Major Theories of Underdevelopment

I. Modernization Theory -- Domestic Dynamics

Max Weber's theory of "development"  wiki
 
Traditional Society Modern Society
kinship
face to face relations, clans, tribes examples
ascription (birth)
who you know
tradition
religion, superstition
agriculture
rural
high birth and death rates		 citizenship
institutions
law and bureaucracy
achievement (what you do)
what you know
science, secular
industry
urban
low birth and death rates (after growth)

vehicles for transition:

Importance of country's traditional, indigenous cultures:
    Lawrence Harrison and Samuel Huntington, Culture Matters: How Values Shape Human Progress, Basic Books, 1990.


Initial expectations were that transition from tradition to modern would be fast and easy
    Leading to peace, harmony, economic growth, democracy.

education, scientific-secular culture, cultural diffusion, migration, urbanization,
nation-builidng, ethnic melting pot
industrialization, political organization, political parties
economic growth, equity, democracy
But by 1960s, conflict and dictatorship was common.  The transition was stressful and difficult, leading to Conflict Theory.
       Population growth (esp. of young)
            demographic transition
                1.  high birth rate, high death rate
                2.  public health (sewage isolation, vacinations) increases survival rate of children
                3.  baby boom as more children survive
                                population starts to grow
                                families slowly reduce fertility (from 10 to 6 surviving children)
                4.  migration to cities
                                chilren are expensive to manage, mothers get jobs
                                fertility continues to decline (to 4 surviving children)
                                modern contraceptive technology enables further decline in fertility rate (to 1-2)
                5. health systems imporve, all age groups survives longer
                6. baby boom kids marry and have children
                                population continues to rise
                                age distribution of society is very young
                7. fertility reduces, fewer children born (1-2)
                    but previous waves of baby boom kids marry and have more children
                    older people survive, more elderly
                8. age distribution of society levels off, fertility and death rates are lower
                    population growth levels off
                9. From beginning to end (50-100 years),  the population has increased 3-5 times.

      In this process, there may be unwanted children, unmanagable teenagers
                contribute to crime, child abuse, social decay.
                      issues of young people in:   Ghana Kenya
 

       discontent (relative deprivation),
       social conflict, class conflict, ethnic conflict, civil war, economic collapse, dictatorship

Samuel Huntington, Political Order in Changing Societies, Political Decay.

Stability = f  ( political organization / social mobilization )

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