Social Change and Development
Topic 1: Compare and contrast Modernization Theory with either Dependency Theory or the World System perspective. What are the pros and cons associated with these perspectives and which best reflect the contemporary global situation?
Introduction
In this era of globalization, countries are rapidly developing across the world. We can also see lot of integration among the countries of the world. This has in turn fueled the process of development, especially after World War – II. Two theories explaining concepts of development are The Dependency theory and The Modernization theory. Though it is believed that these theories have some similarities, but it is also a fact that they are almost like two sides of the same coin. They differ on lot of aspects. Nonetheless, when these theories are compared and contrasted, one gets a chance to understand the recent trends in international relations and perspective of the future world. It also helps in assessing why there exists such stark difference in the developed countries and the third world countries.
Modernization Theory
It was idealized before the dependency theory and hence it can be said that dependency theory is a reaction to the modernization theory. This theory of modernization describes the process of how underdeveloped countries transformed to developed countries. This was the prime theory of development that was followed in 1950s. The modernization theory laid emphasis on factors like education, technology, etc. for these in turn would lead to the development of societies. It also pays attention to that processes that act as key factors in the transformation of underdeveloped societies to the developed ones (Leys, 1996).
It lay great emphasis on the deficiencies that underdeveloped countries suffered from, and stated that such deficiencies were the reasons for why such pre-modern societies could not develop into the modern one. On the other hand, this theory completely failed to understand the basic underlying difference of interest between developed and underdeveloped countries.
Dependency Theory
This theory of development was evolved after Modernization theory came into existence. This theory of Dependency brings to the fore the view that developing or the underdeveloped countries would always be dependent on the developed nations economically and in turn would be exploited on numerous occasions.
It claims that during the colonial period the major countries exploited the smaller ones. They were robbed off their wealth by making the citizen its slaves. Natural resources like minerals, metals, manpower, etc. used were that of such colonies. It is such colonies due to which core countries developed upon. To take it further, most developed countries would extend help to underdeveloped countries in the name of debt. This would result into the underdeveloped countries becoming economically and financially dependent on the developed countries and would remain debt for unforeseeable tenure. On the other hand, the underdeveloped nations export majorly raw materials to the nations of the world when it comes to foreign trade (Preston, 1999). This doesn’t help the nations in gaining economic independence. The amount earned …
