Connections between Celso Furtado and Veblenian institutionalism: habits, emulation and demonstration-effect

Abstract

The paper use elements of the original institutionalism to analyze the development dynamics in peripheral countries. Based on the specificities of underdeveloped countries described by the structuralist approach, we strive to establish a theoretical nexus with the institutionalism in order to comprehend the intrinsic aspects of the social structure stratification. Thus, we incorporate the veblenian notion of emulation as the analytical root of the demonstration-effect, which, through conspicuous consumption, diffuses and legitimizes consumption and production patterns in the society. We conclude that the complementarity of the approaches contributes to deepen the understanding about social characteristics of the differentiation process in the center-peripheral system.