Development is a myth. Discuss.

The myth of development is so rooted in the collective sub-consciousness of the political

classes that think that they only have to set in motion the economic and financial policy that

is in fashion, and has been dictated by the great economic powers, the transnational and the

international economic and financial organizations. They do not realize that the technological

revolution is making anachronistic the only two comparative advantages their countries

possess, to wit, abundant unskilled labor and natural resources. Nor do they realize that this

process will gradually intensify their condition as non-viable national economies as quasi

nation-states, frustrated national projects. Positive and negative impacts, the result of

development can be positive or negative, or a combination of both. Positive changes such as

a clean water supply and an efficient transportation system would benefit the majority of the

population. For this, it is urgent to establish a balance between population growth and vital

resources like food, energy, and water.1 These results of development benefit only a minority

of the population and sometimes may even cause more harm than good in the long term.

Sensitive issue, deciding which countries are developed and which countries are not requires

comparisons to be made. It involves labeling countries according to their levels of

development. This is a particularly sensitive issue, as no country would appreciate being

regarded as “underdeveloped” and “backward”. Choices and dilemmas, there are many goals

to development. These goals may include increasing economic growth, improving standard

1
Oswaldo de Rivero B., Oswaldo De Rivero. (2001). The myth of development: non-viable economies of the
21st century. New York: St Martin Press
of living and enhancing quality of life. The definitional difficulties associated with the term

development, it is not surprising that these classifications have raised huge disagreements,

with many criticizing them as being vague and discriminatory. Moreover, it caused much

unhappiness among countries which were labeled as “Third World”. These countries felt that

the term was negative and biased, since it suggested that they occupied third place in the

hierarchy of the three worlds. Due to such problems, a new system of classification was

devised, grouping the countries into “developed” and “developing”. Hence, all countries

previously from the First World and were listed as “developed” while those from the Second

and Third World were grouped together as “developing countries”. Based on a largely

economic criterion, these categories were better received by poorer countries as “developing”

implied a positive process of continuous improvement. However, this classification is not

without difficulties as well. The application of the term “developing country” to some of the

world’s less developed countries could be considered inappropriate - a number of poor

countries are not improving their economic situation, but have instead experienced prolonged

periods of economic decline. After many revisions, the most common classification presently

is to group countries into “Developed Countries” (DCs) or “Less Developed Countries”

(LDCs).

Factors affecting development, Social and cultural factors refer to factors that affect the

level of education of the population, fertility rate and birth control, work ethics, as well as the

provision and accessibility of healthcare services and medical facilities. Social norms and

cultural beliefs strongly affect people’s attitudes towards birth rate and family size. In the

LDCs, low levels of education and traditional beliefs are often responsible for the high birth

rates and large family sizes. A large population and a high birth rate tend to hinder
development because resources have to be spent on providing health and medical care, food

and education for the youthful population. As a result, fewer resources are channeled to

develop and improve the quality of life of the general population. In general, children living

in the LDCs have fewer opportunities for education as their parents cannot afford to send

them to school. Furthermore, the number of schools may be limited and there may be a lack

of properly trained teachers and facilities in the rural areas. A low literacy rate has negative

impact on the economic development of a country. People with little or no formal education

may have difficulties learning new skills and embracing modern technology. They may be

reluctant to change because they feel safer to do things in the traditional way. This leads to a

shortage of skilled labor and therefore hinders and slows down the development of secondary

and tertiary industries in the country. Environmental factors, natural disasters can strike any

country, regardless of its level of development. Both the DCs and LDCs have experienced

hurricanes, droughts, earthquakes and other natural disasters. However, responses to a

disaster differ greatly. When a natural disaster hits a DC, the country has the resources and

manpower to deal with it and help those whose livelihoods have been affected to recover

quickly. Agriculture, a vital source of food and income for the majority of people in the

LDCs, is often ruined by natural disasters. When compared with the DCs, the damage done

to the economies of the LDCs, is often much greater, as funds which are already limited

would have to be diverted to repair the damage, thus slowing the development process. Man-

made environmental problems can also further hinder development. For example,

overgrazing, deforestation and poor land management can lead to severe soil erosion, loss of

soil fertility and desertification. The loss of arable land for cultivation may require the

construction of expensive irrigation systems and costly chemical fertilizers to restore its

ability to support crops and natural vegetation. Historical factors, many LDCs were once
under colonial rule. While colonial governments did help to develop their colonies by

building basic infrastructure, helping their colonies develop was not the main purpose of

colonization. The colonial powers wanted to obtain natural resources that could be used for

their own industrialization and development. The outflow of resources from their colonies

resulted in these colonies being unable to fully develop their own economies. As a result, the

colonies became dependent on their colonial governments both economically and politically.

Economic factors, many LDCs are rich in natural resources such as oil, iron ore and coal.

However, this natural advantage has not been exploited to benefit the countries. This is

because the mining industries, among others, tend to be controlled by only a few large

companies. While these companies reap the profits, little of the wealth is redistributed to the

rest of the population. The country consequently remains undeveloped with the poor

infrastructure. This situation in the LDCs is unlike what happened in many of the DCs in the

19th century. The wealth from the mining industry was invested to develop the country and

raise the quality of life. Another factor that causes uneven development between countries is

the quality of workforce. In the LDCs, the workforce typically earns low wages. With a large

proportion of their income spent on basic necessities such as food, clothing and housing, they

are left with little or no savings. With little or no money for investment, they are trapped in a

vicious cycle of poverty, unable to raise their standard of living. In short, low income leads to

low investment, which results in a low level of productivity and continued low incomes.

There is, however, a way for LDCs to break out of this vicious cycle of poverty. They can do

so through the cumulative effect of movements of both people and resources to increase

wealth and spur greater economic developments in a region. This is called cumulative

causation. With initial help from the government or external agencies like the World Bank or

Asian Development Bank, the LDCs can develop a core economy through the process of
cumulative causation which benefits and develops the periphery as well. This will gradually

lead to an overall improvement in the standard of living for the population. The process of

development can take place in the following way, firstly, a new industry is introduced or an

existing industry is expanded. Secondly, this creates new or more jobs for the local

population. With employment, the population becomes richer, thus increasing their

purchasing power. Thirdly, with more income and thus savings, the workforce is able to

undertake training to improve them. Fourthly, as the quality of the workforce improves, they

are able to get better paying jobs. With increased income, demand for more goods and

services also increases. This leads to the setting up of retail and food outlets, and

entertainment, education and healthcare services. Fifthly, as the place develops to provide

better jobs and a higher standard of living, it attracts people from other areas to migrate, live

and work there, increasing the local population as a result. Sixthly, with a larger population,

the government is able to collect more taxes. Seventhly, with a larger budget, the government

can further expand the public service. A new phase of construction begins. Eighthly, the

place becomes a growth pole, that is, the catalyst of growth for a region or an area, with a

continued influx of migrants and businesses further stimulating economic growth. Political

factors, the goals of development consist of economic growth as well as how economic

benefits can be more evenly distributed to improve the quality of life of the population. To

achieve these goals, not only must the government be effectively organized, accountable and

transparent in policy-making and implementation, free from corruption and actively

promotes justice, there must also be good governance. Good governance is more than good,

efficient government. One important characteristic which will lead to development is

political stability. The policies adopted by governments are equally important. All the factor

above is review of development is a myth.

 References

Maimunah Ismail (1999) Extension: Implications for Community Development. Kuala

Lumpur:

Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka

Oswaldo de Rivero B., Oswaldo De Rivero. (2001). The myth of development: non-viable

economies of the 21st century. New York: St Martin Press