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  • Essay / Strength and Weakness of Modernization and Dependency Theory

    Development refers to the process in which something gradually moves to a different stage (especially a more advanced or mature stage). Again, development in relation to the economy is the shift from low productivity and labor-intensive activities to high production and technology-intensive activities. The question of development, particularly in Africa, is a bone of contention. It is for this reason that authors such as Rostow, Prebisch, Wallestein, Boserup and others have proposed theories to address the issues of development and underdevelopment in third world countries. Some of the proposed theories are: Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayAccording to the authors of the theory, development is a linear evolutionary process and the prospects for development are inherent in a given society. Rostow identified five categories into which corporations can be identified based on their economic attributes. Traditional society, prerequisites for take-off, take-off, the quest for maturity and the era of mass consumption were the categories discussed. According to him, development means “white” and the only way for a third world country to develop is to strictly follow the European development path. Modernization theory has its strengths and weaknesses. Below are some highlights of this theory. Above all, modernization theory is rooted in science education. To remedy the underdevelopment of third world countries, scientific education is a necessity. The study of science would help improve and increase technology in the given society. This will catalyze the process of take-off in a traditional society. Furthermore, the theory refers to value systems, personal motivation and capital accumulation, which are a combination of sociological, psychological and economic characteristics. Additionally, the perspective of the theory is analytical. Theorists assume that traditionalism is specific to third world countries while Euro-American countries are modern. It assumes that traditional societies can develop when they adopt the values ​​of the modern world. Finally, modernization theory encourages the need for industrialization. To develop, traditional societies must think about ways and means to become an industrial state. This will help them get off the ground. Despite the theory's many strengths, some flaws have been identified that have drawn criticism from other researchers. First, the classification of distinct societies into “traditional” and “modern” societies lacked clarity. There are various societies such as caste societies, tribal, feudal and bureaucratic empires which have modernized in different ways and according to different structures. The theory only considered the traditional as pre-industrial. Moreover, the theory associates development only with the European and American path. This is a great weakness of modernization theory. Countries like Taiwan, South Korea, and China developed under strong autocratic regimes and systems different from the American way. Additionally, the theory recommends the elimination of traditional values ​​as a remedy for underdevelopment. To eliminate traditional values ​​in a given society is to extinguish the lives of its inhabitants. Rather, the theory was supposed to develop the values ​​of societies endowed with.