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Theotonio Dos Santos Jr.Brazilian economist, sociologist and political scientist
Date of Birth: 11.11.1936
Country:  Brazil |
Content:
- Early Life and Academic Pursuits:
- Development of Dependency Theory:
- Political Exile and Activism:
- World-Systems Analysis and Academic Contributions:
- Political Engagement and International Collaborations:
- Recognition and Legacy:
Teotônio dos Santos: A Pivotal Figure in Latin American Intellectual Thought
Early Life and Academic Pursuits:
Teotônio dos Santos was born in Carangola, Minas Gerais, Brazil, on November 11, 1936. From 1958 to 1961, he studied at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, earning degrees in economics, sociology, politics, and public administration. During this period, he became actively involved in student activism, co-founding a Marxist study group that would later evolve into the left-wing organization "Worker's Politics."
Development of Dependency Theory:
In 1963, dos Santos met Andre Gunder Frank at a seminar that laid the groundwork for the theory of dependent development. This influential theory examined the unequal economic relationship between developed and underdeveloped countries and its impact on social and political structures.
Political Exile and Activism:
Following the 1964 military coup in Brazil, dos Santos went into hiding and continued to participate in underground political activities. He eventually fled to Chile in 1966, where he led the Center for Socioeconomic Research at the University of Chile. After the Chilean military coup in 1973, he sought refuge in Mexico.
World-Systems Analysis and Academic Contributions:
In Mexico, dos Santos became a professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and a key figure in the development of world-systems analysis. He expanded upon the theory of dependent development, arguing that the global capitalist system creates a hierarchical division of labor that benefits core countries at the expense of peripheral countries.
Dos Santos also played a pivotal role in the revival of the Center for Socioeconomic Research, which had been destroyed during the Chilean military dictatorship. In 1979, he co-founded the opposition Democratic Labor Party of Brazil and returned to his home country following an amnesty in 1980.
Political Engagement and International Collaborations:
Dos Santos ran for governor of Minas Gerais in 1982 and for federal deputy in 1986. Throughout the 1980s, he served as a consultant for the United Nations and UNESCO. In the 1990s, he became president of the Latin American Association of Sociologists, a member of the executive council of the Latin American Association of Scientific and Technological Policy, and a consultant for the Latin American Economic System.
Recognition and Legacy:
In 1985, dos Santos earned a doctorate in economics from the Federal University of Minas Gerais and became a full professor in 1986. He held a professorship at the Fluminense Federal University from 1988 until his death. From 1997 until his passing, he served as director of the United Nations University Institute of Global Economy and Sustainable Development.
Teotônio dos Santos passed away on February 27, 2018, at the age of 81, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. His intellectual contributions and unwavering commitment to social justice have had a profound impact on Latin American scholarship and global development discourse.
