Question

Summary of Rostow's stages of development model and arguments against and arguments for.

Answer 1

According to American Economic Historian Walt .W Rostow, countries can be placed in one of five categories in terms of its stages of growth

1) Traditional society

Traditional society is characterized by subsistence economy and high-levels of agriculture and labour intensive agriculture. Output is not traded. Barter system of exchange takes place.

2) Pre conditions for take off

In the second stage of growth, societies are in process of transition , Build up conditions which incourse of time would enable them to take off.society begins to develop manufacturing and there is beginning to economic and technological development.

3) Take off

It's a short period of extensive growth. Industrialisation begins and manufacturing becomes more important part of the economy.

4 The drive to maturity

Growth becomes self sustaining . wealth generation enables further investment in value adding industry and development.lndustry becomes more diversified and there is Increase in levels of technology used.

5) stage of high mass consumption

Individual incomes are greater than necessary for buying essentials . So there is growing demand for additional goods and services, improved healthcare systems and education. Economy flourishes during this stage.

* Arguments for Rostow model

> Rostow has used an intersection geography, politics and economics to explain the process of Economic development.

> It's easy to understand. Even a layman without prior economic knowledge would be able to understand it

> Rostow has tried to identify the major political,economic and other institutional factors which influence and determine the change in working force and Capital.

> Industrialisation, urbanisation and trade in the vein of Rostow's model are still seen by many as a road map for a country's development.

> There are notable players in global economy like Singapore which grew in the same way described by Rostow .

* Arguments against Rostow model

> The model assumes that all countries follow the same route of development.

>The model doesn't look for variations in a country

> Traditional society isn't essential for development and process of growth isn't a homogeneous continuum.

> Pre conditions need not precede take-off. The agriculture revolution and accumulation of social overhead Capital in transport may take-place before take off

> The model also assumes that each country is economically and politically free . The model doesn't look at how the development of some countries was at the expense of others during colonisation.

Rostow is also criticised for being mechanical in the sense that underlying motor of Change isn't disclosed and therefore the stages become little more than a classificatory system based data from developed countries.