripheral nations into roles that serve the needs of the dominant capitalist core, leading to economic stagnation and dependency.

Evaluating Other Options

• Survival of archaic institutions: Frank believed these were often a *result* or *adaptation* to capitalist penetration, not the primary cause of underdevelopment itself.
• Capital shortage in developed regions: This is contrary to Frank's argument. He focused on how capital accumulation in the core *causes* underdevelopment in the periphery.

Conclusion on Key Factors

Based on Andre Gunder Frank's Dependency Theory, the key factors responsible for the underdevelopment of Latin America are:

• The relationship between the satellite and the metropolis (Option B)
• Participation in the process of world capitalist development (Option D)

These two factors are intrinsically linked, describing how the structure of global capitalism creates and perpetuates underdevelopment in dependent regions.