DIMENSIONS OF DEVELOPMENT ; SOCIOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT

Introduction:

Development is not only multi-disciplinary, where sociology, economics and political science show interest in its study, but also multi-dimensional.  As a multi-dimensional subject, development encompasses every aspect of human endeavor.  For example, development includes culture, youth, health, population, women, law etc.. Each of these dimensions plays a critical role in the process of enhancing a sustaining development at the local and national levels.  Accordingly, these dimensions cannot be ignored. 

The Cultural Import of Development and Underdevelopment

As a way of life which is transmitted from generation to generation, culture plays a pivotal role in the development and underdevelopment processes of Africa.  Culture covers language, dress, cooking utensils, family and marriage, food drinks among others.  These are acquired or learned and shared. The learning and sharing processes of these variables remain the crucible of culture as a way of life.

Elsewhere in this book, it was argued that there are two aspects of culture which influence development and underdevelopment of Africa or any society.  First is the aspect of the cultural dimension which addressed the impact of culture on the development of the less developed societies of Africa.  The second dimension deals with the indigenous cultural decay that has a dire consequence for the development and underdevelopment process of Africa.  These perspectives indeed emphasize the social and cultural context of development. 

THE CLASSICAL MODERNIZATION IN SOCIOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT

The classical modernist is dully represented by Alex Inkless, Robert Bellah, and David McCelland.  In his analysis of Achievement Motivation, McClelland observed that to become a modern society, the society has to define its goals and aspirations and the mechanism of achieving the defined goals. A country that does not have achievement motivation cannot attain a rapid and sustainable modernization.  A society must posses investment drives and culture of entrepreneurship and this is predicated on the activities of the entrepreneurs who are genuinely committed to the development of the society (McClelleand, 1080).  As precondition for modernization, society must possess achievement drive.

Alex Inkless (1979) analysis is based on a research he conducted in some selected countries of the world such as Nigeria, Pakistan, India and China where he interviewed about 600 men to assess the impact of modernization on attitude and value of individuals.  According to Inkless (1978), is attached modernization when there is openness and receptivity to science, change and innovation.

To Robert Bellah (1982), a direct student of Parsons, there are certain religious sects whose doctrine and value influences the process of development of society.  Focusing mainly on the Tokugawa religion in Japan, Bellah argued that the Tokugawa religion influenced the transition of Japan from traditional to a modern society that is technically advanced. This religion accelerated the transformation of Japan from a poorly based industrial society to a society with a modern industrial base for manufacture. The Tokuwa religion for example, revolves around the Samurai, a warrior society, whose doctrine revolves around discipline, hardwork and irrevocable commitment to nationalism.  This warrior society played a central role in restoring the emperor of Japan, and mobilized the indigenous entrepreneurs for productive capital investment. 

THEORIES OF DEVELOPMENT AND UNDERDEVELOPMENT IN SOCIOLOGY

INTRODUCTION:

Sociology of development deploys relevant theories to explain the direction of societal change and development.  Some of these theories are historical and radical, others are a historical and conservative in their exposition and explanation of societal development.  Each of the theories however, provides veritable tools for understanding global inequality in wealth and a leeway to rapid and sustainable growth and development. 

(i)           Evolutionism, Functionalism and Modernization

The European school of modernization is a product of three (3) historical events in the post world war II.  These events include:

a.    The rise of America as a global super power;

b.    The spread of communism from Russia, Korea and China to the new nations or newly independent nations of the third world; and

c.    The disintegration of the European colonial Empires i.e. the British, French, German, Roman and Portuguese Empires in Africa, Asia, and South America.

This collapse ushered in anti-colonial nationalism and independence in the former colonial satellite states.  Subsequently, the new nations were in desperate search for development models for their economy in order to secure their political independence and safeguard their economic freedom.  Consequently, America showed interest and encouraged their bourgeois elites to support  research efforts of their young social scientists.  The objective of this was to entrench a neocolonial structure under their full control and halt the spread of communism  to new nations.  Thus with generous donations and funding from the US government and private individual, elites, young sociologist, demographers, political scientists and economists published thesis and dissertations on the hitherto unresearched third world.  The dissertations became the centre piece for national development plans/programmes for nearly all the new nations of Asia, Africa and Latin America (SO, 1990).

DEVELOPMENT: SOME CONCEPTS IN SOCIOLOGY

 

Introduction

Sociology of Development is a specialized field of study within the general field of sociological enterprise.  Since inception, sociology has focused mainly on society generally, identifying and proffering solutions to societal problems. However, because of diverse societal problems and the constant motion which society experiences all the time, sociology is constrained to develop branches for specific societal problems.  This partly explains why sociology of development has to emerge.  It incorporates into its domain, analysis of the concepts of development, growth, underdevelopment among others. It utilizes theories of change to provide key to understanding global inequality in wealth and development.

DEVELOPMENT AS A CONCEPT 

development as a social science concept does not have a precise meaning.  As a social science construct, development means different thing to different people.  Writing at the turn of 20th century, V.I Lenin (1968), a leader of the great October 1917 Russian revolution defined development as a progressive movement; an ascension from lower to higher stages, and from simple to complex situations.  The simple/lower stage(s) refers to the state of nature in which society finds itself in the process of social evolution. Division of labour at this level was rudimentary.nearly every member of the society performs similar roles and functions.  The transition to the complex stage results from certain needs which arise from society. Division of labour was raised to a higher status with every member of the society assigned a specific role and function in the stratification system.