Research Aim Scope of Research Research Methodology Research Questions
Research Aim Scope of Research Research Methodology Research Questions
Research Aim Scope of Research Research Methodology Research Questions
Research Aim
Scope of Research
Research methodology
Research Questions
1. Introduction
2. Modernization theory
3. Dependency Theory
4. Indian Perspective
5. Conclusion
Research Aim
The main purpose of this article to study about the two major theories of development in
International relation, their development, use and criticism.
Scope of Research
The scope of this article extends to study or research on how modernization and
dependency and their argument are criticizing each other.
Research Methodology
The research methodology adopted for the purpose of study is Doctrinal. The Sources of
this research work are secondary sources (books, reports, journal, internet, etc.)
Research Question
Why there is gap between developed and underdeveloped countries?
1.1 Introduction
Development will be studied under various threads of theories. the most aspects of the four major
theories of development: modernization, dependency, world-systems and globalization. These
area unit the principal theoretical explanations to interpret development efforts distributed
particularly within the developing countries. These theoretical views permit us not solely to
clarify ideas, to line them in economic and social views, however conjointly to spot
recommendations in terms of social policies.
The term development is known as a social condition inside a nation, within which the
authentic wants of its population are happy by the rational and sustainable use of natural
resources and systems. This utilization of natural resources is predicated on a technology, that
respects the cultural options of the population of a given country. This general definition of
development includes the specification that social groups have access to organizations, basic
services like education, housing, health services, and nutrition, and above all else, that their
cultures and traditions are revered inside the social framework of a specific country.
In economic terms, the same definition indicates that for the population of a country,
there are employment opportunities, satisfaction -at least- of basic wants, and also the
achievement of a positive rate of distribution and distribution of national wealth. in a very
political sense this definition emphasizes that governmental systems have legitimacy not solely
in terms of the law, however also in terms of providing social edges for the bulk of the
population1.
Modernization theories and dependency theories will be seen as 2 completely different sides of
development theories. 'Dependency theory' may be a quite developmental theory, that may be a
major critique of modernization theory. Seeing the state of 'development' or 'underdevelopment'
in latin america and africa , it's argued that dependency is formed by a dominant country on these
thus known as 'under-developed' countries by making a market in them for their product and
making a necessity to be 'modern'. so it will be aforesaid that dependency theory questions the
modernization theories by asking whether or not development means modernization.
1
“Dependency Theory Of Development.” UKEssays,
www.ukessays.com/essays/politics/dependency-theory-of-development-politics-essay.php.
primarily on the importation of technology as well as a number of other political and social
changes believed to come about as a result. Modernization theory had two major aims2
It attempted to explain why poorer countries have failed to develop, focusing on what
cultural and economic conditions might act as ‘barriers’ to development
It aimed to provide a non-communist solution to poverty in the developing world by
suggesting that economic change (in the form of Capitalism) and the introduction of
western values and culture could play a key role in bringing about modernization.
Modernization, in sociology, the transformation from a traditional, rural, agrarian society to a
secular, urban, industrial society.
Modern society is industrial society. To modernize a society is, first of all, to industrialize it.
Historically, the rise of modern society has been inextricably linked with the emergence of
industrial society. All the features that are associated with modernity can be shown to be related
to the set of changes that, no more than two centuries ago, brought into being the industrial type
of society. This suggests that the terms industrialism and industrial society imply far more than
the economic and technological components that make up their core. Industrialism is a way of
life that encompasses profound economic, social, political, and cultural changes. It is by
undergoing the comprehensive transformation of industrialization that societies become modern.
Modernization theory see areas and steps followed by the developed world to reached
development level applicable to third world countries regardless of their natural differences,
therefore assume that such areas as education, health, infrastructure etc. (structural adjustment)
needed as basic necessities for development3.
Thus it is concludes that inadequate or lack of capital is one of the major problem of the third
world, therefore there is need to improve saving habit. Among the modernists some have
different view in which they believe that the third world are lacking the entrepreneurship attitude
towards profit making; they need foreign aid to educate and guidance them, therefore, foreign aid
became the only source of capital and the vehicle for the third world countries development.
According to Alvin So, there are three main and historical elements which were favorable to the
inception of the modernization theory of development after the Second World War. First, there
was the rise of the United States as a superpower. While other Western nations, such as Great
Britain, France, and Germany, were weakened by World War II, the United States emerged from
the war strengthened, and became a world leader with the implementation of the Marshall Plan to
reconstruct war-torn Western Europe4.
2
Kumar, Krishan. “Modernization.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,
21 Mar. 2016, www.britannica.com/topic/modernization.
3
“Modernisation Theory (Development and Underdevelopment) ~ ReviseSociology.”
