Industrialization and Economic Development As economic geographers, we examine the impact of economic activity on the landscape; we investigate the reasons behind the location of economic activity; and we’re interested in the changes industrialization has brought to the cultural landscape.
Industrialization is the process by which economic activities on the earth’s surface evolved from producing basic, primary goods to using factories for mass-producing goods for consumption.
Levels of economic activity (a review!) primary or ________________ sector secondary or ___________________ tertiary or _____________________ quaternary: research and development, management and administration, processing and disseminating information extractive industry Service or post-industrial
More Developed Countries (MDCs) have experienced industrialization Less Developed Countries (LDCs) have NOT experienced industrialization or are newly industrializing countries Compressed modernity: rapid economic and political change that transformed the country into a stable nation with democratizing political institutions, a growing economy, and an expanding web of nongovernmental institutions.
Economic development can be measured through a number of ways: 1. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the total value of goods and services produced in a country in a year. (GDP per capita)
2. Types of jobs: LDCs have more jobs in the _______________ sector, while MDCs have more jobs in the ______________ sector. primary tertiary
3. Worker productivity Workers in MDCs are more productive because they have access to more machines, tools, and equipment to perform their work.
4. Access to raw materials Development requires access to raw materials, such as minerals and trees, which can be transformed into useful products.
6. Availability of consumer goods MDCs not only have enough wealth for essential goods and services, but they also have money for nonessentials.
Economic development is often accompanied by social development: high literacy rates access to formal education good health care
Theories of Economic Development 1. Modernization (or Westernization) Model Any country can grow up to be developed Tradition is the greatest barrier to modernization
Rostow’s Modernization Model Five stages: 1. Traditional: people build their lives around families, local communities, and religious beliefs. nothing much ever changes most are subsistence farmers
2. Preconditions for take-off stage Progressive leadership moves the country toward greater flexibility, openness, and diversification.
3. Take-off Stage Produce goods for trade for profit Industrial revolution in country Urbanization increases Sustained growth Technological and production breakthroughs Greater individualism Increased demand for material goods
4. Drive to (Technological) Maturity Economic growth is widely accepted People focus on attaining higher living standards
5. High Mass Consumption Mass production encourages consumption of industrial products. Luxuries become necessities
Wallerstein’s Dependency Theory Capitalist world economy: Wallerstein traced economic inequality among nations to the colonial era when Europeans first took advantage of the wealth of the rest of the world.
Three types of countries according to how they fit into the global economy Core counties, semi-periphery, and periphery
Wallerstein says that the world economy benefits rich societies an harms other countries by making them dependent on the core countries. Their dependency is perpetuated by narrow, export-oriented products such as oil, coffee, and fruit.
The Industrial Revolution
Weber’s Least Cost Theory Three factors for locating an industry 1. Transportation
2. Labor
3. Agglomeration
Primary industrial regions
Key terms: Maquiladora NAFTA
Challenges for Less Developed Countries 1. Distance from Market How easy or difficult would it be for these people to get a product to market in a more developed country?
2. Inadequate infrastructure
3. Competition with existing manufacturers in other countries
Industrialization and the environment Fossil fuel reserves???
Industrial pollution
Key term: sustainable development People living today should not impair the ability of future generations to meet their needs! Irreparable harm to the environment would (of course!) compromise the earth’s future.
Possible solutions to environmental problems 1. prevention 2. technological change 3. mitigation 4. compensation
See you all next week!