Rostows Stages of Economic Growth and Development

Geographers often seek to categorize places using a scale of development, frequently dividing nations into the developed and developing, first world and third world, or core and periphery. All of these labels are based on judging a countrys development, but this raises the question: what exactly does it mean to be developed, and why have some countries developed while others have not? Since the beginning of the twentieth century, geographers and those involved with the vast field of Development Studies have sought to answer this question, and in the process, have come up with many different models to explain this phenomenon. W.W. Rostow and the Stages of Economic Growth One of the key thinkers in twentieth-century Development Studies was W.W. Rostow, an American economist, and government official. Prior to Rostow, approaches to development had been based on the assumption that modernization was characterized by the Western world (wealthier, more powerful countries at the time), which were able to advance from the initial stages of underdevelopment. Accordingly, other countries should model themselves after the West, aspiring to a modern state of capitalism and liberal democracy. Using these ideas, Rostow penned his classic Stages of Economic Growth in 1960, which presented five steps through which all countries must pass to become developed: 1) traditional society, 2) preconditions to take-off, 3) take-off, 4) drive to maturity and 5) age of high mass consumption. The model asserted that all countries exist somewhere on this linear spectrum, and climb upward through each stage in the development process: Traditional Society: This stage is characterized by a subsistent, agricultural based economy, with intensive labor and low levels of trading, and a population that does not have a scientific perspective on the world and technology.Preconditions to Take-off: Here, a society begins to develop manufacturing, and a more national/international, as opposed to regional, outlook.Take-off: Rostow describes this stage as a short period of intensive growth, in which industrialization begins to occur, and workers and institutions become concentrated around a new industry.Drive to Maturity: This stage takes place over a long period of time, as standards of living rise, the use of technology increases, and the national economy grows and diversifies.Age of High Mass Consumption: At the time of writing, Rostow believed that Western countries, most notably the United States, occupied this last developed stage. Here, a countrys economy flourishes in a capitalist system, characterized by mass productio n and consumerism. Rostows Model in Context Rostows Stages of Growth model is one of the most influential development theories of the twentieth century. It was, however, also grounded in the historical and political context in which he wrote. Stages of Economic Growth was published in 1960, at the height of the Cold War, and with the subtitle A Non-Communist Manifesto, it was overtly political. Rostow was fiercely anti-communist and right-wing; he modeled his theory after western capitalist countries, which had industrialized and urbanized. As a staff member in President John F. Kennedys administration, Rostow promoted his development model as part of U.S. foreign policy. Rostows model illustrates a desire not only to assist lower-income countries in the development process but also to assert the United States influence over that of communist Russia. Stages of Economic Growth in Practice: Singapore Industrialization, urbanization, and trade in the vein of Rostows model are still seen by many as a roadmap for a countrys development. Singapore is one of the best examples of a country that grew in this way and is now a notable player in the global economy. Singapore is a southeast Asian country with a population of over five million, and when it became independent in 1965, it did not seem to have any exceptional prospects for growth. However, it industrialized early, developing profitable manufacturing and high-tech industries. Singapore is now highly urbanized, with 100% of the population considered urban. It is one of the most sought-after trade partners in the international market, with a higher per-capita income than many European countries. Criticisms of Rostows Model As the Singapore case shows, Rostows model still sheds light on a successful path to economic development for some countries. However, there are many criticisms of his model. While Rostow illustrates faith in a capitalist system, scholars have criticized his bias towards a western model as the only path towards development. Rostow lays out five succinct steps towards development and critics have cited that all countries do not develop in such a linear fashion; some skip steps or take different paths. Rostows theory can be classified as top-down, or one that emphasizes a trickle-down modernization effect from urban industry and western influence to develop a country as a whole. Later theorists have challenged this approach, emphasizing a bottom-up development paradigm, in which countries become self- sufficient through local efforts, and urban industry is not necessary. Rostow also assumes that all countries have a desire to develop in the same way, with the end goal of high mass cons umption, disregarding the diversity of priorities that each society holds and different measures of development. For example, while Singapore is one of the most economically prosperous countries, it also has one of the highest income disparities in the world. Finally, Rostow disregards one of the most fundamental geographical principals: site and situation. Rostow assumes that all countries have an equal chance to develop, without regard to population size, natural resources, or location. Singapore, for instance, has one of the worlds busiest trading ports, but this would not be possible without its advantageous geography as an island nation between Indonesia and Malaysia. In spite of the many critiques of Rostows model, it is still one of the most widely cited development theories and is a primary example of the intersection of geography, economics, and politics. Sources: Binns, Tony, et al. Geographies of Development: An Introduction to Development Studies, 3rd ed. Harlow: Pearson Education, 2008. Singapore. CIA World Factbook, 2012. Central Intelligence Agency. 21 August 2012.

