scs201 week 3

Overview of Development Ideologies

Development theories are influenced by political ideologies and the dominant values of a time period.
These ideologies are interconnected with a country's economic system, political system, and cultural values.
Development generally refers to a country's progress and positive change over time, although the definition remains debated.

Debatability of Progress: The understanding of what constitutes progress is subjective and value-dependent, often reflecting Western societal values.
Western-Centric View: The focus on modernity typically aligns with Western ideals, a perspective that has historical roots in the formation of international organizations like the UN.

Commonly cited obstacles include a country's perceived lack of skill, knowledge, or capital—concepts viewed through a Western lens.

Three main categories:
- Growth-Oriented Theories: Includes Modernization Theory, Neoliberal Theory, and Classical Liberal Ideology (Adam Smith).
- Equity-Oriented Theories: Encompasses Dependency Theory and Neo-Marxist Theory, focusing on social justice and equality.
- Sustainability and Culture-Oriented Theories: Related to Poststructuralist theories, incorporating thinkers like Amartya Sen and measuring human development through indicators.

Post World War II: Growth-oriented theories began to dominate, reflecting economic growth measurement.
1950s: Rise of Modernization Theory and Industrialization Theory; emphasis on Western-centric ideas.
1960s: Emergence of Dependency Theory, focusing on power dynamics between developing and developed nations.
1970s: Dominance of Neoliberal thought; structural reforms by the World Bank and IMF caused socioeconomic damages.
1980s: Critical responses emerge, with concepts of actionable freedom and capability development.
1990s: Alternative development approaches arise, prioritizing local knowledge and decolonization perspectives.
2000s: Introduction of MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) and SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) emphasizing rights-based approaches.

Central to the Washington Consensus, it promotes a sequential developmental path based on Western values.
Rostow's Five Stages of Economic Growth:
- Traditional Society: Subsistence farming and low technology.
- Preconditions for Takeoff: Investment in infrastructure begins.
- Takeoff: Rapid industrial growth, increased investment, and cultural change.
- Drive to Maturity: Technological advances and widespread economic growth.
- High Mass Consumption: White picket fence society emerges with high disposable incomes.

Global policies facilitated by neoliberalism often resulted in privatization, social dysfunction, and increased poverty due to job losses.
Economic models prioritized market dynamics often led to marginalized local communities, worsening inequality.

Core vs. Periphery: Describes the exploitative relationship where rich nations rely on resources from poorer countries, sustaining systemic inequalities.
Historical Context: Stemming from colonial exploitative practices, it argues developing nations remain economically disadvantaged, perpetuating cycles of poverty.
Current Relevance: Multinational corporations perpetuate extractive practices, leading to economic dependencies.

Pivotal historical events and themes in the emergence of international development, the impact of Rostow's theory, implications of neoliberal policies.

Traditional metrics include economic growth (GDP), but more holistic approaches emphasize:
- Indicators of Well-Being: Life expectancy, maternal and child health, education access.
- Inequality Measurement: Gini coefficient to assess income distribution within and across nations.

Life expectancy reflects access to healthcare, nutrition, and socioeconomic conditions.
- Discrepancies between indigenous and non-indigenous populations highlight systemic inequalities.

Visual tools to depict age distribution; reflect demographic trends and socioeconomic conditions.
Notable examples:
- Developed countries exhibit stable age distributions.
- Developing countries show broader bases with high youth populations due to historical and socioeconomic factors.

Development is a complex interplay of ideologies, historical context, and evolving theories. Understanding these concepts is critical for addressing contemporary issues in global development.