Abstract In the modern context, "underdevelopment" refers basically to the difference between societies that have and those who have not, or have to a lesser degree. This definition sounds vague, but identifying a universal way of defining the difference between a developed society and an underdeveloped one is tricky. In attempting to analyze the causes of underdevelopment, there are two main classes of explanation: the reasons why a given nation did not develop industrially to begin with, and the reasons why a nation remains underdeveloped at the present time and does not proceed with development or industrialization. This paper examines the possible root causes of underdevelopment and its theories.
Abstract This paper analyzes two films, "The Circle" by Jafar Pahani (Iran) and "Memories of Underdevelopment" by Tomas Alea (Cuba). It discusses the theme and circular construction of "The Circle". The paper also describes the key character's representation of the status of underdevelopment in "Memories of Underdevelopment".
From the Paper "The Circle" is a series of episodes concerning women in Iran. The first is the shortest but it succinctly sets up the theme of the film. It also provides the starting point for the circular structure of the film. In this first ..."
Tags: The Circle , Jafar, Pahani, Memories of Underdevelopment , Tomas, Alea
Abstract This paper traces the political life and views of Vaclav Havel, 1989 President of Czechoslovakia and President of the newly formed Czech Republic in 1993. The paper examines Havel's life-long struggle against classical dictatorship and analyzes his views on the subject in his work ?Power of the Powerless.? It looks at the terms classical dictatorship and post-totalitarian dictatorship and compares the two.
From the Paper "It superficially appears that both system types benefit from certain aspects of the system. In the case of a classical dictatorship, the strength of the system is might. Without use of force to suppress any opposition and open interpretation of law to determine crimes against the state, the dictator loses respect drawn mostly from a compromise of fear mixed with compliance. In the Post-Totalitarian system, centralization is the strengthening force. There is a State power structure to answer to and work with bureaucratically. The State is a sort of bastard mother or wet nurse who provides for her children while answering to their father world."
Abstract This paper explains that a dictator's abundance of power results in human rights violations, economic difficulties and an overall poor quality of life among the nation's citizens. The author points out that only 47% of all countries are considered free, which leaves 53% of the nations either partly free or not free at all translating into over three billion people being denied rights, justice and denied a chance at happiness. The paper describes the dictatorships in North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Sudan, Vietnam, Turkmenistan, Burma and Zimbabwe. The paper includes an annotated bibliography.
From the Paper "No matter what method is used to come to power, the number of dictatorships has increased drastically since the early 19th century. Currently, Freedom House's extensive list of "not free" nations includes: Belarus, Burma, Cambodia, Chad, China, Congo, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Laos, Libya, North Korea, and Pakistan. This, however, is only in addition to Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe, to only name the more popular few.These nations are infamous for having total control over their people and ways of life."
From the Paper "Dictatorship, as a form of government, has fallen into opprobrium in the course of the 20th century. This was not always the case. "Dictator" was originally a Roman constitutional office, exercising absolute powers for a limited term during emergencies. Later, with repeated renewals of authority extending it to an indefinite term, it was used or abused by Julius Caesar before his assassination.
In modern times "dictator" has come to mean an autocratic ruler whose power is not hereditary or otherwise traditional in origin; that is, in contrast to an autocratic monarch. This writer is not aware of any ruler of modern times who has self-adopted it as a title, but in the earlier part of the 20th..."
Abstract On 13 September 1923, General Miguel Primo de Rivera launched a successful and bloodless coup d'etat, beginning seven years of dictatorship in Spain. Primo de Rivera was a maladroit politician filled with the fervor of Spanish patriotism thought sufficient to navigate his dictatorship through the murky waters of politics. This paper will argue that the regime was more of a developmental dictatorship than one based in the usual fundamentals of autocracy. It concerns itself instead with describing the political realities in which the Primo de Rivera dictatorship was based, before moving on to discuss the objectives and achievements of the regime. The paper concludes by suggesting ways in which the dictatorship may have influenced the cataclysmic developments that drew the nation into Civil War less than a decade after the collapse of the Primo de Rivera regime.
Abstract This paper explains that globalization has resulted in an information age, which boasts global interconnectedness; yet, globalization has come to symbolize a threat for underdeveloped nations. The author points out that those people who believe that globalization is inevitable state that globalization, driven by the nation states, has made the world more interdependent, spreading ideas about democracy by impacting education through large-scale statewide technology implementations. The paper relates that the argument against globalization being inevitable centers on the fact that globalization has actually made many underdeveloped nations worse off by destroying jobs and making lives more insecure; this powerless, without reform, has created a backlash against nations spreading globalization.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Inevitability of Globalization
Globalization is not Inevitable
From the Paper "Proponents of globalization also place a great deal of importance on the Internet, which plays a major role in globalization. The Internet has come to serve as a bridge between cultures and countries. McChesney (1998) states that the Internet is open to all at relatively low prices. As a result, even some of the poorest countries have some spread access to the Internet. This can also be seen as a benefit to more advanced nations, because the hegemony of media giants and advertisers will soon end, and be replaced by a wide-open, decentralized, diverse, fast-changing, and competitive media culture lacking the requirement of government regulation. Research indicates that the Internet and digital communication are creating a dramatic change in the media and communication systems."
Abstract The essay explains two theories for the worsening position of third world countries: Underdevelopment Theory and Economic Liberalism, which blames the external world economy and the social and political systems of the third world countries themselves, respectively. The essay then turns to VS Naipaul's novel and shows that the author implies support for the position of Economic Liberalism.
