Book Reviews : Latin America: Social Structures and Political Institutions. By JACQUES LAMBERT. Translated by HELEN KATEL. (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1967. Pp. x, 413. $10.00.)
| Author | Ben G. Burnett |
| DOI | 10.1177/106591296802100332 |
| Date | 01 September 1968 |
| Published date | 01 September 1968 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
536
tist
(of
whatever
discipline)
who
is
a
student
of
the
South,
of
the
Negro
revolution,
or
of
American
culture
will
want
this
book
in
his
personal
library.
In
a
day
when
not
all
books
offered
by
University
presses
are
of
genuine
merit,
this
one
reflects
credit
on
the
editorial
board
of
Vanderbilt
University
Press.
University
of
Arizona
DONALD
M.
FREEMAN
Latin
America:
Social
Structures
and
Political
Institutions.
By
JACQUES
LAMBERT.
Translated
by
HELEN
KATEL.
(Berkeley
and
Los
Angeles:
University
of
California
Press,
1967.
Pp.
x,
413.
$10.00.)
One’s
first
impression
on
perusing
Lambert’s
study
is
that
it
appears
to
return
to
topics
that
have
already
been
discussed
in
a
host
of
other
scholarly
writings
on
Latin
America.
However,
the
would-be
reader
who
stops
at
this
point
is
missing
a
rare
opportunity
to
be
introduced
to
a
perceptive
and
exciting
interpreter
of
the
Latin
American
scene.
Indeed,
Lambert
has
produced
a
brilliant
analysis,
based
on
extensive
statistical
data,
that
almost
steadily
flows
with
fascinating
concepts
and
evaluations.
Because
of
the necessary
space
limitations
of
a
review,
only
the
barest
notion
of
this
book’s
worth
can
be
suggested.
The
subtitle,
&dquo;Social
Structures
and
Political
Institutions,&dquo;
indicates
the
main
thrust
of
the
theme
-
actually,
two
themes
that
weave
in
and
out
throughout
the
entire
book:
On
the
one
hand,
Lambert
delin-
eates
in
great
detail
the
social
dualism
found
in
all
of
the
Latin
American
coun-
tries
in
which
part
of
society
lives
under
an
archaic
form
of
social
organization,
while
the other
resides
in
a
developed
sector.
Of
course,
wide
variations
exist
among
the
twenty
nations
as
to
the
relative
allocation of
people
in
each
societal
segment
as
well
as
to
the
rate
of
change
affecting
the
archaic
social
groupings.
The
author
looks
long
and
hard
at
the
diverse
conditioning
influences
that
perpetuate
and
alter
social
dualistic
forms
and
emphasizes
the
participation
of
elites
in
this
process.
Second,
Lambert
analyzes
the
involvement
of
political
institutions
in
contributing
to
the
retardation
or
advancement
of
archaic
sectors
in
terms
of
economic
and
social
development.
In
this
regard,
he
gives
major
attention
to
the
role
of
the
presidential
regime
in
seeking
to
foster
both
democratic
practices
and
economic
liberalism.
In
developing
his
thesis,
Lambert
moves
over
a
wide
spectrum
of
subject
areas
and
provides
fascinating
perspectives
by
repeatedly
relating
Latin
American
experi-
ences
and
institutions
to
patterns
that
have
evolved
in
the
United
States
and
Europe.
Moreover,
his
analyses
almost
always
are
intriguing
and
thoughtful.
For
example,
he
wonders
about
foreigners’
irritation
with
the
red
tape
that
plugs
Latin
American
governmental
procedures,
and
then
remarks:
&dquo;It
is
not
certain
whether
foreign
businessmen
are
inconvenienced
by
red
tape
because
it
is
so
much
worse
than
that
in
North
America
and
elsewhere,
or
because
they
are
less
familiar
with
it.
Conceivably
also,
before the
rise
of
nationalism
too
many
foreign
firms
had
become
accustomed
to
avoid
red
tape
through
questionable
means
whereas
now
the
extra
paper
work
may
be
a
weapon
deliberately
used
to
harass
foreigners.&dquo;
To continue reading
Request your trial