Editing Dependency theory (section)

{{Short description|International relations theory}}
{{About|an international relations theory|the database theory|Dependency theory (database theory)|dependency theory in media|Media system dependency theory}}
{{Imperialism Studies sidebar|Theories}}
{{international relations theory sidebar|classifications}}
'''Dependency theory''' is the idea that resources flow from a "[[Periphery countries|periphery]]" of poor and exploited states to a "[[Core countries|core]]" of [[Developed country|wealthy states]], enriching the latter at the expense of the former. A central contention of dependency theory is that poor states are impoverished and rich ones enriched by the way poor states are integrated into the "[[world system]]". This theory was officially developed in the late 1960s following World War II, as scholars searched for the root issue in the lack of development in [[Latin America]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ahiakpor|first=James C. W.|date=1985|title=The Success and Failure of Dependency Theory: The Experience of Ghana|journal=International Organization|volume=39|issue=3|pages=535–552|doi=10.1017/S0020818300019172|jstor=2706689|s2cid=154491620 |issn=0020-8183}}</ref>

The theory arose as a reaction to [[modernization theory]], an earlier [[development theory|theory of development]] which held that all societies progress through similar stages of development, that today's underdeveloped areas are thus in a similar situation to that of today's developed areas at some time in the past, and that, therefore, the task of helping the underdeveloped areas out of [[poverty]] is to accelerate them along this supposed common path of development, by various means such as [[investment]], [[technology transfer]]s, and closer integration into the [[World economy|world market]]. Dependency theory rejected this view, arguing that underdeveloped countries are not merely primitive versions of developed countries, but have unique features and [[structuralism|structures]] of their own; and, importantly, are in the situation of being the weaker members in a world [[market economy]].<ref>Newschool, [http://homepage.newschool.edu/het/schools/develop.htm "Economic Development"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090714063027/http://homepage.newschool.edu/het/schools/develop.htm|date=14 July 2009}}, retrieved July 2009.</ref>

Some writers have argued for its continuing relevance as a conceptual orientation to the global division of wealth.<ref>{{Cite journal |jstor = 40644888|title = Postdependency? The Third World in an Era of Globalism and Late-Capitalism|journal = Alternatives: Global, Local, Political|volume = 22|issue = 2|pages = 205–226|last1 = James|first1 = Paul|year = 1997|doi = 10.1177/030437549702200204|s2cid = 147996542|url=https://www.academia.edu/7311042|author-link1=Paul James (academic)}}</ref> Dependency theorists can typically be divided into two categories: [[liberal reformist]]s and [[neo-Marxist]]s. Liberal reformists typically advocate for targeted policy interventions, while the neo-Marxists propose a [[planned economy]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalsouthstudies.as.virginia.edu/key-thinkers/latin-american-dependency-theory|title=Latin American Dependency Theory, Global South Studies, U.Va.|website=globalsouthstudies.as.virginia.edu|access-date=2020-02-21}}</ref>