Walter Rostow’s Linear Development Theory

Rostow's suggests that development is seen as an evolutionary process that countries progress up a ladder, his five-stage model;

Economic development can be defined generally as involving an improvement in economic welfare, measured using a variety of indices, such as the Human Development Index (HDI). A developing country is described as a nation with a lower standard of living, underdeveloped industrial base, and a low HDI relative to other countries. There are several factors which may have the effect of limiting economic development in such countries. Factors such as these include: primary product dependency, the savings gap and political instability.

Development and underdevelopment are linked and “condition each other mutually” resulting in a divided world that consists of industrial “central” countries and underdeveloped “peripheral” countries (Valenzuela and Valenzuela, 1978, p.544), with the periphery often being constrained by its role in the global capitalist system (Valenzuela and Valenzuela, 1978, p.544).

Rostow identifies five stages of economic development. The traditional society is characterized by the dominance of agriculture, which is largely at the subsistence level, and the non-realization of potential resources. In the second stage, economic growth begins to speed up. There is an expansion of trade, perhaps an increase in external influences, and an introduction of modern methods of production, which are used along the more traditional techniques. The take off stage occurs when old traditions are finally overcome, and modern industrialized society is born. Investment rates rise from five percent of national income to ten percent, one or more major manufacturers emerge, political and social institutions are

How does a country go from being a mostly agrarian based economy, with less than 10% of their population in cities (Uno), to a leading industrial power? Many factors contributed to it however it was not until 1978 that the economy boomed as “Prior to the 1978 reforms

The second stage called preconditions for takeoff is distinguished largely by the development of technology requiring innovation. This would then allow production to become more efficient producing higher yields of produce opening the gates of trade as surplus produce can be sold for a profit. This will encourage manufacturing to take place attracting attention from an international level allowing the society to open up to different markets instead of being restricted to only their domestic one which forces the society to broaden their outlook and not only focus on the limited regional markets and communities.

Economic development can be defined generally as involving an improvement in economic welfare, measured using a variety of indices, such as the Human Development Index (HDI). A developing country is described as a nation with a lower standard of living, underdeveloped industrial base, and a low HDI relative to other countries. There are several factors which may have the effect of limiting economic development in such countries. Factors such as these include: primary product dependency, the savings gap and political instability.

Such position is centered on a two-step argument that recognizes the growth-enhancing potential of openness and, in its turn, growth's relevance to poverty reduction. Furthermore, it is also recognized the necessity of prudent, gradual and sustainable openness in order to dissociate the link between economic growth and social disruptions. This means that both trade and investment are here considered to be "engine[s] of growth" (Robertson, 1940) and that growth must be the principal (although not the only) strategy for reducing scarcity, increasing employment opportunities, and minimizing poverty. According to Bhagwati (2007,

Development is a process that involves a passage of several stages as discussed by different individuals and theories of development. At each stage of development, people show a typical pattern that can be generalized or applied to age set for any normal developing person. Although there might be slight variations, development seems almost the same regarding perception, cognition, socialization, and use of language among particular groups during development. In this paper, I will discuss the activities and interaction that I observed among adults and relate them to the theories of development discussed by various scholars and psychologist.

Development theory has been largely presupposed to the fact that the only institutions of importance were those directly expediting market activity. Directly following World War II, the health of a nation was predominately based off its gross domestic product (GDP). This view of the ‘market as the magic bullet’ dominated the social construct of development; however, this paradigm began to shift come the late 1980s/early 1990s. This archaic way of thinking has now expanded to explore new theories of

In this research paper, my topic involves how India's industrialization has grown immensely over the past decades. However, not many have benefited from it as rural populations have become increasingly populated due to people migrating from their homes, which would decrease unemployment and food production.

Taking into consideration the trickle-down theory of economics by Lewis, if the growth in economy is not sufficient to satisfy the needs and wants of the upper sections, nothing or very little shall trickle down to the lower sections in the hierarchy of society. Thus, the gap between the rich and poor widens and though economic growth has impacted a certain section of society, this cannot be considered development. Another example is an increase in the defence output of a nation, which accounts for an increased GDP but does not in any way contribute to economic development. Economic growth is not enough in itself to measure economic development as even if there has been a leap in the income of people in a particular nation,

Stage 1 (Traditional society) is characterised by work in the primary sector, mostly farming or hunting and gathering, very little access to technology. There is also a lack of classes therefore no real economy mostly bartering of goods.

Development is defined as “the process of change operating over time- the process by which countries and societies advance and become richer’’. The modern 20th century defines development as” the process of change which allows all the basic needs of a region to be met, thereby achieving greater social justice and quality of life and encouraging people to fulfill their potential’’. Todaro defines development as “the process of improving the quality of all human lives through raising people’s living standards, their incomes, consumption levels of food, medical services, education, raising people’s self-esteem through the establishment of social, political and economic systems and institutions that promote dignity and respect and increasing people’s

He pointed out that different economic levels have their own requirements and they may not follow the same process of industrialization. Moreover, he raised the most influential theory related to late industrialization that the economically backward states may have rapider growth rate as they are late comers, and the national development process relied on the degree of economic backwardness. That is to say the more backward a country, the faster it will advance (ibid).