There are many differences surrounding the urbanization in the Third World versus urbanization in the First World. Although many of these developing countries are highly urbanized they all share a pattern of uneven development that is much more extreme than that found in the older, developed nations (Gottdiener & Hutchison, 2011, p. 283). According to Smith and Timberlake (1993), the main differences between developed and developing nations are factors such as: elite power, state policies, integration into the global economy, and the effects of class structure. The type of government at the national level plays a huge role in the success or failure of development schemes in many developing countries. (Gottdiener & Hutchison, 2011, p. 287). …show more content…
Because of the population explosion, rural areas have been hard-pressed to grow enough food for domestic consumption, and the standard of living in rural areas has declined drastically since the 1950’s in many developing countries, as there are simply too many mouths to feed (Gottdiener & Hutchison, 2011, p. 288). Due to this inability of rural agricultural efforts to grow enough food for consumption, many decide to flee to the cities. Another huge difference between Third World countries and First World countries is that in many of these developing nations there is an unbalanced pattern of urbanization that places such as the United States just doesn’t have. Developed nations have a much more even distribution of urbanization and don’t have things like primate cities. According to Gottdiener and Hutchison (2011), primate cities are, “…over urbanized, excessively populated, and is the center for most investment and economic growth, while retaining a relatively under urbanized interior with no large cities” (Pg. …show more content…
Until about the mid 19th century, Sao Paulo was a small trading town and slowly continued to grow in importance due to coffee exports (The challenge of slums global report on human settlements, 2003, p. 226). The city eventually became socially divided between the wealthy and the poor with the wealthy concentrated in the higher central districts and the poor on the floodplains and along the railways (The challenge of slums global report on human settlements, 2003, p. 226). To make this socio-spatial segregation even more prominent, urbanization increased dramatically between 1930 and 1980 when there was an intense process of migration from the countryside. Throughout the 1980’s there was major industrial deconcentration that caused medium-sized Brazilian cities to grow at rates much above those of the metropolises. In large metropolises, this caused lower central area population growth rates or even a decrease (The challenge of slums global report on human settlements, 2003, p. 227). This transformation from an industrialized city to a more service metropolis furthered the economic and social polarization and quickly grew the income gap between the richest and the poorest. Also during this time, there was an increasing growth of shantytowns within the urban periphery (which in Brazil are called favelas). According to The challenge of slums global report on human settlements (2003),
Smith, D. A. (1996). Third World Cities in Global Perspective: The Political Economy of Uneven Urbanization. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press Inc.
In the favela of São Paulo, Brazil, 1958, Carolina Maria de Jesus rewrote the words of a famous poet, “In this era it is necessary to say: ‘Cry, child. Life is bitter,’” (de Jesus 27). Her sentiments reflected the cruel truth of the favelas, the location where the city’s impoverished inhabited small shacks. Because of housing developments, poor families were pushed to the outskirts of the city into shanty towns. Within the favelas, the infant mortality rate was high, there was no indoor plumbing or electricity, drug lords were governing forces, drug addiction was rampant, and people were starving to death. Child of the Dark, a diary written by Carolina Maria de Jesus from 1955 to 1960, provides a unique view from inside Brazil’s favelas, discussing the perceptions of good
Brazil is a vast country in South America that has experienced extreme wealth and income disparities since its independence in 1822. The uneven income distribution, combined with several other factors, is what accounts for millions of civilians living in impoverished conditions. The Northeast is the country’s most afflicted region, with an estimated 58% of the population living in poverty and earing less than $2 a day. The systemic inequality as well as lack of development and modernization has generated chronic poverty that has had detrimental effects on society in northeast and ultimately weakens Brazil.
Mike Davis in his book Planet of Slums, discusses the Third World and the impact globalization and industrialization has on both urban and poverty stricken cities. The growth of urbanization has not only grown the middle class wealth, but has also created an urban poor who live side by side in the city of the wealthy. Planet of Slums reveals astonishing facts about the lives of people who live in poverty, and how globalization and the increase of wealth for the urban class only hurts those people and that the increase of slums every year may eventually lead to the downfall of the earth. “Since 1970 the larger share of world urban population growth has been absorbed by slum communities on the periphery of Third World cities” (Davis 37). Specifically,
The construction taking place in Brazil for the World Cup and Olympics can be closely related to urban development projects (UDPs). According to Swyngedouw (2002), “physical reconstruction and economic recovery tend to go hand in hand” (p. 577). However, UDPs do not affect all residents the same. Similar to the marginalization that takes place during preparation for mega sporting events, UDPs also have a history of increasing “physical and social fragmentation” (Swyngedouw, 2002, p. 577). UDPs are also notorious for the special regulations they receive which enables the timely completion of such projects. Brazil’s preparations for these two mega events have been given special priority and little can stand in the way of the construction.
