The purpose of this research is to examine the issue of social and economic adjustment in developing countries vis-a-vis marginalized communities in such countries. The plan of the research will be to set forth in general terms the principal features of study in this regard, and then to discuss the manner in which adjustments to public policy, or lack thereof, have occurred in various countries of the Third World, with a view toward suggesting possible lines of future development.
What must be understood in any examination of the tension between the concept of development and economics and politics in the Third World is that, repeatedly, the domestic politics of the situation manifest most strongly, no matter what other area of concern, including international opinion, is involved. Governments that owe great international debt, even the most authoritarian and repressive, cannot control the domestic results of policies that are based on debt service or debt relief (Haggard & Kaufman, 19tk). Nor are all the tensions of domestic politics equally obvious. For example, many conflicts appear to be of the "either-or" variety. That is, there is a pro and a con to every issue. But as a matter of fact, the positions are not so simply stated. As a matter of fact, several specific political constituencies or interest groups (Nelson, 1990a & 1990b) may see the issues of development and interest-group preservation very differently, and groups may differ both with each other and with whatever government is involved.
The basis for debate is the concept of structural adjustment, the name given to the process of Third World development that seeks increased privatization of state-owned or state-controlled industries, a decline of inflation and debt service obligations (encouraging internal economic stability), and a commitment to efficiency and incentives for private or foreign investment (Nelson, 1990a & 1990b; Biersteker, 1989). Connected to this...