Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
peripheries are always liable to appear. Complete equity is an unlikely state of
affairs.
Conclusions
Summarizing some of the above, it would appear that the different ideas
presented are for the most part not directly in conflict with one another, but
concerned with different subjects. On such matters as the origins of
developmental impulses in urban-industrial centres, most writers would agree, as
they would on the advantages presented by free movement of the factors of
production, people and capital resources. A central point of agreement, tacit or
formally stated, is on the exogenous nature of development for most of humanity;
development or its lack is derived from somewhere outside the core, centre or
mother country; relatively little credence is given to endogenous, home-grown
development, which is perhaps harder to study, isolate or plan for. In later parts
of this work, this stress on the exogenous will be called into question. Some of
the fundamental critique emanating from the anti-development writers just
discussed can be assimilated into the earlier case made for Development from
Below. Anti-development is very often merely against development organized
from elsewhere.
In terms of content, although there are large differences apparent, neither side
pays much heed to one of the main present-day concerns, the environment. Neo-
classical theory leaves land out of consideration. The export base concept
developed for regions did use the idea of a primary resource as the engine of
development, but it was an obviously flawed concept because of its very
simplicity and its limited applicability. Radical theories, on the other hand, only
mention resources as a possible target for central powers that seek to control
them. A recent past with wide availability of natural resources from varied
sources has perhaps made them appear unimportant for development. But a
growing concern with pollution means that negative environments have their
own cost, and cyclical materials shortages may force more attention to the
positive aspects of environmental use.
Nor has there been much attention given to technology by most of the writers.
Traditional attention has been focused heavily on the use of capital and labour,
which overlooks the huge contribution made by changing technology to
development. Yet whole theories of development have been constructed on the
basis of technology change rather than change in capital and labour.
Concerning the aims, there is a general consensus that inequality between
regions is undesirable. Right-wing views are generally only that convergence, the
righting of inequality, is a good thing, and that it may need some help through,
for example, transport and communications; in the long term, the market will
achieve convergence anyway. Left-wing views are for more powerful action
towards convergence, either by moderate governments providing extensive aid to
poorer groups of society and poorer regions, or by cutting off nations and regions
