Unit 2: Development, Sectors, and Migration (Lecture Notes)
Lesson 2.1 - The Industrial Revolution
Describe the Industrial Revolution: A transition from handcrafts and artisanal production to mechanized, factory-based manufacturing, driven by new technologies (e.g., steam power), organizational changes, and shifts in energy use. It fundamentally altered economies, societies, and environments, creating modern industrial economies.
SPEED impacts (Social, Political, Economic, Environmental, Demographic) on multiple facets of life:
Social: urbanization, changes in family structure and labor organization; rise of new social classes (industrial middle class and urban working class); shifts in gender roles and potential for female entry into wage labor.
Political: new policies and regulations to manage urban growth, labor rights, and capital accumulation; shifts in power relations between capital owners and labor; reform movements and debates about suffrage and citizenship.
Economic: acceleration of production, growth of global trade networks, rise of factories, accumulation of capital, and creation of new financial instruments and markets.
Environmental: increased resource extraction, pollution, deforestation, and changes to ecosystems due to industrial activity and urbanization.
Demographic: population growth in cities, changes in mortality and fertility patterns, internal and international migration toward industrial centers.
Effects on demand for raw materials from the primary sector:
Increased demand for coal, iron/steel, cotton, wool, timber, and other inputs to fuel machinery, rails and ships, and industrial processes.
Global supply chains expand as production shifts to regions with access to inputs and markets.
Transportation:
Development of railways, canals, steamships, and improved road networks expands markets, lowers transportation costs, and integrates regional economies.
Faster movement of goods and people accelerates urbanization and specialization of regions.
Female empowerment:
More women participate in wage labor in factories and service sectors; shifts in family dynamics and gender norms.
Over time, debates about women’s rights, education, and political participation intensify as economic roles expand.
The environment:
Pollution and resource depletion intensify; urban sanitation challenges arise; environmental degradation linked to rapid industrial growth.
Population size and migration patterns:
Rural-to-urban migration increases as people seek factory jobs; urban population growth outpaces rural growth.
International migration emerges as people move in search of better opportunities in industrialized regions.
Key concepts and terms:
Industrial revolution
Labor-saving technology
SPEED factors (Social, Political, Economic, Environmental, Demographic)
Connections to broader topics:
Foundations for modern economic development and capitalism
Precedent for Rostow’s stages of development and for global spatial inequalities
Environmental and social costs that feed later reform movements and regulatory regimes
Examples, metaphors, or scenarios:
A factory town where steam-powered machines require a steady coal supply, attracting workers and spurring the construction of rails to connect to distant markets.
Relevance to real-world issues:
Provides historical context for contemporary debates on automation, supply chains, labor rights, and environmental policy.
Ethical, philosophical, or practical implications:
Balances economic growth with living and working conditions; questions about equity, labor exploitation, and sustainable development.
Vocabulary:
Industrial revolution
Labor-saving technology
Lesson 2.2 - Economic Indicators of Development
Identify terms used to categorize development levels (global framework):
Low income country, middle income country, high income country
Less Developed Country (LDC), Newly Industrialized Country (NIC), More Developed Country (MDC)
Describe economic indicators and their meanings:
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Gross National Product (GNP)
Gross National Income (GNI)
Per capita
Formal Economy
Informal Economy
Gini Coefficient (measure of income inequality)
Describe correlations between indicators and development:
Generally, higher GDP/GNI per capita correlates with higher development levels, better health, education, and access to services; however, correlations can vary by region and country due to structural factors.
Inequality (Gini) can be high even in economies with rising aggregate GDP.
Global and regional patterns of development:
High, middle, and low development regions show distinct spatial patterns driven by history, institutions, resources, and integration into global markets.
Underlying reasons for patterns:
Access to capital, technology, institutions, trade opportunities, and natural resources; historical legacies and political stability influence development trajectories.
Limitations of indicators:
GDP/GNP/GNI per capita do not capture distribution of wealth, quality of life, informal economy size, external debt, or non-economic well-being.
