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Rostows Theory of Economic Development

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KENYATTA UNIVERSITY
UNIT CODE: UCU 101
UNIT NAME: DEVELOPMENTAL STUDIES
LECTURER: MR. MASINDE
TASK: A DISCUSSION OF THE ROSTOW FIVE STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

GROPU MEMBERS
NAME REGISTRATION NUMBER SIGNATURE
NYABUTO MEPHINE BWARI E37/1523/2011 ………………………
BARAZA A. DANIEL E37/1625/2011 ………………………
LUMONYE FAITH JUMA E35S/11325/2010 ………………………
DOUGHLAS NYAKUNDI E37/1509/2011 ………………………
FREDDICK ACHACH E37/1614/2011 ………………………

Rostow’s five stages of Development
This theory was written by Walt Whiteman Rostow. In 1960 he suggested countries go through fairly linearly and set out number of conditions that were likely to occur in investment, consumption and social trends at each state. He also said that …show more content…

Stage 4: Drive to maturity
According to Rostow, this is the period that effectively applied to modern technology. During this stage there were structural changes that were experienced in three ways:
a) Work force composition in agriculture shifted from 75% of the working population to 20%
b) There was introduction of high degree professionalism and leadership qualities.
c) Policy change on environmental and health cost of industrialization were made
This transformational and diversity changes lead to reduction in poverty rate and increased living standards.
Stage 5: Ages of high mass consumption
Rostow defined this stage as a period of contemporary comfort afforded by many western nations. Therefore a country tries to determine its uniqueness and factors affecting it are its political, geographical and cultural structure as well as value present in its society.
Historically, Rostow considered United State to have reached this stage first, followed by other western European nations and Japan in 1950’s.

Critics to the theory
After a critic analysis on Rostow’s theory of development, some limitations were realized. Therefore it was critically analyzed as follows.
1. Rostow is historical in the sense that the end result is known as the outset and is derived from the historical geography of a developed beaucratic society.
2. Rostow is mechanical in the sense that the underlying motor of change is not

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