Frederick Flashcards
1) What does the ‘deindustrialization thesis’ entail and how is the supposed ‘deindustrialization’ connected with globalization?
The deindustrialization thesis refers to the decline in industrial output compared to other economic sectors. This phenomenon is associated with the Global South during the Industrial Revolution in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. Europe exploited the resources of the Global South and sold its industrial goods there for cheap, making it difficult for the Global South to compete. This was beneficial for Europe, so they did not invest in the infrastructure for industrialisation in their colonies as they only wanted them to provide natural resources. Globalisation made this possible, as a decrease in transportation costs allowed for increased exports of natural resources from the Global South and the importation of European goods back into those countries. Additionally, technological advances led to specialisation, solidifying the role of the Global South in providing raw materials and the West in providing cheap industrial goods.
2) How do the examples of A. Java and B. Africa amend the deindustrialization thesis?
The examples of Java and Africa amend the deindustrialisation thesis by demonstrating that local industries in the Global South were able to adapt and thrive despite the challenges of globalization and colonialism. The case studies from Java and Africa show that local textile industries were able to persevere and even flourish in the face of rising machine-produced imports by incorporating new technologies, focusing on extensive variegated consumer markets within their respective regions, and benefiting from specific supply-side advantages. These examples challenge the traditional notion of deindustrialization by highlighting the resilience and adaptability of local producers in response to global economic forces. They also emphasize the agency of local actors in shaping the outcomes of their industries, countering the idea that economic growth in the Global South was solely determined by external demand and policies from the Global North. textile manufacturers in Java were keenly aware of shifts in domestic consumer
needs.
Javanese textile manufacturers developed new products during the nineteenth century to accommodate increasing demand among local consumers. In doing so, they would effectively oust machine-made imports that unsuccessfully attempted to replicate and replace traditional Javanese materials. When the west tried to export to Java the people found their dye did not withstand and so the demand remained.
3) How did handicraft producers of cloth in sub-Saharan Africa manage to compete on price with imported cloth from mechanized production?
Handicraft producers of cloth in sub-Saharan Africa were able to compete on price with imported cloth from mechanized production due to several factors. Firstly, the nature of supply costs for both labor and raw materials in the Global South partially offset the cost advantage of machine-made substitutes. Although manufacturing a piece of handicraft cloth is more labor-intensive than mechanized manufacturing, the labor costs of handicraft manufacturing can be remarkably low within certain local contexts. Many weavers in the Global South were self-employed artisans and part-time subsistence farmers who could supply their alimentary needs regardless of income, meaning that their cost of living was not passed on to their consumers in the form of elevated cloth prices. Additionally, weaving in sub-Saharan Africa was largely undertaken on a seasonal basis, allowing for the utilization of plentiful and cheap industrial labor during the dry season. Moreover, entire households often engaged in various facets of the manufacturing process, providing substantial supplies of industrial labor that required only the provision of food and shelter. These factors contributed to the ability of handicraft producers to offer competitive prices for their high-quality, locally made cloth, which could effectively compete with lower-quality, mass-produced substitutes.
