Rostow's

A theory of how a country develops over time, broken down into 5 stages.

Works like a timeline.

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Rostow's Stages of Economic Growth

• Low tech, mostly agriculture. No industrialization.

• Not much of an economy.

• Trading, not using money.

• Like Stage 1 of DTM, low growth

• Shift to next stage is caused by new technology & outside influence (trading with other places)

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Stage 1: Traditional society

• Demand by other states for raw resources drives economic growth

• Focused on primary sector

  • mining, commercial farming, etc.

• Like Stage 2 of DTM, growth begins and increases quickly. LDCs/periphery go here.

• Growth of infractructure

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Stage 2: Precondition for Take-off

• Rapid increase in tech

• Trade with other states that exploit labor & resources

• Economy shift to secondary sector

  • Manufacturing

• Like Stage 3 of DTM, high growth that starts to slow. NICs/semi-periphery go here.

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Stage 3: Take-off

• High tech

• Global trade, economy is huge

• Economy shift to tertiary sector

  • Selling, goods & services

• Like Stage 3-4 of DTM, growth evens out. MDCs/semi-periphery & core go here.

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Stage 4: drive to maturity

• High tech

• Global trade, economy is huge

• Economy shift to tertiary, quaternary, & quinary sector

• Like Stage 4-5 of DTM, growth evens out. MDCs/core.

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Stage 5: Age of mass consumption

Functions as a "timeline" of how states develop from traditional society to where the USA is now.

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Match

Match the following:

• Low technology, low growth

• Influence from other places drives growth

• Industrialization, Stage 3 DTM

• Massive economy with tertiary sector, exploits LDCs

Stage 1: Traditionally Society

Stage 2: Preconditions for Take-off

Stage 3: Take-Off

Stage 5: Age of Mass Consumption

• Stage 1: Traditionally Society

• Stage 2: Preconditions for Take-off

• Stage 3: Take-Off

• Stage 5: Age of Mass Consumption

• Rostow based this on how the USA & UK developed. Not every state has the opportunity to grow that way!

  • States get conquered & exploited so they can't leave Stage 1-2. (Rostow forgot colonialism happened)

  • These stages don't always happen in order or in a straight line.

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criticisms