Economy and the state in colonial Spanish America : a sociological approach
This thesis analyses the development of economic and ideological forms of domination of the state over the exploited classes, Indians, African slaves and poor whites, in colonial Spanish America. Agriculture was throughout the colonial period the main economic activity both in terms of the labour force employed and its economic value. The initial control of the productive process by the Indian communities was slowly replaced by the increasing production of the big landed estates owned by Spaniards. The expansion of Spanish production was more rapid in those regions where urban centres and mining production created substantial markets for agricultural production. Gold and especially silver mining was the main export economic activity during the period. It used a relatively small labour force but its value was high and it stimulated commodity production in agriculture and industry. Industry was of little importance, both in terms of its economic value and the labour force employed, and was limited by both European imports and domestic production. The forms of labour used by Spanish enterprises were determined mainly by the existence or absence of an abundant and politically organised aboriginal population, the
Valenzuela, Luis
HM Sociology
Economy and the state in colonial Spanish America : a sociological approach. This thesis analyses the development of economic and ideological forms of domination of the state over the exploited classes, Indians, African slaves and poor whites, in colonial Spanish America. Agriculture was throughout the colonial period the main economic activity both in terms of the labour force employed and its economic value. The initial control of the productive process by the Indian communities was slowly replaced by the increasing production of the big landed estates owned by Spaniards. The expansion of Spanish production was more rapid in those regions where urban centres and mining production created substantial markets for agricultural production. Gold and especially silver mining was the main export economic activity during the period. It used a relatively small labour force but its value was high and it stimulated commodity production in agriculture and industry. Industry was of little importance, both in terms of its economic value and the labour force employed, and was limited by both European imports and domestic production. The forms of labour used by Spanish enterprises were determined mainly by the existence or absence of an abundant and politically organised aboriginal population, the
economy_state colonial spanish_america sociological approach analysis development economic ideological form domination state exploit class indians african slave poor white colonial spanish_america agriculture throughout colonial_period main economic_activity term labour_force employ economic value initial control productive process indian community slowly replace increase_production big land_estate own spaniards expansion spanish production rapid region urban_centre mine production create substantial market agricultural_production gold especially silver mine main export economic_activity period use relatively_small labour_force value high stimulate commodity production agriculture industry industry little importance term economic value labour_force employ limited european import domestic production form labour used spanish enterprise determine mainly existence absence abundant politically organised aboriginal population