Vocabulary:
Low income country, middle income country, high income country
Less Developed Country (LDC), Newly Industrialized Country (NIC), More Developed Country (MDC)
Positive correlation, Negative correlation
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Gross National Product (GNP)
Gross National Income (GNI)
Per capita
Formal Economy
Informal Economy
Gini Coefficient
Lesson 2.3 - Economic Sectors
Describe the sectors of the economy:
Primary sector: extraction of natural resources (agriculture, mining, fishing, forestry)
Secondary sector: manufacturing and processing (construction, industry)
Tertiary sector: services (retail, education, health, finance)
Quaternary sector: knowledge-based activities (research, information technology, consulting)
Quinary sector: high-level decision making (top government, executives, non-profit leaders)
Correlation between economic structure and development:
As development progresses, economies tend to shift from primary to secondary, tertiary, and increasingly quaternary/quinary activities.
More developed economies show a larger share of tertiary/quaternary/quinary sectors.
Changes to economic structure over time as a country develops:
Diversification of outputs, urbanization, rising productivity, and rising demand for higher-skilled labor.
Underlying SPEED factors driving the correlation between economic structure and development:
Social, Political, Economic, Environmental, and Demographic forces influence industrialization, urbanization, education, and technology adoption.
Lesson 2.4 - Social Measures of Development
Social indicators related to health:
Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)
Maternal Mortality Rate
Adolescent Fertility Rate
Life expectancy
Social indicators related to education:
Literacy rate
Mean years of schooling
Composite social indicators:
Gender Inequality Index (GII)
Human Development Index (HDI)
Correlations between social indicators and development:
Higher education access and health outcomes generally accompany higher development levels; progress is uneven across regions and genders.
Global and regional patterns of social development:
Variations in health, education, and gender equality reflect policy choices, resources, and cultural norms.
Underlying reasons for patterns:
Investment in health care, education systems, women's rights, and social protection influence outcomes.
Vocabulary:
Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)
Maternal Mortality Rate
Adolescent Fertility Rate
Life expectancy
Literacy rate
Mean Years of Schooling
Gender Inequality Index (GII)
Political participation
Labor force participation
Human Development Index (HDI)
Contraceptives/Family planning
Lesson 2.6 - Rostow’s Model of Development
Describe the Rostow Modernization model:
A historical model outlining the path of economic development through distinct stages toward modernization.
The five stages of Rostow’s Modernization model:
Traditional society
Preconditions for takeoff
Takeoff
Drive to maturity
High mass consumption
Identify examples of countries in stages 2-5 (per course materials):
Stage 2: Early takeoff characteristics; Stage 3: Takeoff; Stage 4: Drive to maturity; Stage 5: High mass consumption (varies by country and timeframe).
Describe changes in a country over time as it progresses through the stages:
Shifts from agrarian, traditional practices toward investment in infrastructure, technology, and diversified industries; increasing capital formation and productivity.
Correlations between major development indicators and stages:
Initial growth in capital and technology aligns with takeoff; later stages show rising consumption, services, and higher standards of living.
Underlying assumptions of Rostow’s model:
Linear, cumulative progress driven by capital accumulation, technological change, and leadership.
Major weaknesses/limitations:
Oversimplifies diverse development paths, ignores failed states or political obstacles, and assumes Western-style development is universally applicable.
Vocabulary:
Modernization theory
Traditional society
Preconditions for takeoff
Takeoff
Drive to maturity
High mass consumption
Lesson 2.7 - Wallerstein’s World Systems Theory
Describe Wallerstein’s World Systems Theory:
A macro-scale view of the world economy as a system of interdependent parts organized around a core-periphery-periphery framework.
The 3 types of countries:
Core: advanced, capitalist economies with strong institutions and high value-added activities.
Semi-periphery: intermediate; some diversification and exploitation of peripheries; moderates core-periphery dynamics.
Periphery: less developed economies focused on extraction and export of raw materials with weak institutions.
Identify examples of core, semi-periphery, and periphery countries (as discussed in course materials).
Compare characteristics across categories:
Core benefits from global markets, controls high-value production; periphery supplies raw materials and cheap labor; semi-periphery sits in between.
How countries in different categories depend on one another:
Core countries rely on periphery resources; periphery depends on core markets and investment for growth; semi-periphery mediates power dynamics.
Limitations of Wallerstein’s theory:
Oversimplifies national trajectories, can underplay internal variations, and may not capture regional shifts or country-specific policy impacts.
Vocabulary:
World Systems Theory
Dependency
Core
Semi periphery
Periphery