POLS1701 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: United Fruit Company, Dependency Theory, World-Systems Theory
Lecture 5 - 27/03 - Dependency Theory - not written out
Background:
DT challenges structural inequalities of the World Economy
inserts col. histories back into hist. dev. narrative
Challenge to MT stages of growth logic - states are not worse off because they are
traditional, or at a lower stage, rather:
col. div. of labour = unequal insertion of states into world economy
justifies failed efforts at catching up
Sovereignty + economic power - if you are independent, you will not be colonised
again
DT informed changes to int. systems
quote pg 45 of textbook
dependency = a situation in which the economy of certain countries is conditioned by
the development and expansion of another economy, to which the former is
subjected. The relation of interdependence between two or more economies, and
between these and world trade, assumes the form of dependence when some
countries (the dominant ones) can expand and can be self sustaining, while other
countries (the dependent ones) can do this only as a reflection of that expansion.”
slide on nat. vs. int. div. of labour
primary products command less value - therefore colonies could not catch up export-
wise
no pegging of value of primary products
Colonial logic = exploitation of people, environment, etc. in order to gain currency to
invest in industrialisation etc.
example of banana empire:
founding of United Fruit Company in 1899 = Commercialisation of bananas =
consequence of tech. - fast transport made it more viable
costa rica - wanted to develop infrastructure
deal of land for support developing infrastructure
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
