Underdevelopment in Poor Countries

Topic

Underdevelopment is the result of rich countries exploiting poor countries

Instructions

Words: 3800

References: 30 minimum (Harvard).

Task: Choose ONE question, and illustrate your answers with examples and/or case studies. Always clearly indicate what elements of which theory and/or author you are addressing,

or not. It is vital that you use the reading list (attached):

  1. “Underdevelopment is the result of rich countries exploiting poor countries”. Discuss by drawing on both modernisation and dependency theories.
  2. To what extent is race a useful lens when examining North-South relations?
  3. Explain what human development is by discussing the relevance of and relation between economic growth, education, gender equality, income in/equality, and political voice.
  4. Some post-development thinkers consider the idea of ‘international development’ a Western construct doing more harm than good. To what extent is that a legitimate argument, and what should development mean and do instead?
  5. Link the educational provision to the patterns of labour migration in China since 1980s. Why is there a shift of migrant labour from the manufacturing sector to the technology-oriented industry?
  6. Can education contribute to economic growth as well as social equity? Use a case study to analyse the relationships between education, development and inequality.
  7. Explain the main features of change in the international aid architecture since the mid 1990s. Does Official Development Assistance still have role to play in today’s world?

Answer preview

Since the end of the Second World War, the world has witnessed what may be described as a global effort towards the improvement of living conditions in the so called developing countries, or the Third World. There has been a clear situation of underdevelopment in the developing countries. Those countries are characterized by high levels of poverty, hunger, poor living conditions, and low income levels. The vast majority of the nations are also former colonies of the British Empire. The struggle to supposedly improve living conditions in the developing countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa, among others, has been spearheaded by the industrialized and developed countries from the West (Cobbinah, Black and Thwaites, 2013). The United Nations and its constituent agencies have also been at the forefront in promoting socioeconomic development in the so called developing countries.

Word count: 4578