Lecture 3:
Global Stratification
GEC103: The Contemporary World
Prepared by: Ms. Jovell Nicole S. Along
Learning Objective
o Discuss the different theories of
global stratification –
Modernization Theory,
Dependency Theory, and the
Modern World System.
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Why is there
inequality in
the world?
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Global
Stratification
o It refers to the unequal distribution of
wealth, power, prestige, resources, and
influence among the world’s nations.
o There is an extreme difference between
the richest and poorest nations.
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Theories of Global
Stratification
1. Modernization Theory
• Modernization refers to a transition from a
traditional to a modern society.
• The focus of the modernization school is on the
Third World, especially on how to promote
development in the Third World while implicitly
holding the First World as a model.
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Major assumptions:
Wealthy nations became Poor nations remained poor
wealthy because early on they because they failed to develop
were able to develop the these beliefs, values, and
necessary beliefs, values, and practices; instead, they
practices for trade, continued to follow traditional
industrialization, and rapid beliefs and practices that prevent
economic growth to occur. industrial development and
modernization.
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Walt Rostow’s 5 Stages of Economic
Growth
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Traditional societies
whose economies
are dominated by
subsistence
farming.
STAGE 1. TRADITIONAL SOCIETY
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The stage in which western aid
packages brings western
values, practices and expertise
into the society through
investments – science and
technology, infrastructure, &
industry.
STAGE 2: THE PRECONDITIONS
FOR TAKE OFF
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The society experiences
economic growth as new
modern practices become the
norm. The country now moves
beyond subsistence economy
and starts exporting goods to
other countries
STAGE 3: TAKE OFF
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More economic growth and
investment in education, media
and birth control.
The population start to realize
new opportunities opening up
and strive to make the most of
their lives.
STAGE 4: THE DRIVE TO
MATURITY
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This is where economic
growth and production
are at Western levels.
STAGE 5: THE AGE OF HIGH
MASS CONSUMPTION
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2. Dependency Theory
o Underdevelopment is mainly caused by
the peripheral position of affected countries in the world
economy.
o Underdeveloped countries offer cheap labor and raw
materials on the world market.
o Resources are sold to advanced economies, which have
the means to transform them into finished goods.
o Underdeveloped countries end up purchasing the
finished products at high prices.
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Major assumptions:
The poverty of poor nations The colonized nations were
stems from their colonization thus unable to develop a
by European nations, which professional and business
exploited the poor nations’ class that would have enabled
resources and either enslaved them to enter the industrial age
their populations or used and to otherwise develop their
them as cheap labor. economies.
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3. The Modern World System
oWorld Systems Theory was developed by Immanuel
Wallerstein in the late 1970s.
oHe argued that a global economic system had
developed consisting of three Zones: core, semi-
periphery and periphery and that core countries
(mainly those in the west) exploited peripheral
countries (mainly those in the global south).
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- Dominant, capitalist countries characterized
by high levels of industrialization
and urbanization.
- Exploit the peripheral and semi-peripheral
countries for labor and raw materials.
- Countries like the United States, Canada, most
of Western Europe, Japan, Australia and New
Zealand.
CORE COUNTRIES
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- Dependent on core countries for capital and
are less industrialized and less urbanized.
- These are most of the African countries and
low-income countries in South America.
PERIPHERAL COUNTRIES
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- Less developed than core nations but more
developed than peripheral nations.
- They are the buffer between core and peripheral
countries.
- Exploit peripheral countries, just as core countries
exploit both semi-peripheral and peripheral
countries.
- Countries like Taiwan, Mexico, Brazil, India,
Nigeria, South Africa, and Philippines.
SEMI-PERIPHERAL COUNTRIES
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References
https://openstax.org/books/introduction-sociology-3e/pages/10-1-global-
stratification-and-classification
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-esc-introtosociology/chapter/global-
stratification/
https://open.lib.umn.edu/sociology/chapter/9-1-the-nature-and-extent-of-global-
stratification/#:~:text=Global%20stratification%20refers%20to%20the,the%20richest%
20and%20poorest%20nations.
https://open.lib.umn.edu/sociology/chapter/9-3-explaining-global-
stratification/#:~:text=According%20to%20modernization%20theory%2C%20nations,
stymied%20industrial%20development%20and%20modernization.
https://revisesociology.com/2017/09/19/modernization-theory/
https://revisesociology.com/2015/12/05/world-systems-theory/
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