Topic 2 - Understanding Global South Politics: Theoretical Perspectives

Theory

Simplification of the world in order to understand

Modernization Theory

Views the development & progress of the Global North as a metric to measure & guide the Global South

Modernization Theorist Walt Rostow

Stages of economic growth

Modernization Theorist Seymour Lipset

Argued economic development leads to democratization

Modernization Theorists Inglehart & Welzel

Argued economic development leads to cultural changes which support democratization

Modernization Theorist Samuel Huntington

Argued rapid economic growth destabilize political institutions (create power vacuums, one-sided allocation of resources, etc)

Emphasized the importance of order (strong institutions)

Criticism of Modernization Theory

Global South is not the same developmental phase as the Global North once had due to exploitation & capitalism

Dependency Theory

Global South countries are underdeveloped based upon the structural dependence on Global North countries

Dependency Theorist Raul Prebisch

Argued countries should focus on what they do best in trade, arguing that leads to unfair trade relationships

Dependency Theorist Samir Amin

Applied dependency theory to Africa, highlighting how international trade & investment contribute to its underdevelopment

Dependency Theorist Walter Rodney

Argued European colonialism deliberately underdeveloped Africa by exploiting its economy, a process that continued even after independence

Dependency Theorists Cardoso & Faletto

Focused on the internal factors of developing coiuntries, such as the “comprador class” (local elites benefiting from foreign ties)

Introduced the idea of “dependent development” - growth that still relies on external forces

World Systems Theory

Expanded on dependency theory by analyzing the global economy as a whole

It divides countries into core, semi-periphery, & periphery based on:

• Their roles in the international division of labour

• Where wealth & power concentrate in the core at the expense of the periphery

New Institutionalism Theory

Institutions explain outcomes

Strand of New Institutionalism Theory - Rational Choice Institutionalism

Focuses on rules & incentives that constrain & guide rational behaviour

Actors behave according to the logic of consequence

Rational Choice Institutionalism Theorist Douglass North

Certain political and economic systems in the Global South create incentives (rewards) for elites, but these incentives do not encourage investment in productive activities like industry or innovation. Instead, they may benefit from maintaining the status quo.

Strand of New Institutionalism Theory - Historical Institutionalism

Focused on 2 things:

1. Institutional legacies (long-lasting & hard to change)

2. Critical moments that have lasting effects

Strand of New Institutionalism Theory - Sociological Institutionalism

People follow societal expectations rather than just making decisions based on self-interest.

This is known as the “logic of appropriateness”, where individuals act in ways that are seen as socially acceptable