ReviseSociology, ReviseSociology, 8 Oct. 2017,
revisesociology.com/2015/09/27/modernisation-theory-development-and-
underdevelopment/.
4
ibid
Second, there was the spread of a united world communist movement. The Former Soviet Union
extended its influence not only to Eastern Europe, but also to China and Korea. Third, there was
the disintegration of European colonial empires in Asia, Africa and Latin America, giving birth
to many new nation-states in the Third World. These nascent nation-states were in search of a
model of development to promote their economy and to enhance their political independence.
According to the modernization theory, modern societies are more productive, children are better
educated, and the needy receive more welfare. According to Smelser’s analysis, modern societies
have the particular feature of social structural differentiation, that is to say a clear definition of
functions and political roles from national institutions. Smelser argues that although structural
differentiation has increased the functional capacity of modern organizations, it has also created
the problem of integration, and of coordinating the activities of the various new institutions.
In a political sense, Coleman stresses three main features of modern societies:
a) Differentiation of political structure;
b) Secularization of political culture -with the ethos of equality,
c) Enhances the capacity of a society’s political system.
The major assumptions of the modernization theory of development basically are:
5
Supra 2
Traditional Values –
o prevent economic growth and change
o Simple division of labour, less specialised job roles, individuals rely on a few
dozen people in their local communities for basic needs to be met.
o Religious beliefs and tradition influence day to to day life (resistance to change)
o Stronger community and family bonds and collectivism
o Affective relationships
o Patriarchy
Modern Values –
o inspire change and economic growth.
o Complex division of labour, individuals tend to have very specialised jobs and
rely on thousands of others for basic needs to be met
o Rational decision making (cost benefit analysis and efficiency) are more
important.
o Weaker community and family bonds means more individual freedom.
o Meritocracy –people are more motivated to innovate and change society for the
better.
o Gender equality
Lack of infrastructure
Lack of technology
Lack of skills in the work force
Political instability
Lack of capital in the country
Week governance
Low rate of saving
One of the principal applications of the modernization theory has been the economic field related
to public policy decisions. From this perspective, it is very well known that the economic theory
of modernization is based on the five stages of development from Rostow’s model. In summary,
these five stages are: traditional society, precondition for takeoff, the takeoff process, the drive to
maturity, and high mass consumption society.
Rostow believed that an initial injection of aid from the west in the form of training, education,
economic investment etc. would be enough to jolt a society into economic growth overcoming
these cultural barriers. Rostow suggested that development should be seen as an evolutionary
process in which countries progress up 5 stages of a development ladder6.
6
Crossman, Ashley. “What Is Modernization Theory?” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo,
www.thoughtco.com/modernization-theory-3026419.
2.3 Rostow’s five stage model of development
Stage 1 – Traditional societies whose economies are dominated by subsistence farming. Such
societies have little wealth to invest and have limited access to modern industry and technology.
Rostow argued that at this stage there are cultural barriers to development (see sheet 6)
Stage 2 – The preconditions for take off – the stage in which western aid packages brings
western values, practises and expertise into the society. This can take the form of:
Science and technology – to improve agriculture
Infrastructure – improving roads and cities communications
Industry – western companies establishing factories
These provide the conditions for investment, attracting more companies into the country.
Stage 3 – Take off stage –The society experiences economic growth as new modern practices
become the norm. Profits are reinvested in infrastructure etc. and a new entrepreneurial class
emerges and urbanised that is willing to invest further and take risks. The country now moves
beyond subsistence economy and starts exporting goods to other countries
This generates more wealth which then trickles down to the population as a whole who are then
able to become consumers of new products produced by new industries there and from abroad.
Stage 5 The age of high mass consumption. This is where economic growth and production are
at Western levels.
1. The Asian Tiger economies combined elements of traditional culture with Western
Capitalism to experience some of the most rapid economic growth of the past 2 decades.
2. Ignores the ‘crisis of modernism’ in both the developed and developing worlds. Many
developed countries have huge inequalities and the greater the level of inequality the greater
the degree of other problems: High crime rates, suicide rates, health problems, drug abuse.
4. The model assumes that countries need the help of outside forces. The central role is on
experts and money coming in from the outside, parachuted in, and this downgrades the role
of local knowledge and initiatives.
5. Corruption prevents aid of any kind doing good, Much aid is siphoned off by corrupt elites
and government officials rather than getting to the projects it was earmarked for. This means
that aid creates more inequality and enables elites to maintain power
6. There are ecological limits to growth. Many modernisation projects such mining and forestry
have lead to the destruction of environment.
