ABSTRACT
You might have expected me to discuss this problem in chapter 1, together with a neat definition of development. There is a very good reason for having left it until this stage. By now you should have realised that ‘development’ is a concept which is full of value judgements in general, and political value judgements in particular. This is true of much of the subject matter of sociology, It is even difficult to decide on the precise words that we should use to describe the ‘underdeveloped’, ‘developing’, ‘less developed’, ‘backward’ parts of the world (see box 9.1). Definitions, Descriptions And Theories
Here are some of the words which are frequently used to describe the characteristics of those countries and areas which might be described as ‘underdeveloped’. https://www.niso.org/standards/z39-96/ns/oasis-exchange/table">
poor
undeveloped
tropical
traditional
backward
overpopulated
less-developed
physically underdeveloped
developing
industrialising
black
rural
underdeveloped
Third World
You might like to think about three questions in relation to each of these characteristics:
What assumptions does each one make about the nature of the ‘development process’?
How far is each of the words useful as a general label for particular countries? In other words, how general is it?
What political or other values might be implied by using any one of these terms?
In thinking about these questions, you should remember what I said in chapter 1 about theories being like languages, and languages allowing us to talk about some things and not others, about the way that words set the agenda for discussion. You should look at table 2 (below), ignoring for the moment the column headed PQLI.
Measurement of Gross National Product per capita and Physical Quality of Life Index, in 150 countries https://www.niso.org/standards/z39-96/ns/oasis-exchange/table">Rank in per capita GNP among 150 countries
Per capita GNP ($)
PQLI
Cumulative population (thousands)
1.
Kampuchea
70
40
7,585
2.
Laos
70
31
10,718
3.
Mali
90
15
16,090
4.
Bangladesh
92
35
86,809
5.
Ethiopia
97
20
113,224
6.
Rwanda
97
27
117,164
7.
Upper Volta
99
16
122,872
8.
Nepal
102
25
134,774
9.
Burma
105
51
164,268
10.
Burundi
111
23
167,826
11.
Somalia
111
19
170,806
12.
Chad
113
18
174,638
13.
Malawi
115
30
179,276
14.
Guinea-Bissau
120
12
179,782
15.
Benin
124
23
182,662
16.
Guinea
126
20
186,831
17.
Lesotho
131
48
187,927
18.
Niger
132
13
192,231
19.
India
133
43
770,406
20.
Zaire
136
32
793,468
21.
Afghanistan
137
18
811,597
22.
Gambia
153
25
812,083
23.
Tanzania
154
31
826,438
24.
Pakistan
155
38
891,943
25.
Haiti
176
36
896,337
26,
Sri Lanka
179
82
909,587
27.
Yemen Arab Rep.
180
27
915,805
28.
Vietnam
189
54
957,084
29.
Indonesia
203
48
1,084,840
30.
Sierra Leone
203
27
1,087,654
31.
Madagascar
204
41
1,095,130
32.
Kenya
213
39
1,107,379
33.
Central African Emp.
226
18
1,109,080
34.
Comoro Islands
230
43
1,109,368
35.
Sudan
241
36
1,126,350
36.
Egypt
245
43
1,161,786
37.
Togo
250
27
1,163,890
38.
Yemen, People’s Rep.
260
33
1,165,438
39.
Uganda
265
40
1,176,018
40.
Cameroon
273
27
1,182,135
4L
Mauritania
287
17
1,183,358
42.
Nigeria
297
25
1,242,357
43.
China, People’s Rep.
300
69
2,047,679
44.
Western Somoa
300
84
2,047,832
45.
Botswana
316
51
2,048,486
46.
Thailand
318
68
2,087,405
47.
Bolivia
332
43
2,092,500
48.
Mozambique
333
25
2,101,237
49.
Philippines
342
71
2,142,258
50.
Swaziland
353
35
2,142,697
51.
Equatorial Guinea
354
28
2,142,995
52.
Sepegal
355
25
2,147,167
53.
Honduras
359
51
2,149,962
54,
Zambia
415
28
2,154,621
55.
Liberia
415
26
2,156,237
56.
El Salvador
432
64
2,160,049
57.
Morocco
436
41
2,176,364
58.
Jordan
452
47
2,178,848
59.
Papua New Guinea
460
37
2,181,413
60.
Korea, Rep.
464
82
2,213,748
61.
Grenada
465
77
2,213.854
62.
Congo
465
27
2,215.122
63.