The Myths Of The Underworld - 1405 Words

The myths of the underworld reflect many ideas in regard to the journey through hell. In Dante’s Divine Comedy, readers are able to take a deeper look at how myths are represented at a psychological level through the importance of death and rebirth.As Dante progresses through the imaginary journey of Hell, Hell’s inferno is represented by the nine regions arranged around the wall of a huge funnel in nine concentric circles. As the hero, Dante starts his journey by losing his way on the true path of life. Dante is then placed on a quest in order to overcome his sins and also to win over the love of â€Å"God†, where he then meets and is led by a ghost named Virgil. During this era, Virgil is represented as a deceased Roman poet, who came to†¦show more content†¦Dante understands this as he progressives on his journey because he sees the difference between minor sins to major sins and also how sins relate to how deep you are in Hell.In the beginning of hi s path through the afterlife, Dante begins to feel sympathy for lost souls, however, as the he progresses further into the inferno, Dante becomes less sympathetic to give his pity. For example, the myth of Persephone, Greek goddess of the underworld, corresponds to Dante’s understanding because â€Å"all through history, it is true that only by going through hell does one have any chance of reaching heaven. The journey through hell is a part of the journey that cannot be omitted—indeed, what one learns in hell is a prerequisite to arriving at any good value thereafter† (The Therapist and the Journey Into Hell). Dante’s first circle of hell represents what we know as Limbo, this part of hell consists of heathen and the unbaptized, who led decent lives. The second to fifth circle of hell represents the sins of people who were lustful, gluttonous, prodigal, and wrathful on earth. The sixth circle of hell is where heretics are punished for their sins and the seventh circle of hell is devoted to the punishment of people who had sinned violence. The eighth circle of hell is devoted to those guilty of fraud and the ninth circle of hell are for those who betrayed other people in life. In the last section of hell, Dante sees Satan and his frozen lakeShow MoreRelatedThe Between Greek And Roman Mythology1128 Words   |  5 Pagesboth ruled what is told to be the Underworld. In each of their myths, the reclusive gods became infatuated with their niece and kidnapped the unsuspecting maiden. 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Gods can either show jealousy, courage, or kindness to mortals and other gods, so Greeks label the gods based on their qualities. In most circumstances, the Greeks decide whether to worship o r despise a god only by whom or what they rule over. For example, Greeks show reluctance in worshipping Hades, the Lord of the Underworld. Greeks hold celebrations and festivities to earn favor from the gods. Greek gods canRead MoreAncient Greece : An Amazing Place With Culture And A Thriving Population1353 Words   |  6 Pages Greek Anthropology Ancient Greece was an Amazing place with culture and a thriving population. With all these people someone had to wonder, Where do I go when I die? Myths of great places, terrible monsters and amazing heroes grew out of this question. The people invented the underworld, the place you go when you die. The Greeks also performed rituals on their dead. Some rituals and customs are unorthodox and considered strange in these times. The Greeks thought that at the moment of deathRead MorePersephone s Myth Is An Outstanding Way Of Explaining This1011 Words   |  5 PagesWhat about knowing when is the best time to plant, why can’t seeds grow in the winter months? Persephone’s myth is an outstanding way of explaining this . The Greeks lived because of this myth that they followed. We can’t plant in winter, but we can in the sun time. This is all because of Demeter and the loss of her daughter. Proserpina is the goddess of the spring and Queen of the underworld. Her father Zeus is the king of gods and the god of the sky. Proserpina s mother is Demeter the goddess,Read MoreComparative Essay : Greek Mythology1344 Words   |  6 Pagesrelates to human life. Hence, through the anthropocentrism of myth human feelings, emotions, and philosophical ideas are expressed which can be captivating to the film audience. One of such myths is the myth of Persephone. 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The People Free Essays

Angela Franklin Professor Ginfrida ENC1101 22 April 2013 Neat Vs. Sloppy In Suzanne Britt’s â€Å"Neat People Vs. Sloppy People† and Dave Barry’s † Batting Clean Up and Striking Out† both author’s examine just complicated human relationships can be considering how many types of personalities are out there. We will write a custom essay sample on The People or any similar topic only for you Order Now They both share certain literary elements, but differ immensely in the realms of tone, thesis and organization methods. Barry and Britt share many similarities in their literary elements. Literary elements are symbols and allusions. An allusion is usually used to refer to a person, place or thing that is common knowledge, it may point to a famous event, a familiar saying or a well-known story or song (734). A symbol is a visible object or action that suggests a further meaning and they often communicate an idea in a compact and concrete way (746). They both use these literary elements to create humor in their essays. Barry for