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A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF ROSTOWS MODEL
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CHAPTER THREE CRITICISMS, BENEFITS AND HINDRANCES OF THE MODEL 3.1 Criticisms
Rostow‘s stages of economic growth is the most widely circulated and highly commented piece of economic literature in recent years. It is against Marx‘s stages of feudalism, bourgeoisie, capitalism, socialism and communism. However, there are doubts by economists in the authenticity of the division of economic history into five stages of growth as presented by Rostow. To maintain that every economy follows the same course of development with a common past and the same future is to over-schematize the complex forces of development and to give the sequence of stages a generality that is unwarranted. The under-listed are some criticisms leveled against Rostow‘s five stages of economic growth
: 1. Traditional society not essential for growth that a country will pass through the first stage since countries like United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia were born free of traditional societies and they derive the preconditions from an already advanced country; Britain. 2. All countries do not develop in linear fashion: the critics of Rostow‘s model have cited that all countries do not really develop in linear fashion, some skipped steps or took different paths. Rostow also assumed that all countries have a desire to develop in the same way, with the end goal of mass consumption, disregarding the diversity of priorities that each society holds and different measures of development. 3. Stage making idea is misleading: Rostow says that all the nations have passed through these stages. But it is quite incorrect to say that all the nations have followed this route, when they are having different environment and resources. 4. Preconditions may not precede the take-off: critics have argued that preconditions do not necessarily precede take off. For instance, there is no reason to believe that an agricultural revolution and accumulation of social over head capital in transport must take place before the take off. 5. Disregard of the most fundamental geographical principal; site and situation: Rostow assumes that all countries have an equal chance to develop without regard to population size, natural resources or location. For instance,
Singapore has one of the world‘s busiest trading port but this would not be possible without its advantageous geography as an island nation between Indonesia and Malaysia 6. Overlapping in the stages: in fact, the experience of most countries have shown that development in agriculture continued even in the take off stage. The take-off in the case of New Zealand and Denmark is attributed to agricultural development. Similarly, social overhead capital in transport especially in railways, has been off the leading sectors in the take-off as Rostow himself asserts. This shows that there is considerable overlapping in the different stages. 7. The take-off dates are doubtful: Economic historians are skeptical about the take-off dates suggested by Rostow. The take-off dates suggested by Rostow. The dates also vary from publication to publication. In fact, it will take many years of research to determine the correctness or otherwise of the dates suggested by Rostow. Furthermore, possibilities of failure are not considered since Rostow ignored the bump downs and crash landings. The analysis of take-off also neglects that effects of historical heritage, time of entry into the process of modern economic growth, degree of backwardness and other relevant factors on the characteristics of the early phases of modern economic growth in the different countries. 8. The stage of Drive to maturity puzzling and misleading: it contains all the features of the take-off rate of net investment over 10% of national income, development of new production techniques ,leading sectors and institutions. Then where lies the need for a separate stage, where the growth processes becomes self-sustained. It can be self-sustained even in the take- off stage. In fact, as observed by Kuznets, ―no growth is purely self-sustaining or self- limiting‖. The characterization of one stage of growth as self-sustained and of others by implication, as lacking that property, requires substantive evidence and analysis not provided by Rostow. 9. The stages, of high mass consumption not chronological: the age of high mass consumption is so defined that certain countries like Australia and Canada have entered this stage before even reaching maturity. According to one critic, ―the period of mass
-consumption is nothing else but minus its ideological overtone‖. 10. Idea of increase in investment is not new: Rostow presented the idea that increase in investment from 5% to 10% will take the economy into take-off stage. But caironcross says that it is not a new idea. It is also available in Lewis thinking. He further says when the saving habits will change, whether in pre-conditions or in take-off stage. 3.2 Benefits
Notwithstanding, the fact that Rostow‘s model has its critics‘ which is there ideology (their opinion) the less developed economies seems to put up a fight against intellectual colonialism by the so called developed economies who try to measure them by their theorems.
Rostow‘s development model didn‘t just show the gradual route from primitive to technological advancement of nations but also attempted though unplanned by Rostow the following are the benefits of the model.
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Rostow‘s model still sheds light on a successful path to eco nomic development for some countries
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Rostow‘s model is still one of the most widely cited development theories, and is a primary example of the intersection of geography, economics, and politics.
3.3 Hindrances of the model to Less Developed Countries (LDCs) (1) Attitudes and arrangements in underdeveloped countries (UDCs): The capital was effectively used to get higher levels of output the same like conditions, attitudes and arrangements are not available in the underdeveloped countries like Pakistan they lack the managerial experience, skilled labour and the ability to plan and administer a wide variety of development projects.
(2) Removal of unemployment: The conditions regarding take-off as presented by Rostow do not entertain the case of those countries which have abundance of population, and unemployment is increasing there.
(3) Value of COR is not constant: In Rostow and H-D models of growth the value of COR has been kept constant.
(4) Spontaneous and Automatic Growth: Rostow‘s take offstage
- shows that here the growth is automatic and spontaneous.

(5) Integration with world economy: Now a days the UDCs are well integrated with the world economy. The external factors which are beyond their control can nullify the best strategies followed by UDCs.

CHAPTER FOUR SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 4.1 Summary 4.1.1 Advice For Underdeveloped Countries (UDCs)
The history of modern societies is of the view that advanced countries had passed the stage of take off into self-sustaining growth. While the underdeveloped countries are still passing through traditional society or the pre-condition to take off. It is important to note that take off is ideally suited for the industrialization of underdeveloped countries. Notwithstanding, according to Dasgupta
―the term lacks precision and yet it is suggestive and can be given interpretation which is useful for an understanding of the process of economic development of an underdeveloped countries. For a country that is developing, development of one or more leading sectors are helpful in the process of industrialization. Although, the leading sectors can be in agriculture or in the production of primary products for exports.
4.2 Conclusion
Having noted, that underdeveloped economies are characterized by the predominance of agriculture and primary production. These under developing countries are least expected to pass through those stages of economic growth in order to achieve its goals. In conclusion, underdeveloped countries must learn a lesson from the economic history of advanced nations. They should follow the rules of development to take-off and then to self-sustaining economic growth. In this note, the underdeveloped countries should mobilize domestic and foreign savings in order to generate sufficient investment to accelerate economic growth this in no small way will lead the country in achieving sustainable development because accumulated growth surely leads to development.