| Cuba in the "Special Period" has undergone numerous socio-economic changes. The country confronted an economic crisis of "melt-down" proportion and went through a process of structural adjustment. The structural reforms in the economy include changes in productive organization and in efforts to attain macro-economic stability, measures such as tax reform and fiscal austerity have been implemented. Yet despite an overall economic adjustment the country has retained a minimal level of equity within society, retaining the essential features of its revolutionary social model. The purpose of this thesis is to examine in detail the changes in the economy and its social effects during a period of economic crisis, otherwise referred to as the "Special Period". This thesis argues that Cuba essentially has shown that it is possible to undertake an independent structural adjustment and reinsert a country into the global economy, while preserving "a level playing field" for all. |
