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Sociology Colloquium, 2/16/2022

Race, Class and State Capacity for Development in Trinidad and Tobago

Dr. Zophia Edwards, Providence College

Zophia Edwards ColloquiumExisting development theories predict that factors such as natural resource wealth and the legacies of European colonizers inhibit development. However, the case of Trinidad and Tobago challenges these theories, as a resource-rich former colony that has achieved high levels of development. What accounts for Trinidad and Tobago’s development trajectory? Using the Black Marxist radical tradition, this study emphasizes what existing development theories miss, namely, the role of multiracial labor organizing in enabling Trinidad and Tobago to escape the development trap. The findings suggest that development studies attend to organized labor and how race and class interact to shape post-colonial development.

Zophia Edwards is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Black Studies at Providence College. Her areas of research and teaching include race and racism, political economy, postcolonial sociology, labor movements, international development, and political sociology.

February 16, 2022
Wednesday, 12–1:30pm
Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 923 5156 5437
Passcode: 211673

If you cannot join with video, you can connect to the Zoom session via phone: 1–346–248–7799