From Internation Theory Class of 22-10-2025 - Dependency Theory - Marxism - Constructivism

Dependency Theory

We are living in times of dependence where the global south is dependent on the global north for technology and industries in turn supplying them with raw material for finished goods and human resource for services. The theory talks about subjugation of a periphery country by a core company economically (in today's terms) which give rise to inequality which harkens back to the main tenets of Marxism. Hence many countries stay with poor wages, exploitation by elite who act as intermediary for core countries in the peripheral countries who over a period of time run the entire country into chaos as can be seen in many African countries and the Latin America of the 80s specifically.

India is also a case where huge masses of population are poor with low wages, where there is the rich middle class & BPL divide. But India was also a case where it was imposed with conditions to improve its structure as part of the World Bank bailout in 1991 which ushered economic reforms. Our principles value system, social structure helped us tide over the phase. So, it also depends on the country on which such conditions are imposed to try break the dependency cycle.

Marxism

Marxism talks about no boundaries, open migration policies. It is against boundaries as it talks that boundaries create dependencies. It says the capital is free to flow but people are not able to move freely. It talks about migration will help economies as economies need labor. But doesn't this in turn cause income equality. It is important to look at what's happening in Europe and even China which is having rampant income inequality.

Constructivism

Based on the quote: " A state can thus not act contrary to its identity because this will call into question the validity of the identity, including its preferences. This issue might explain why Germany, despite being a great power with a leading global economy, did not become a military power in the second half of the twentieth century. Following the atrocities of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime during the Second World War"

As per constructivism, despite being economic powerhouse, Germany and Japan are shackled to their perception as pacificist state. They had committed grave war atrocities during WW2 post which they were imposed with a structure which made them more economy focused rather than military. So how can countries unshackle? Can we see Grexit? Can Germany become a militarized power? Does Japan re arm itself to counter threats from China or be dependent on US to come to rescue? How such countries go against their own public opinion to change their image or does their public want the image to be changed? This seems a very grave psychological issue as well