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The Gap Between Development And Underdevelopment

Decent Essays

In Walter Rodney’s book he emphasizes the difference between development and underdevelopment. According to Rodney, development is defined as a many sided process involving individuals, social classes, and society as a whole. At the level of the individual it’s represented by increased skill, greater freedom, creativity, self-discipline, responsibility and material well-being. Rodney paid more attention to material well-being, freedom and skill at this individual representation. For Rodney the individual development is directly linked to the development of the state. For the second side of development, social class/group, Rodney states that development implies an increasing capacity to regulate both internal and external relationships. For the society as a whole, development shows how man has the ability to overcome downfalls and better their lives through making use of the earth’s resources available to him. In Rodney’s book, he points out how Africa fits into these definitions of development, but more so how they fit into the definition of underdevelopment.
Developed states are characterized by being highly industrialized, they have low unemployment, improved social services, advanced farming industries with the technology to produce more in less time and with fewer people. Underdevelopment should not be understood as the opposite or lack of development but the very low level of development of a particular state when in comparison to other states (especially wealthier

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