MODERNISATION THEORY

Question 1

Who was it developed by?

Answer 1

Walt Rostow

Question 2

What does it argue?

Answer 2

• It argues that all societies evolve through the same series of stages to affluence, during which technological innovations allow industrialisation to occur.
• Affluence & poverty are therefore linked to where a country is on the ladder of social evolution - with poor countries less developed than the rich, industrial northern hemisphere.
• The key challenge for modernisation theory is to identify the barriers which prevent development & providing interventions which will allow them to be overcome.

Question 3

Walt Rostow & economic barriers?

Answer 3

• Rostow argues that because Southern Hemisphere countries are based on subsistence (food being produced to feed families rather than generate wealth) , the profit needed to buy & develop new technologies never occurs. - This creates a vicious circle as people in the South are never able to produce their goods cheaply or efficiently enough to generate wealth.
• Jeffrey Sachs argues that because countries are hot, infertile and malaria infested, this makes it hard for them to be productive without a large investment of aid to deal with their problems.

In order to over come these barriers he argued…

• Aid payments from the richer world, to provide initial injection of the capital
• Involvement of northern-hemisphere countries, bringing with them new technologies and expertise
• Adequate wages paid to workers, to enable wealth to filter down

Question 4

Talcott Parsons and cultural barriers?

Answer 4

• For Parsons, the barriers which prevent the southern hemisphere countries from becoming more like the northern, are cultrual, linked to the norms and values present in these countries.
• Such as emphasis on tradition, ascribed statuses and collectivism - discourage entrepreneurialism spirit that is required to help poor countries achieve more wquality.
• Aspects of their traditional culture may be patriarchal and this may create deep rooted gender inequalities in poor countries that disempower women and hold back development.
• They may create ethnic inequalities within poor countries e.g in some african countries the culture discriminates against minority ethnic groups - e.g - often prejudice against nomadic farmers such as the karamajong in uganda. Other tribes in Uganda regard the Karamajong as backward or even sub-human.
• He argues to overcome them…
• Education systems be established
• mass media be developed
• urbanisation be encouraged, cultural change spread more rapidly in cities.

Question 5

Strengths of modernisation theory

Answer 5

• The success of injections of financial capital delivered under the marshall plan to Europe following the second world war; aiming to finance the rebuilding of industrial infrastructure - also seem to support the perspectives key principles
• Talcott parsons contribution - by raising the issue of culture as a barrier to development, he highlights that progress is more than just economic reform - simply throwing money at the poor world will not necessarily improve those countries.
• Offers practical solutions to poverty

Question 6

Weaknesses of modernisation theory

Answer 6

• Ethnocentric - assumes the western, industrial capitalism is a superor form of society - implies the ways of life within developing countries are inferior and should be removed. - Devalues non-western lifestyles. Modern countries are not bereft of problems - e.g USA the richest 1% own as much wealth as 40% of the population’s wealth.
• Assumes that it is only internal factors and not external - ignores the impact of colonialism, global trade and exploitation.
• Their emphasis on industrialisation and economic growth is at the expense of all other priorities leading to a worrying increase in pollution. - strains on natural resources. - what happens when it’s resources are depleted?