Three Theories of Unequal World Development

I really enjoy history and philosophy. For instance, I often wonder why continents like Africa haven't advanced as well as others, like Europe. This is an essay I wrote about three theories of inequality that I found online:

Why is the world so unequal? Why does the West have so much more technology and such a strong infrastructure? What are the roots of this inequality? There are many theories, but this article will provide information on three of the largest, most popular ideas. There is Jared Diamond’s relatively recent theory, Guns, Germs, and Steel, and two older theories, Modernization Theory, and Dependency Theory (which is built on Modernization Theory.)

Guns, Germs, and Steel is a theory about why our world lacks racial and ethnic inequality. Biologist Jared Diamond, who was asked by a New Guinean, Yali, why white men had so much more technology and why they were so much better off than New Guineans, proposed the theory in 1995. The reason, according to Diamond, is the geography and history of the land, mainly its plant and animal inhabitants. Diamond thinks cattle were elemental in the advancement of farming, because they provided manpower, food, milk, and fertile manure. The plants that gave most nutrition were not found in the areas that did not prosper. Diamond says human civilizations did better wherever many plants and animals could be domesticated. In his theory, Diamond impresses his belief that no ethnicity has a higher level of intellect than another. The Europeans, who basically dominated North America, had better climates, crops, and cattle than most of the rest of the world. Guns, Germs, and Steel states that economical advancement started from the Fertile Crescent, when it was the only place where there were cattle and plants. These resources were spread along the same latitude as the Fertile Crescent, into Europe and Asia. From Europe settlers brought them to the New World. Thus Europe and the New World flourished, while other latitudes were left behind in technological advances. These technological advances made by Europe included guns and steel weapons, which they used to conquer other areas and rise above the rest of the world. They also had certain diseases, which they were immune to because of their constant exposure to cattle. These germs killed off enemies without anyone even realizing. Thus, the West grew powerful, while the remainder of the planet was forced to kneel at its feet.

Modernization Theory has the basic belief that advancement of different societies is based on their cultural behavior and structural components, in the sense that they are well suited toward technological and infrastructure-enhancing advances. It states that all cultures will at some point be as evolved as they can get, and they will be ready to equal Europe and USA. This modernization process will occur through the sending ad trading of Western technologies and ideas to developing regions. When these ideas and products reach the developing areas, they will be unable to be put to use or effectiveness while older cultural and structural barriers still stand. Over time, the new Western ideas will win over the old cultural ones, and the country will slowly modernize. Also, any developing nation’s cultural behavior will be taken over by Western cultural behavior. A good example of this is the society in India, whom I have seen firsthand. Indians nowadays are as into American music as Americans themselves. They follow the NBA fanatically, and think its “cool” to speak English. So in conclusion, the West has developed more because our culture is more permitting to scientific advancement.

Dependency Theory was put together mostly by Latin American scientists. This is important because Latin America is a developing region. Dependency theorists argue that Western Powers give them unfair deals in terms of trading and foreign investment. They argue that the world will always remain unbalanced unless there is major international reform. Dependency Theory differs from Modernization Theory in that the latter states that everyone will equal out, while the former says that unless there is a revolution in world economy, undeveloped countries will remain undeveloped due to unfair trade.

These theories all have differences, and I think the most convincing one is Modernization, because I have seen it’s ideas in action in Asia, particularly Japan and India. But they all have their followers, and they all make sense to a degree. One thing I noticed was that while Diamond’s theory was oriented around telling how the past came to be, the other two spent more time explaining what will occur in the future. All three of these theories are the results of inquisition or another ulterior motive: Diamond’s theory was made because of a desire to answer the query of a New Guinean friend, and Dependency was made to argue with Modernization.