AUSOC 218
Responding Sociologically to Problematic Statements
Midterm Test
Zoraa Lutas
1353639

1. Underdevelopment began on 20 January 1949. On that day, 2 billion people became underdeveloped.

The level of development in each country depends upon the political relationship the country has with the Global North or the core; in other terms development is political. This statement can be seen in Harry Truman’s Inaugural Speech on January 20, 1949 when he stated that scientific advancement and industrial progress should be made available to the underdeveloped countries. These underdeveloped countries referred to are the newly independent states of the Global South, the periphery, and being well aware of the successful symbiotic relationship …show more content…
This relationship also solidifies the developing countries dependency on the developed country allowing the donor constant control over the peripheral developing countries economic growth (‘tied’ aid). Therefore there are no moral obligations involved and this aid may result in further delaying the modernization of the developing countries. Society being comprised of inter-related parts that work to benefit each other, Modernization Theory, thus when one part malfunctions or fails to uphold its duty, society may become chaotic. This can be seen in the Cuba peak oil crisis, which was as a result of the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Cuba’s dependency on the Soviets aid forced the country to relearn or to create new structures to combat the large-scale decrease in economic growth and other negative effects on transportation, agriculture, medicine and other …show more content…
For example in the case of bananas and fair trade in the Windward Isles the European TNCs played a beneficial role in increasing economic growth in these Caribbean islands because of the recognition that exportation of bananas maks up to 50% of the islands’ revenue, allowing for free trade. This business arrangement was beneficial for both parties. Due to competition of a larger TNCs, whose business was based in Latin America, they filed a complaint to WTO stating that they were being subjugated by unfair tariffs and quotas of the European Union. WTO ruling in favor for the larger exporter, the Windward Isles’ share of the UK market dropped drastically. This greatly affected the Caribbean islands economical and socially negatively; unemployment rates rose drastically along with poverty. These chain of events can be simply described using Functionalism Theory due to society, the UK and Windward Isles, being inter-related parts functioning in an equilibrium, allowing both parts to benefit from it