Theories explaining the growth of superpowers

1. Theories explaining the growth of superpowers L/O: to investigate different models of superpower growth.

2. The way power fluctuates • There have been a number of changes in the geography of superpowers since WW2: • Struggle for global superiority between USA and USSR. • Decline of the colonial superpowers, such as UK, Holland etc. • The rise of the EU and BRICs as potential superpowers. • There are a number of theories on why this has happened.

3. Modernisation Theory • Created in 1960s. • By Walt Whitman Rostow – U.S Economist. • Used to explain the dominance of the British empire and the USA. • 1st nations involved in Industrial Revolution • Initial advantage over unindustrialised countries. • Rostow’s theory based on countries moving through 5 stages of economic development. • All countries follow the same pathway. • Rostow strong believer in free trade, Western democracy and capitalism. • Socialist/Communist countries could not develop unless this model was followed. • Highly influential model – leading many nations to attempt to create the right conditions for ‘take-off’. • Some succeeded, such as the Asian Tigers, while others failed and fell into heavy debt.

4. Copy and annotate with notes 10 mins

5. Dependency Theory • Based on work by A.G Frank. • World is split into two. • The developed Core. • The underdeveloped Periphery. • Core deliberately keeps Periphery underdeveloped. • Exploits cheap resources and labour. • Absorbs the Periphery’s most skilled workers • Sells back manufactured goods. • Through this model the developing world helps the developed world become wealthier. • Known as ‘the development of underdevelopment’. • Developing world is placed in a position where it sells its resources for very little. • Buys goods, technology and credit from developed world at high prices. • Due to remaining underdeveloped – skilled workers are attracted to developed world for better lives – known as ‘Brain Drain’. • Drains the periphery of further chance of development. • But rise of NICs, such as the Asian Tigers (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea) seems to argue against dependency theory. • Received huge economic support from USA. • Strong capitalist Asian economies were a way of limiting the influence of Communist China.

6. Copy – 10 mins The mechanisms of Dependency Theory Core Developed Countries Brain Drain Manufactured Goods Political support Polluting Industries Raw materials Political and Economic ideas Aid Debt repayments and purchase payments Peripheral Developing Countries

7. World Systems Theory • Conceived by Wallerstein. • Designed to be more accurate than Core and Periphery. • Sees world as a three tier system. • Core • Semi-periphery • Periphery • A more dynamic model, allows countries to change their role – where as dependency theory sees countries stuck in their role. • Particularly useful model for the rise of China and India. • Sees this rise as a continuation in the growth of the global economy which started in Europe. • Dependency theory sees this rise as a shift back to a time when China and India were powerful economic forces. • China and India were replaced by European powers for around 500 years, who it can be argued were the first NICs. • What hasn’t been explained is why power has shifted from Asia to Europe and back again.

9. Map of Core, Semi – Periphery and Periphery

10. Resources • Photocopy P110 – 111 China India compared from Green A2 book • Photocopy P55 theories table in A2 unit3 Student Unit Guide. • Core Periphery country notes. • Rostows model notes from PGCE file. • Rostow model disparity sheet from PGCE file.