example takes the use of Pompeii saying that â€Å"men generally don’t notice dirt until it forms clumps, large enough that can lead to a tragedy like the city of Pompeii (261). Another allusion Barry uses is the reference to Edgar Allen Poe when he goes on to say that â€Å"they could feel the world series television and radio broadcast rays zinging through the air penetrating right through their bodies, causing our dental fillings to vibrate, and all the while the women were behaving as though nothing were wrong† (262). This enhances his story with suspense. Likewise Britt refers to The NewYorker by saying that â€Å"someday the sloppy people will sit down and read all the back issues of the magazine† because they are intelligent. A neat person she goes on to say: â€Å"would hurry up and get the whole thing over with so they can sit down and watch some good ole ‘rasslin’ on TV† (256). Which, is something an unintelligent person would be found watching. As far as symbols (things that have a much bigger meaning behind it) goes Barry goes on to say â€Å"that the women prattled away about human relationships or something it turned out to be an extremely pivotal game† (263). When he made that statement he was trying to say that the referring to the game of love. In the same manner Britt went on to say that â€Å"sloppy people live in what some may call â€Å"Never Never Land† (255). What Britt was inferring with that line is that sloppy people are childlike and immature in a sense. When both authors used these symbols in their work it made their essays more humorous and relatable, it’s kind of like you had no other choice but to chuckle while reading. In contrast, both authors use a very different tone towards the people they discuss in their essays. Let’s take Britt for example she comes off a little harsh, stereotypical, and extremely sarcastic towards neat people. She goes on to say that â€Å"Neat people are bums and clods at heat† (256), which can be very offensive to people who consider themselves to be neat, because that one person feels that their neatness is nothing but them being bums which may not be true. Then when Britt talks about the sloppy people it’s like she’s for them being the way they are, Britt went on to say â€Å"sloppy people aren’t really as sloppy as they seem† (255). On the other hand, Barry is a lot more balanced in his approach of comparing men and women; he doesn’t take to one side or even make the other person feel offended as Britt did. He just states the different priorities of men and women, Barry went on to say that â€Å"the opposite side of the dirt coin, of course is sports† (262). Which shows that while women make cleaning priority men on the other, take sports as a priority. As far as thesis goes, Britt’s thesis was a bit vague; having little or let’s say no detail at all. Britt states that â€Å"the distinction is, as always, moral. Neat people are lazier and meaner than sloppy people†(255). She never gives detail on that point of why exactly they are considered meaner and lazier than others. Britt leaves her audience trying to figure out where she’s going with that assumption of neat people. However, when Barry comes in with his split thesis he states clearly in his first paragraph that † The primary difference between men and women is that women can see extremely small quantities of dirt† (261) which, shows that he is about to go into detail of why he made that statement about women. Then he goes on to say in the second part of his thesis that â€Å"the opposite side of the dirt coin, of course, is sports† (262) and that, he goes on to explain is the area where men tend to feel most sensitive. In that part he goes into detail of why men are the way they are when it comes to the subject of cleaning. With the split of Barry’s thesis he gives the reader a reason why he makes the certain statements which, gives his essay a laid back feel where you kind of know where things could possibly be going. In addition to the many things Britt and Barry differ on, they also use a different organization strategy. Britt uses subject by subject organization. When using subject by subject you set forth all your facts about one thing then do the same for the other. Then you some up the similarities and differences between the two (248). Britt goes on and on about sloppy people and their sloppiness and she gives off a sense of being unbalanced when it comes to sloppy as well as neat people. For example Britt goes on to saying â€Å"For all these noble reasons and more, sloppy people will never get neat, They aim to aim to high and wide† (256). Leaving it at that only to go into more bashing of sloppy people. But Barry on the other hand, shows a keen sense of balance when he approached the matter point by point. Point by point is when you compare and contrast as you go, that way you consider one point at a time, taking up your two subjects alternately (249). Like when Barry stated that â€Å"The primary difference between men and women, was that women can see small quantities of dirt and men can’t† he brought both subjects up and explained them both, balancing what he was talking about in his essay. In short, it can be concluded that in Suzanne Britt’s â€Å"Neat people Vs. Sloppy people† and Dave Barry’s â€Å"Batting Clean-Up and striking Out† they examine just how complicated human relationships can be considering how many types of personalities Re out. Although, they share similar points they differ greatly in how they go about doing How to cite The People, Papers