THE THEORY OF POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT

THE THEORY OF POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT

INTRODUCTION

The problems of development which face the African continent and its people have rekindled the interest of scholars and different political thinkers theorizing about Africa’s development. However, according to Claude Ake, in (Kenneth 2000:67) what has been developing in post colonial Africa is underdevelopment. Africa has averaged negative growth rates for over two decades. The past has been so disastrous, that the future looks hopeless. Indeed, the only certainty of African development for the rest of the century is that poverty will spread and intensify. Despite this, attempts have been made by numerous scholars to identify the most suitable path for development in the African context.

However, this document is geared towards examining Ake’s recommendation for Africa’s development against the background of the Western theory of political development. On the strength of this, we will take a look at the theory of political development before examining Ake’s critique against the theory of political development.

THE THEORY OF POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT

Claude Ake's study is primarily concerned with what he terms 'the most pernicious form of imperialism. Ake analyses how Western social sciences, whether consciously or inadvertently, foist capitalist values and capitalist development on the Third World, and serve imperialist ends. He unravels the theory of political development or 'westernisation', exposing its ideological character and condemning 'Western development studies as worse than useless'. He then develops his analysis of the imperialist and ideological characteristics of Western social sciences to posit alternatives which may more successfully overcome permanent underdevelopment; and advocates a struggle for a new model of social sciences which is socialist-orientated, and that developing countries reject Western models. The study was first published in 1979, revised in 1982, is newly reissued, and for the first time, widely available outside Africa.

Political scientists continues to identify political development with political modernization and other times westernization. Modernization, in its historical sense is, in the words of Eisenstadt, the process of change towards those types of social economic and political systems that have developed in Western Europe and North America in the nineteenth century.

However, political development according to Almond and Powell is anchored on two basic concepts, structural differentiation and cultural secularization, while the former mean the processes whereby roles changes and become specialized or more autonomous, or new structure and sub systems emerge or are created, the later entails the process whereby men become analytical and empirical in their political actions.

Lucian Pye also in an attempt of providing a theory for political development added two more variables; capacity and equality. Nevertheless, these two concepts can be fitted into Almond and Powell’s. Pye’s concept of capacity includes the ides of cultural secularization on one hand, as Almond and Powell build capacity and equality into theirs.

Haven identified the variables for political development, political development results when the existing structure and culture of the political systems is unable to cope with the problem which confronts it, without further structural differentiation and cultural secularization. These challenges varies, according to Almond and Powell, these crises include State building, Nation building, Participation, Distribution and Welfare. In addition, Pye identifies six political crises, Identity crisis, Legitimacy crises, Participation crisis, Integration crisis and Distribution crisis.The sequence by which these crises occur is a matter of importance.

 However, Pye argues that the particular pattern in which theses crises arise, and upon the ways in which they are resolved, leads to political development.

A CRITIQUE OF THE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT BY CLAUDE AKE

Claude Ake, in one of his works, SOCIAL SCIENCE AS IMPERIALISM, the theory of political development, made a contribution to the search for development, political development to be exact, in the African context. In his attempt for providing an African oriented political theory, he first and foremost made a critique against the Western theory of political development. His focus was on the ideological character, which to him has a bourgeois ideology.

Claude, observed that it fosters capitalist values and institutions into Africa, and finally how it has come to encourage and legitimizes the dictatorship of Third World bourgeoisies.

Judging from the background of this study, the theory of political development emerged alongside the theory of modernization. A summary of this theory is that, third world countries, and other developing countries must follow the path followed by Western Europe in order to finally reach the promise land of development. Modernization theory has made Africans accept their underdevelopment, feel inferior and most of all has infused into us the belief that Europe because they occupy the enviable positions of development, are superior in relation to others. Africans now see their under development as the divine heritage, thus Dependency and Reliance on the West, becomes inevitable.

The theory for political development, also assumes that development is a uni-linear activity, with Western Europe as the model. Simply put, for newly independent states to develop, they will have to develop along a single path, the path which the Europeans have followed. Ake posits that it is wrong  to claim that some ideas, at  their spread across the world will be positive. Cleavages in religion, culture and beliefs, and history have made this theory not applicable.

Lastly, the theory of political development assumes that Africa do not have the necessary capital to enhance their development. They don’t have enough capital to invest into productive ventures to usher in development. On the strength of this, Western Europe fosters capitalist values into the continent. Simply put, Africa has become the spanner on the mechanics hand used to fix the wheels of an automobile; Europe.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this paper vividly illustrates the nature of the western political theory assigned to the third world countries.

REFERENCES

Social science as imperialism by Claude Ake

Lucian pye.

Almond and powell