Examining Development Theories in Haiti

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Examining Development Theories in Haiti

Haiti is a Caribbean state that borders the Dominican Republic to the east on the island of
Hispaniola. All through its existence, Haiti has been torn between its citizens' desires and the
memory of foreign intrusions. Whether industrial, geopolitical, or social, all kinds of foreign
involvement have led in some way to the creation of a society that is utterly reliant on foreign aid
to meet fundamental human necessities, which are still unfulfilled. At one moment in time, Haiti
was known as "the Pearl of the Antilles" and was among the wealthiest territories of the period.1
However, after achieving sovereignty in 1804, Haiti's chronicle portrays an entirely different
story; a tale of economic stagnation with significant shortcomings in social protection, literacy,
and healthcare, rather than sustained abundance and success.2 Today, Haiti is the most deprived
state in Latin America and the Caribbean and among the poorest states globally.

Dependency Theory

The dependency theory proposes that states do not grow in phases but rather nurture the
backwardness of a minority portion of civilizations to take resources and maintain the wealth of
the dominating society.3 Haiti is an excellent example of the dependency theory in action. This is
because Haiti's colonial past is recognized among the most prosperous in the Americas. After the
“Haitian Revolution,” the country's aristocracy continued to impose a local metropolitan
connection within the country. The strategic locations of cities such as Jacmel and Port-au-Prince
in the south and Cap Haitien in the north helped amass riches headed straight to France after
independence.4 As the French withdrew from these urban hubs, the wealthy Haitian class
migrated into the cities and maintained control over the neighboring peasant population in the
rural. Although Port-au-Prince retains its status as the country's capital, it is still mainly reliant
on the United States and the foreign world for its survival.

1
Dupuy, Alex. Haiti in the world economy: Class, race, and underdevelopment since
1700. Routledge, 2019.
2
Dupuy, 2019

3
Preston, Peter. Theories of development. Routledge, 2012.
4
Lundahl, Mats. Peasants and Poverty (Routledge Revivals): A Study of Haiti. Routledge,
2015.
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Globalization Theory

Former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide authored an item in 2001 about the
general public's mistrust of the international society's demand for foreign-influenced initiatives in
Haiti. This article's summary focuses on unsuccessful interventions in Haiti that continue to
evoke undesirable correlations with international influence and globalization to this day. In the
1980s, eliminating the Haitian Creole pig population was a perfect example of globalization gone
awry. The peasant economy in Haiti relied heavily on little, black Creole pigs.5 Pigs were raised
by 80-85 percent of rural families, and they played an essential role in preserving soil fertility
and serving as the rural population's principal savings bank.6 Pigs were traded to cover
unexpected expenses and special occasions like burials, weddings, and sickness. Pigs were
auctioned to cater for college tuition and textbooks for students in some exceptional or urgent
instances.

Democratization/Neoliberal Theory

The most frequent definition of neoliberalism is an economic and political philosophy

that aims to democratize markets, privatize government enterprises, and apply market-related
administration strategies to a shrinking public sector.7 Since the 1980s, Western organizations
have increasingly pursued a neoliberal schema of "integrating" Haiti into the globalized trade to
alleviate the state's historic misery and suffering.8 The global society's neoliberal policies, which
the Haitian government quickly adopted, reduced government employment, raised taxes on the
poor, offered incentives to assembly companies, reduced import duties to near nothing, and
privatized various government firms.9 The destruction of land production income arising from
the decrease of tariffs on imports has been disastrous in both human and environmental
dimensions in a state where most citizens make their living from agriculture.

5
Singler, John Victor. "Theories of creole genesis, sociohistorical considerations, and the
evaluation of evidence: The case of Haitian Creole and the relexification
hypothesis." Journal of Pidgin and Creole languages 11, no. 2 (1996): 185-230.
6
Singler, 1996

7
Peet, Richard, and Elaine Hartwick. Theories of development: Contentions, Arguments,
alternatives. Guilford Publications, 2015.
8
Dupuy, 2019
9
Lundahl, 2015
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Bibliography

Dupuy, Alex. Haiti in the world economy: Class, race, and underdevelopment since 1700.
Routledge, 2019.

Lundahl, Mats. Peasants and Poverty (Routledge Revivals): A Study of Haiti. Routledge, 2015.

Peet, Richard, and Elaine Hartwick. Theories of development: Contentions, Arguments,

alternatives. Guilford Publications, 2015.

Preston, Peter. Theories of development. Routledge, 2012.

Singler, John Victor. "Theories of creole genesis, sociohistorical considerations, and the
evaluation of evidence: The case of Haitian Creole and the relexification
hypothesis." Journal of Pidgin and Creole languages 11, no. 2 (1996): 185-230.