The Dependency Theory in Ethiopia
Callista Wilson
Mr. Roddy
Global Politics and Historical Contexts
8 December 2019
The
dependency theory of development is rooted in the idea that developing
countries will be unable to become equally powerful and influential as many of
the western capitalist countries.This is because the economic relationships
they form will not be designed in their favor. In other words, countries which
are in the process of building their economies hold less of a stance in terms
of negotiation, so other countries are able to benefit at the expense of
developing countries through tariffs, and by providing aid in the form of
infrastructure. Although it may seem like providing developing countries with
roads, railways, and other means of modern transportation would help them, it
can help their economies, however it also hurts the people living within those
countries. Many developing countries have raw materials which they do not have
the economic or technical means to excavate and export. For this reason, the
primary motivation for more developed countries to provide infrastructure in
developing countries is so that those resources can be transported, and
purchased at advantageous prices. Additionally, the implementation of
infrastructure by an outside county hurts the environment, as the wellbeing of
ecological systems are not taken into account when an outside country is
leading the construction process.
An
example of the dependency theory is demonstrated through the economic
relationship between Ethiopia and China. Currently, China is in need of raw
materials and agricultural products to support their rapid industrialization
and large population. For this reason, they have turned to many African
countries including Ethiopia by leading infrastructure projects, such as the
Ethio-Djibouti railway line. Projects such as these are having a negative
impact on Ethiopia because this is leading to heavy debt, and is causing China
to claim a strong influence in the area. Further, Chinese workers are being
hired for construction work in Ethiopia, instead of making those employment
opportunities available for Ethiopians. This not only hurts the Ethiopian
people by taking away potential jobs, but it also allows Chinese corporations
to exploit their workers, because worker’s rights do not apply for Chinese
people who are working outside China.
Overall,
the dependency theory of development argues that countries will not be able to
reach the positions of the current capitalist leaders, because they will be
treated as subordinates in the economic and political relationships they form.
In order for this to change it is important that intergovernmental organizations
such as the United Nations play a role in preventing ongoing debt traps, such
as the one occurring in Ethiopia, so that developing countries will have the
chance to grow without being exploited, or environmentally degraded in the
process.
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