Myrdal looks at the conditions that determine social and economic stratification and the distribution of opportunities among different classes in underdeveloped countries. Reviewing trends that support the preservation/increase of inequality in underdeveloped countries, the author’s main thesis is detailed: development should be defined as a movement upward of a whole system of interdependent conditions, of which “economic growth” is only one of several. Integrating an economic and social approach to development is critical.