7. Social damage – Some development projects such as dams have lead to local populations
being removed forcibly from their home lands with little or no compensation being paid.
8. Some Marxist theorists argue that aid and development is not really about helping the
developing world at all. It is really about changing societies just enough so they are easier to
exploit, making western companies and countries richer, opening them up to exploit cheap
natural resources and cheap labour.
Poor nations provide natural resources and cheap labor. They are export destinations for
obsolete technology and for markets for the wealthy nations, without which, the latter
could not have the standard of living they enjoy. Poor nation, are at a disadvantage in
their market interactions.
Wealthy nations actively perpetuate a state of dependence by various means. Dependency
Theory This influence may be multifaceted, involving economics, media control, politics,
banking and finance, education, culture, sport, and all aspects of human resource
development, including the recruitment and training of workers.
7
Supra .1
Wealthy nations actively counter all attempts made by dependent nations to resist their
influences by means of economic sanctions, and, possibly, by the use of military force.
The poverty of the countries in the periphery is not because they are not integrated into
the world system, or not fully integrated as is often argued by free market economists, but
because of how they are integrated into the system.
Dependency is said to have been created with the industrial revolution, with the expansion of
European empires around the world, and due to the superior military power and accumulated
wealth of these empires. Some argued that before this expansion, the exploitation was internal,
with the major economic centers dominating the rest of the country. The establishment of global
trade patterns in the nineteenth century, allowed capitalism to spread globally. The wealthy
became more isolated from the poor, because they gained disproportionately from imperialistic
practices. This control ensures that all profits in less developed countries are remitted to the
developed nations. It prevents domestic reinvestment, causing capital flight and, thus, it hinders
economic growth.
The underlying conditions for dependency of any country are as follow:
3.2 Criticism
The arguments of dependency theorists are criticized as follows
The countries on the periphery of development are not destined to stagnation. So,
dependency theory is an incomplete and inaccurate description of the socioeconomic
conditions of LDCs.
There are many dependent countries on the periphery. They do change their economic
structure. According to Prof Warren, they have achieved very rapid economic growth.
This theory does not highlight how the countries that follow a dependent development
pattern suffer from a variety of economic ills, such as regressive income distribution, an
emphasis on luxury goods, underutilization and exploitation of human resources, over
reliance of foreign firms for capital intensive technology, and the perennial problems of
poverty and unemployment.
This theory has no relevance to many nations which are neither in the periphery, nor in
the centre. They are called semi periphery countries.
One need not accept dependency as a necessarily zero sum game in which the periphery
loses, and the centre gains. The dependency condition provides opportunities for a win-
win game, in which both developed countries and LDCs gain from each other.
With the economic growth of India and East Asian economies, dependency theory has
lost its validity. It is more widely accepted in disciplines such as history and
anthropology.
8
noorer. “Modernization & Dependency Theories.” Politics of Developing Areas, 5 Oct. 2016,
www.brandonkendhammer.com/politics_of_development/modernization-dependency-
theories/.
amounts of capital through grants, were also victimized by the recycling of the oil revenues
through loans. The result of enormous external deficits was seeded, and the dependence upon the
Western banking system became a fact. Furthermore, the decline in oil prices generated a
collapse in oil-related income, in that the oil export revenues of 11 states in the region
plummeted from a record $240 billion in 1980 to around $110 billion in 1985 (Economic
Research Service/USDA, 1999: 19-22). In short, both increase and decrease in oil export
revenues have increased the overall dependency of the Middle Eastern Countries.
B. Food and dependence
Food items such as wheat, rice, sugar and meat, failed to all to keep up with domestic
consumption. Consequently, the region has become a major global market for agricultural and
food products. Ironically, while as a region, it is one of the largest producers (e.g. Turkey) and
importers (e.g. Egypt and Saudi Arabia) of food and feed grains in the world, the trade in
foodstuffs among the countries of the region are far from a sufficient level. A major result of the
combination of increasing demand for food and decreasing resources for agriculture is that the
region’s capacity to meet its consumption needs is not sufficient.
Statistical explanation of the state of food dependence, using recent statistics as much as
possible, in the region would be as flows (all statistics here are directly taken from Economic
Research Service/USDA, 1999):
The region’s share of total world grain imports during 1996-98 is estimated at 22
percent, its share of wheat imports at 25 percent and barley at 41 percent.
The region is also a major importer of oil meals and vegetable oils; its share of world
oil meal imports is 8 percent and of vegetable oils about 11 percent, both of which
continue to grow.
Food and agricultural imports have grown from an estimated $26.7 billion in 1990 to
$34.5 billion in 1997, rising an average 3.6 percent per year.