From the Paper "The general philosophy of Underdevelopment is that the international economy operates systematically to sustain underdevelopment and distort the economies of the less developed economies. [Greene, F p 142] and that this system is detrimental to the poorer economies. The book does not support this position. The nation described, newly independent, was experiencing it's own economic woes directly related to internal issues "there were other traders, other foreigners; some of them had been there right through the troubles. The peace held". [p. 10]"
From the Paper "Statistical evidence gathered by the World Bank indicates that Indonesia, along with other low and middle income South East Asian countries, is experiencing a steadily expanding population. The World Development Report calculates that Indonesia's population as of 1995 was just over 178 million (World Development Report, 1992, 218).
The average rate of population growth for Indonesia between 1980 and 1990 was 1.8 percent. Between 1990 and the year 2000, this percentage is projected to be 1.6 (World Development Report, 1992, 268). By comparison, Cambodia's percent of population growth in the same time periods are 2.6 and 1.9 percent. Cambodia's present population is calculated at 8.5 million...."
Abstract The paper examines Rodney's historical view of how European colonialism exploited Africa. Using a Marxist analysis, the author provides an account of the slave trade and its debilitating effects. The paper incorporates the views and arguments of several experts in the field to illuminate the legitimacy of Rodney's interpretation.
Abstract This paper explains that the key element of democracy is majority rule, based on the idea that all citizens are equal, and the judgment of the many will be better than the judgment of the few. The author points out that another essential characteristic of democratic government is an independent judiciary to protect the integrity of the rules and the rights of individuals under these rules, especially against the government itself. The paper states that the issue of culture and democratization in underdeveloped nations is very delicate and encompasses issues of dominance on the international political stage and modern imperialism, which is extremely relevant to the current era of preemptive strikes against nations in the name of democratization.
From the Paper "Political parties are also a necessary part of democratic government; rival parties make elections meaningful by giving voters a choice among candidates who represent different interests and points of view (Swank, 2003). The United States and many other countries, such as the United Kingdom have chiefly two-party systems, but many other democratic countries have multiparty systems (Swank, 2003). Often in these countries, no single party gains a majority in the legislature; as a result, two or more parties must join to make up such a majority, by forming a coalition government (Swank, 2003). In democratic countries, the party or parties that are out of power serve as the "loyal opposition", that is, they criticize the policies and actions of the party in power (Swank, 2003). In dictatorships, the people have no real choice among candidates, and no opportunity to express dissatisfaction with the government."
Abstract This paper explains that most of the children engaging in child labor live in underdeveloped countries of Latin America, Africa, and Asia, where living conditions for these children are crude and opportunities for education minimal; however, their income is necessary for the survival of their families, providing the basic essentials. The author points out that many small enterprises are completely dependent on child labor, and the bulk of child labor occurs in rural areas and is usually associated with traditional family economic activities, such as farming or animal husbandry. The paper stresses that child prostitution, a worldwide, urban, social phenomenon, is considered one of the worst contemporary forms of slavery and one of the most difficult and dangerous forms of child labor.
From the Paper "Industrialization in many countries has created working conditions for children that equal the worst features of the nineteenth century factories and mines. Much of the effort to eliminate child-labor abuses throughout the world has come from the International Labor Organization, ILO, which was founded in 1919 and is now a special agency of the United Nations. The ILO has introduced several child-labor conventions, including a minimum age of sixteen years for admission to all work, a higher minimum age for specific types of employment, compulsory medical examinations, and regulation of night work."
Abstract This paper examines how understanding the extent of corruption, as it has been exposed by globalization, is important because it allows us to better understand consistent underdevelopment in Third World nations, such as Egypt. It shows how an analysis of financial corruption in Egypt and the country's resistance to change versus the efforts toward the political and economic reform of the country by external powers, underscores that the country's problem is not economic poverty, but corruption and misuse of foreign aid funds and national resources. After establishing the connection between globalization and corruption, the main argument is that the high level of corruption in a country like Egypt proves the necessity of enforcing international anti-corruption laws, thus, removing a significant obstacle to development.
From the Paper "In "Politics of Corruption," Patrick Fitzsimons discusses corruption within the framework of globalization. He begins his article by referring to the characteristics and concerns of the new global economic and political system, from the concern with multiculturalism, to terrorism, to economic liberalism, and notes the meaning and importance of these new concepts and concerns. According to Fitzsimmons' argument, their importance lies in the fact that they effectively define the thoughts and ideologies of the current political and economic environment."
This paper discusses the market potential for cell phones in Mexico, which represents a good market potential based on economic statistics, demographics and psychographics.
Abstract This paper explains that cell phone development groups already exist in Mexico and that CDMA operators worldwide are focusing on expanding roaming relationships in Central and Latin America. The author stresses that the long-held stereotype of Mexico as a country where life is languid and the population consists mostly of subsistence farmers has little basis in the reality of present day Mexico. The paper concludes that the country's large size, concentrated population bases and relatively underdeveloped telecommunications system mean that wireless services such as AT&T Mexico (Alestra) and Verizon will be in increasing demand. Map. Charts.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Market Potential for Cell Phones in Mexico Today
Definition of Market Potential for Cell Phones
Financing Alternatives
Current Statistics, Demographics and Psychographics
Conclusion
From the Paper "Recent Mexican administrations have expanded competition in seaports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity, natural gas distribution, and airports. Income distribution remains highly unequal. However, in their general assessment of telecommunications, the CIA reports a low telephone density in Mexico with only about 12 main lines per 100 persons currently; however, the telephone system was privatized in December 1990 and opened to competition in January 1997 which improved prospects for development. From a domestic perspective, there is adequate telephone service for business and government; however, the general population continues to be poorly served. There is, however, an increasing use of the Mexican domestic satellite system with 120 earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay network; considerable use of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, and most importantly for the purposes of this research, mobile cellular service."
