From your own understanding of Rostow’s evolutionary scheme, which societal type
would you classify QwaQwa in?
- Provide at least five (5) reasons for your choice.
2. Briefly discuss Wallerstein’s World System Theory. The discussion should include
its origins and the categories that Wallerstein classified the different countries as
and why. The discussion should also include the critics that were made against this
theory.
1. QwaQwa would likely be classified in Rostow's scheme as a traditional society. This is because QwaQwa is a small rural region in South Africa with limited economic development and a predominantly agricultural-based economy.
2. QwaQwa lacks significant industrialization or urbanization, which are key characteristics of Rostow's stages of development such as the preconditions for take-off and the take-off stage.
3. The region also faces challenges such as limited access to education, healthcare, and infrastructure, which are common in traditional societies according to Rostow's model.
4. QwaQwa's economy is largely dependent on subsistence farming and small-scale agriculture, indicating a lack of integration into the global economy and modernization processes.
5. The society in QwaQwa may still hold traditional values and beliefs that have not yet been significantly influenced by modernization and globalization, further supporting its classification as a traditional society in Rostow's evolutionary scheme.
Wallerstein's World System Theory originated in the 1970s and sought to explain the global economic system and the power dynamics between countries. Wallerstein classified countries into three main categories: core countries (developed countries with dominant economic power), periphery countries (underdeveloped countries with less economic power), and semi-periphery countries (countries that fall between core and periphery in terms of economic development).
Critics of Wallerstein's World System Theory argue that it oversimplifies the complexities of global economic relationships and does not account for the varying degrees of development within countries. The theory has also been accused of being Eurocentric and neglecting the agency of non-Western countries in shaping their own development paths. Additionally, some critics argue that the theory does not adequately address cultural factors and focuses too heavily on economic factors in determining a country's position in the global system.