On average, food imports represented 15-20 percent of total imports of the region
over the past two decades.
However, they represent a much higher proportion in the Persian Gulf countries,
where some nations are totally dependent on imports to meet their food needs.
Kuwait, for example, imports 100 percent of its food, and food imports made up 30
percent of average total imports for Egypt. Iran, Turkey, and Algeria are also very
large importers of agricultural products
Although the region is also an exporter of food and feed grains; fruits, nuts and
vegetables; cotton; and tobacco, few exports are destined for other countries within
the region; most go outside the region, mainly to the European Union.
C. Industry and dependence
In the industrial sector they failed to expand in response to rising domestic consumption. The
decline in export and increase in import led to an asymmetric situation that had to result in trade
deficits for a number of countries. The unbalance is quite telling: Between 1980 and 1993 export
earnings of the members of the Arab League declined by 64 per cent, while in the same period
the import declined only by 13 per cent.
D. Financial dependence
Almost all international financial organisations are managed by rich western countries while
they try to control economic and even social life in underdeveloped and developing nations
through such mechanism of financial aid and loans. Because of the conditionality principle for
loans, many Third World countries, including majority of the countries in the Middle East
region, are under pressure for economic reform, which in practice means more integration with
the West. For instance, the negotiations between Egypt and the IMF during 1987-1991 that led to
a comprehensive liberalization programme for the country were mainly a result of the outside
partners’ pressure and not the Egyptian state’s eagerness to introduce the reforms. As Niblock
(1993: 71) concludes, it was the external pressure, through the IMF, due to Egypt’s need for the
capital that led to an economic policy which ran counter to interests at the centre of the Egyptian
state.
Secondly, Dealing with this, the theory makes some key assumptions that in the global
commodity market, there is a core which is formed by the advanced industrialised capitalist
nations and a periphery, comprising of poor, developing nations. In this setup, raw materials are
provided by the periphery to the core where in turn they get finished goods. But the value of the
finished goods is much higher than the price of raw material and hence the countries in the
periphery are often exploited and what results is a relationship of dependency9.
Bringing this theory to the Indian post-colonial economy, we find the very famous slogan of the
second Prime Minister of India, Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri, ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’, which at some
level, tries and argues the same proposition. It was meant to correct the dependency created by
colonialism.
On one hand, ‘kisan’, the farmer who takes care of the land by cultivating it and worshipping it.
On the other hand, ‘jawan’, the soldier who takes care of the land by protecting it.
Both kisan and jawanwere primarily from villages. And in this way, he tried to strengthen the
villages of India which form the periphery in the dependency model, so that they no longer
needed to be dependent on the cities and metropolis. This would make India more self-sufficient
and reduce its dependency in the global commodity market.
Gandhiji was very well versed with the fact that India lives in its villages, and hence his idea of
“Oceanic Circles“, where he suggested making villages the core and the cities to be woven
around like an ocean. But the present political climate of the Indian state has misunderstood or
has yet not understood India. India is not limited to Hindutva. We need a more prosperous and
powerful primary sector in India before ‘Make in India’.
And today, we are recklessly omitting portions from history books – portions which might have
provided solutions to some of the most complex problems of global politics. There is a reason
today that these measures to capitalise on and strengthen the cities more have failed. We can see
an revolution in the form of farmer protests against demonetization – against policies which have
severe effects on their lifestyles leading to high suicide rates.
Finally, rising above all this, we need the people and the government to realise that the true India
lives in its villages. Agriculture is one of the main contributors to the GDP. Instead of focusing
on these kinds of unproductive moral policing, the Centre must try to achieve economic goals to
help India reach sufficiency as directed by Shastri and Gandhi to fight this global problem of
dependency with the ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ model. It is not an objection to growth in the tertiary
and secondary sectors, but we do not need it at the cost of agriculture and farming. This will help
India to realise sufficiency and fight the dependency within itself and against others too.
The modernization school views FDI as a prerequisite and catalyst for sustainable growth and
development. For FDI to fulfill its crucial role, economies have to be freed from distorting state
interventions and opened to trade and foreign investment.
9
“The Ignored Farmer And The Soldier Are India's Strongest Assets For Economic Growth.”
Youth Ki Awaaz, Youth Ki Awaaz, 3 July 2017,
www.youthkiawaaz.com/2017/07/changing-meaning-of-jai-jawan-jai-kisan-and-the-
dependency-model-of-india/.
5.1 Conclusion
The two seems to have propose for developing countries to following the steps of developed
nations or borrowed from them not because is the best, but because is the only available option to
follow.
References