Dependency theory's Sociological Significance

Dependency theory is a theory put forward by some scholars in the process of studying and developing China's modernization. It explains why developing countries have not achieved modernization.

Argentine scholar Prebish put forward his development theory in the late 1940s. He believes that the world is an economic system, which consists of the core (western developed capitalist countries) and the border (non-western underdeveloped countries). The economic relationship between the core and the border is unequal. The former exploits the latter through unfair trade, which is the fundamental reason for the latter's underdevelopment.

Frank, another scholar, called Prebish's "core" the patriarch and "frontier" the "satellite". He believes that in the whole world economic system, the relationship between "suzerain country and satellite country" exists not only at the world level, that is, between developed and underdeveloped countries, but also within each satellite country.

Underdeveloped countries have the following economic and social characteristics: the rise and fall of their production sectors are shifted by the interests and needs of the core countries, and the sectors of the interests and needs of the core countries are relatively prosperous, and vice versa; Economically, it is a "dual structure", and the modern economic sector is an extension of the core country's economy, and the sectors that are not closely related to the core country's economy are quite backward; Corresponding to the dual economic structure, there is an obvious "dual social structure" in underdeveloped countries, and the rich society in cities and the poor society in rural areas coexist; In international trade, dependent underdeveloped countries mainly export raw materials and primary products.

Dependency theory holds that if developing countries want to realize their own development, they must get rid of their dependence on western developed countries, prevent the invasion of western trade, technology, multinational companies, education and ideas, and stand on their own two feet.

Dependency theory pointed out that western developed countries should be responsible for the underdevelopment of developing countries, and developing countries must get rid of their dependence on western developed countries in order to realize modernization.