As they explain in their work, several factors, that are independent from the structure of government, can contribute to a system’s effectiveness. For example, the authors mention third tier factors. Third tier factors can refer to multiple aspects of a country such as its “socioeconomic and demographic conditions” (10). Depending on where an individual falls on the socioeconomic latter, their view on government effectiveness will most likely differ. Those who are in the lower economic class may view government as inadequately addressing their needs (the government not spending enough on welfare or job programs), while those in the higher economic class may view the government in a favorable light, since they are adequately addressing their needs (the government decreasing their
Beall, Joe. Basudeb, Khasnobis. Kanbur, Ravi. Urbanization and Development: Multidisciplinary Perspectives. Oxford University Press, 2010.
Who hasn’t seen the critical examples of overpopulation that are always depicted with large cities, tall buildings and many people? It is a common thought that cities are the cause of air pollution and are in no way thought of to be sustainable or as having a smaller footprint than those residing in rural zones. Yet, this chapter shows that the criticisms have no bearing when it comes to cities and rather, cities are better in terms of stronger economies, those who live in cities have smaller families, and the more the city is developed the lower the level of poverty (unlike rural areas which shows to have a higher level of poverty). The misconception that cities are actually overusing resources and contributing to environmental degradation is not the case. The chapter cites that this is not so, it is rather “industries and commercial and industrial enterprises (or corporations) and middle and upper income groups with high consumption lifestyles.” (56) These wealthier people who want to live more luxuriously, often live on acres of land with multiple cars, thus do not often reside in the city. The chapter continues to list the positive roles of cities, for example, “lower costs per household and per enterprise for the provision of piped, treated water supplies…collection and disposal of human wastes.” (56) Another positive is the efficient use from recycled waste, also a smaller demand for land relative to the population in cities. The fourth advantage is listed as more efficient heating techniques, and fifthly, a greater use of public transportation. The rich culture found in cities is also cited in the chapter. It concludes with the need for “good governance,” whereby the goals are met and cost is not past onto others, without it the cities are left to be sources of pollution, sickness, and waste
Firstly, there is a need to understand what is meant by development. It is defined as “the continuous and positive change in the economic, social, political and cultural dimensions of the human condition, guided by the principle of freedom of choice and the limited capacity of the environment to sustain such change.” (Sharpley, 2003: 8-7). Sharpley (2000) explains how theories of development have progressed; Firstly the ‘Modernisation Theory’ (1950s- 1960s), in which societies are seen to switch from traditional to modern only through economic growth. Next is the ‘Dependency Theory’ (late 1960s), this takes into account the historical and economic structures of developing countries, distribution of benefits, social players such as local elites, state interests and private companies, and situations in which an economy and development of a country can be conditioned by a more dominant country (Santos, 1970). The ‘Neo Classical Counter Revolution theory’ (1980s) was made to fit in with global events such as the economic depression, and development policies that build upon dependence on free market. Finally, ‘Sustainable development’ (late 1980s) is the theory that creates the encouragement for development of many developing countries. This theory aided by government policies of backings, tax breaks, and incentives. These theories have developed through growing knowledge of evolving processes, and dismissal of past theories (Sharpley, 2000).
Many factors can lead to the underdevelopment of a country. The most common sign of underdevelopment is that of a “Dual Economy”, this takes place when a “small modern elite and middle class make up about 20-30% of a country’...
Chaffey, J. (1994). The challenge of urbanisation. In M. Naish & S. Warn (Eds.), Core geography (pp. 138-146). London: Longman.
On the other hand, urbanization in the developing countries differed from the process of urbanization in the West. In the Third World, throug...
Extractive institutions are used throughout this book to explain that the upper class extracts resources and goods from the lower class. They don’t allow growth or competition, but rather they just exploit the rest of society into doing their labour. It’s used to please a few, rather than the majority, and can still be seen in most places in the world. Whereas, inclusive institutions are the ideal way nations should be run, allowing for fair economical systems, property ownership, educational facilities and allowing all citizens to participate in the growth of the economy. Acemoglu and Robinson argue that this is the main factor in distinguishing the rich countries from the poor and, moreover, how they treat their citizens. This system is relatively used in North America and Western Europe.
Today in the present world, most countries have the core object of governance in the “public good provisioning ” leitmotif. According to the main principles ; accountability, participation and transparency, from the governance ecology interaction between the State, Civil Society and Market –place, within the global-village environment, (Higgot and Ougaard 2002; Stiglitz 2003; Woods 2006) “Governance Deteriorate the Economical Progress of the Developing Countries”(Box 15.4 Kaufmann, Kray, and Mastruzzi, 2008 p 291 Governance Matter Vll: some leading findings). In my opinion governance on itself without parametric recognition is doomed to fail, instead of reflecting to new mechanisms of responsibility to steer and guide the social and economical issues, which I will try to clarify in the upcoming body breakdown. Governance is supported as structure through institutions, as process through instruments and as agenda through elements of good governance, generating the capacity to improve significant development and positive impact of economic growth and to cut back destitution. Despite of the fact that developing countries can come in line with the quality of governance by accepting it as a crucial determinant of developmental performance, it didn’t came into effect. The underlying fact of weak and poor governance was identified as a result, for not effectuating the measureme...
Global cities are cities with substantial economic power, controlling the concentration and accumulation of capital and global investments. Despite this, global cities are the sites of increasing disparities in occupation and income. This is as a result of large in-migration and growing income inequality together with capacity and resource constraints, and inadequate Government policies.