Preview

Dependency Theory Represents a Paradigm Shift from Modernization Theory in so Far as It Provided the Scholarly Community with a Different Way of Understanding the Circumstances of the Non-Industrial Countries of the

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1659 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Dependency Theory Represents a Paradigm Shift from Modernization Theory in so Far as It Provided the Scholarly Community with a Different Way of Understanding the Circumstances of the Non-Industrial Countries of the
Modernization theory is a theory used to explain the process of Modernization within societies. The theory looks at the internal factors of a country while assuming that with assistance “traditional countries can be brought to development in the same manner more developed countries have. This theory of modernization however failed because it can be argued that it was too Eurocentric in its methodologies. That is to say its centered focus was on Europe or European peoples. The theory never considered the Caribbean region or other third world when explaining its concepts. This resulted in a paradigm shift from Modernization to Dependency. The Dependency theory was established to provide the scholarly community with a different way of understanding the circumstances of the non-industrial countries of the world. According to Osvaldo Sunkel, dependency theory can be sociologically defined as an explanation of the economic development of a state in terms of the external influences, political, economic and cultural on national development policies. Therefore this essay would take seek to explain the advantages and limitations of the central new insight that is provided about development by the Dependency theory.

One advantage of the Dependency theory is that the theory arose around 1960 as a reaction to some earlier theories of development which held that all societies progress through similar stages of development, that today 's underdeveloped areas are thus in a similar situation to that of today 's developed areas at some time in the past, and that therefore the task in helping the underdeveloped areas out of poverty is to accelerate them along this supposed common path of development, by various means such as investment, technology transfers, and closer integration into the world market. Dependency theory rejected this view, arguing that underdeveloped countries are not merely primitive versions of developed countries, but have unique features and



Bibliography: Amin, S. “Accumulation and Development: a Theoretical Model” Review of African Political Economy HC501 R46. Gunder Frank, A. Capitalism and Underdevelopment in Latin America. HC165 F828 C1 1969. The Latin American Periphery in the Global System of Capitalism", 1981, UNCLA Review Prebisch, R. Change and Development. 1976 t. HC125 P922 C4. R. H. Chilcote Development Theory and Practice: Latin American Perspectives, Lanham, Rowman and Littlefield, 2003 Sunkel O. (1966), 'The Structural Background of Development Problems in Latin America ' Weltwirtschaftliches. Vernengo M. "Technology, Finance and Dependency: Latin American Radical Political Economy in Retrospect", Working Paper No: 2004-06, University of Utah Dept. of Economics, 2004, p 5; retrieved July 2009.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Eduardo Galeano is a passionate journalist and writer, a man that has put this passion into writing about the lost or often overlooked histories of Latin and South Americas. In one of his acclaimed books, Las venas abiertas de América Latina/Open Veins of Latin America, he looks at the history of exploitation in this place from early European explorers to current United States and European endeavors. In this paper using three examples from Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano, will show how Latin America has developed a dependency on foreign entities.…

    • 1078 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    5) How much has Latin America institutions and patterns of politics changed? Page Ref: 774…

    • 1278 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Dutrénit, G. and Katz, J. (2005): “Innovation, Growth and Development in Latin-America: Stylized Facts and a Policy Agenda.…

    • 6485 Words
    • 26 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the twentieth century the economy developed at a quick rate. In 1929 the 'Colombian Renaissance' happened because of an espresso bonanza made by Brazil (Palacios and Safford, 2002). Viciousness additionally turned into an industry in the republic beginning with espresso inconveniences and prompting progressive guerrillas and the FARC. This prompted lack of respect for the law.…

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In his writing regarding underdevelopment of development, Andrew Gunder Frank has tried to illustrate the history of the development, underdevelopment, and the evolution of dependency to a world system theory. Finally he has come up with some alternatives and has tried to elaborate the new dualism and the recent movements in the world.…

    • 1309 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Colonialism In Africa

    • 1239 Words
    • 5 Pages

    This region stems from the United States-Mexico border south to the end of Argentina and Chile. Latin America contains many wonderful geographical elements, such as the Andes mountain range, and Amazon River. This region has a miraculous history with innovative civilizations like the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas. Unfortunately, European explorers wiped much of these civilizations out. Many modern Latin American countries face obstacles due to their history of colonization. Land in this region has become a problem with many corrupt political leaders taking land from ordinary citizens and churches, distributing it to caudillo, wealthy landowners, for a cheap price in return for their support. Another issue that Latin America faces is that of racial hierarchy. Many indigenous and African members of the population are kept in the lowest levels of society with limited resources available to help them improve their quality of life. Latin America’s economy has struggled to keep up with the developed economies of other nations, even though Latin America joined the free-market earlier than many other regions. In order to remedy this problem, the Economic Commission for Latin America attempted import substitution industrialization to prioritize national development. At first, Latin America experienced success from this new economic strategy in the 1950’s through the 1970’s, but in the long term it failed because of structural defects. After this period of time, Latin America entered into what is known as “the lost decade” because of its debt. International financial institutions tried to help Latin America with its debt, but were ultimately unsuccessful due to institutions inability to keep Latin Americans best interest in mind. Many of the Latin America nations also struggle with corrupt governments run by dictators, though most of their constitutions are founded on…