Cape Verde
470
48
2,215.404
64.
Ecuador
505
68
2,221,965
65.
Ivory Coast
506
28
2,226,563
66.
Colombia
526
71
2,250,546
67.
Rhodesia
529
46
2,256,338
68.
Albania
530
75
2,258,664
69.
Paraguay
533
73
2,261,138
70.
Guatemala
540
54
2,266,852
71.
Mauritius
552
71
2,267,714
72.
Guyana
559
85
2,268,464
73.
Ghana
595
35
2,277,715
74.
Angola
601
16
2,283,727
75.
Tunisia
626
47
2,289,169
76.
Dominican Rep.
630
64
2,293,900
77.
Cuba
640
84
2,302,923
78.
Nicaragua
650
54
2,305,067
79.
Svria
662
54
2,311,820
80.
Malaysia
692
66
2,323,100
81.
Peru
701
62
2.337,387
82.
Algeria
780
41
2,352,948
83.
Turkey
789
55
2,390,505
84.
Lebanon
822
79
2,393,174
85.
Taiwan
847
86
2,408,598
86.
Costa Rica
884
85
2,410,464
87.
Brazil
912
68
2,512,931
88.
Fiji
989
80
2,513,480
89.
Mexico
996
73
2,568,239
90.
Iraq
999
45
2,578,451
91.
Jamaica
1,037
84
2,580,407
92.
Malta
1,050
87
2,580,727
93.
Romania
1,100
90
2,601,438
94.
Chile
1,137
77
2,611,249
95.
South Africa
1,205
53
2,634,331
96.
Panama
1,240
80
2,635,899
97.
Guadeloupe
1,240
76
2,636,241
98.
Iran
1,260
43
2,666,882
99.
Uruguay
1,268
87
2,669,914
100.
Surinam
1,282
83
2,670,311
101.
Argentina
1,285
85
2,694,877
102.
Yugoslavia
1,341
84
2,715,724
103.
Barbados
1,352
89
2,715,966
104.
Bahrain
1,370
61
2,716,198
105.
Cyprus
1,481
85
2,716,851
106.
Portugal
1,535
80
2,725,546
107.
Martinique
1,540
83
2,725,897
108.
Reunion
1,550
73
2,726,367
109.
Hong Kong
1,624
86
2,730,451
110.
Netherlands Antilles
1,642
82
2,730,685
111.
Bulgaria
1,780
91
2,739,327
112.
Trinidad and Tobago
1,867
85
2,740,309
113.
Singapore
2,111
83
2,742,471
114.
Gabon
2,123
21
2,742,984
115.
Greece
2,148
89
2,751,846
116.
Venezuela
2,171
79
2,763,232
117.
Hungary
2,180
91
2,773,668
118.
Puerto Rico
2,230
90
2,776,491
119.
Ireland
2,354
93
2,779,534
120.
U.S.S.R.
2,380
91
3,028,437
121.
Spain
2,485
91
3,063,043
122.
Poland
2,510
91
3,096,200
123.
Italy
2,756
92
3,150,494
124.
Bahamas
3,284
84
3,150,684
125.
Czechoslovakia
3,330
93
3,165,232
126.
Saudi Arabia
3,529
29
3,173,585
127.
Israel
3,579
89
3,176,773
128.
United Kingdom
3,658
94
3,232,727
129.
German Dem. Rep.
3,710
93
3,249,853
130.
Japan
4,146
96
3,357,579
131.
New Zealand
4,222
94
3,360,505
132.
Libya
4,402
45
3,362,602
133.
Austria
4,529
93
3,370,095
134.
Finland
4,984
94
3,374,724
135.
Australia
5,449
93
3,387,905
136.
Netherlands
5,558
96
3,401,221
137.
France
5,585
94
3,453,013
138.
Iceland
5,708
96
3,453,224
139.
Belgium
5,845
93
3,462,966
140.
Luxembourg
6,054
92
3,463,307
141.
Norway
6,221
%
3,467,249
142.
German Fed. Rep.
6,507
93
3,528,440
143.
Canada
6,527
95
3,550,364
144.
Denmark
6,606
96
3,555,342
145.
United States
7,024
94
3,764,744
146.
Sweden
7,668
97
3,772,911
147.
Switzerland
8,569
95
3,779,312
148.
Qatar
11,779
31
3,779,492
149.
Kuwait
13,787
74
3,780,415
150.
United Arab Emirates
14,368
34
3,780,735
