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Global Inequalities Essay

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Group A, Class 1 Introduction to Sociology Final Essay Which of the following perspectives offers the most convincing explanation for the existence of global inequalities: modernization theory, dependency theory or world-systems theory? 4 July 2012 Which of the following perspectives offers the most convincing explanation for the existence of global inequalities: modernization theory, dependency theory or world-systems theory? Globalization has had both a positive and negative impact throughout the world. An interconnectedness within the world where complicated issues can arise creating an unevenness that can contribute to a societies as well as the individuals happiness in life (El-Ojelli, 2006:p1). The negative impacts of …show more content…

The first phase of modernization according to Rostow (1990:p 4), the traditional stage refers to a country that did not have much production because of little or no technology within the country. The second phase, the take off stage, is essentially the building of the economic structure and technological advances provided by a foreign power within the underdeveloped country, and third the drive to technological maturity is when these economic and technology building blocks advance about 40 years and there is now a mature economy of imports and exports, and last the fourth phase of mass consumption in which a modernized society in the twentieth reaches the maturity phase and the international economy reaps the benefits (Rostow, 1990:p 12). Over time some societies become more modern than others creating an unequal balance among other states globally. It is the thought that the modernization theory in some societies, are left behind because of advances in technology and within the economy also (Macionis and Plummer, 2012:p 306). Rostow (1990: p12) suggested that the modernization theory is created by an outside government or corporation to introduce new technologies and build industries to make money. As the four phases of modernization are explained above, it is simple to understand how these societies built upon modernization can create global inequalities and unequal balance within an underdeveloped society. However,

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