    • 1239 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Dependency theory is defined as a theory that attributed Third World underdevelopment to its economic and political dependence on the advanced industrial nations, also known as the core or First World Nations (Handelman, p.19). Moreover, Theotonio Dos Santos (1971) describes dependency as a “historical condition which shapes a certain structure of the world economy such that it favors some countries to the detriment of others and limits the development possibilities of the subordinate economies.” (p.226).…

    • 3194 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Latin American economy has been plagued with many issues stemming from external factors. Guide to the Perfect Latin American Idiot and Open Veins of Latin America discuss the many issues of Latin America and the external factors such as other nations greed or colonialism. Latin American Idiot takes a satirical tone in describing how three authors feel a “Latin American idiot” could shift the blame to other nations for the extreme poverty in Latin America. Open Veins of Latin America takes the perspective of placing blaming on other colonialist nations through their “structural exploitations of Latin America’s resources and peoples by the global colonial powers since the fifteenth century.” (Galeano 175) Each of the two pieces is firm in…

    • 879 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Poverty in Latin America

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages

    “The poverty rate in Latin America was halved from 60% in 1950 to less than 30% in 2000. However, during the same time period income inequality remained more or less the same, making both poverty reduction and economic growth more difficult; as in other countries with a wide income gap—even developed ones—the challenge is to increase the…

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Peopl Residual

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The importance of Political consumption in Latin America “known as the ensemble of sociocultural processes in which the appropriation and use of products takes place”; states Nestor Garcia Canclini in (Consumer and Citizens p.38) This definition lead us to believe that consumption is more than what we take in such as food, Knowledge, and, unnecessary purchases. In the 1880 through the 1930 “greater affluence led to new economic opportunities and a larger and greater political stability in most countries, but the dependence upon exports also made Latin America subject to global economic forces over which it had no control.” (A Concise Introduction to Latin American Politics and Development P. 8) An example of this would be how many countries depended on only one crop (Sugar, Coffee, Bananas. It’s sad to say that if one of the crop decreased in value on the world market, the whole entire nation will suffer the consequences. (Latin American Politics p.8) Latin America started to become more fluent with their manufactures, this was the first largest Industrialization in the 1930s this was their way of thinking better for the…

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The physical geography and climate has influenced Latin America in so many ways. These ways can be seen not only on landscapes, but also on political events. On the article Introduction to Latin America, Kirby states that “It was also the guiding light for many of the leaders of the Brazilian republican movement that toppled the monarchy in 1889 and it finds expression in the words ‘Ordem e Progresso’ on the Brazilian flag” (Differing Understandings, Pg 5.) Unfortunately enough it just does not happen in Brazil, but also in many Latin American countries, the government can be seem as taking over the country’s wealth instead of helping out society for the better. By having the government depleting the country’s wealth into…

    • 375 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Hillman, R. S., & D 'Agostino, T. J. (Eds.). (2011). Understanding Contemporary Latin America (4th edition ed.). Colorado, United States of America: Lynne Rienner Publisher, Inc.…

    • 4230 Words
    • 17 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The primary argument proffered by these Latin American scholars was that these newly independent and developing nations were structurally different from industrialized countries and, therefore, required dissimilar approaches to achieve developed status. The history of these former colonies is that their economies were organised to produce raw materials, cash crops, and foodstuff for export at low prices to their colonial masters. These arrangements shaped a relationship that consistently disadvantaged former colonies and to restricted their economic and social…

    • 79 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    -Skidmore, Thomas, & Peter Smith. Modern Latin America. 6th Ed. New York. Oxford University Press, 2005. Print…

    • 528 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    A country plagued by a myriad of critical issues, Pakistan’s deepening woes have dented its image in the social and economic strata. While theorists have provided several ideologies concerning its current dilemma, this paper discusses Pakistan’s predicament in the light of the principles of the development theory: modernization and dependency theories. Both the theories relate to the implications of development in Third World countries; in this case being Pakistan. For a country to be seen as modern, modernisation theorists say it has to undergo an evolutionary advance in science and technology which in turn would lead to an increased standard of living for all (Maria Keet). On the contrary dependency theorists believe that dependence is a situation in which the economy of certain countries is conditioned by the development and expansion of another economy to which the former is subjected (Dos Santos, 1970). While there is ample proof to believe that modernization is actually beneficial than detrimental to Pakistan, however, its dependency on a “core” of wealthy states is giving birth to a number of grave issues.…

    • 1122 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays