Since the end of WWII and the movement towards independence of former colonies, development cooperation has become an important issue for world governments as well as for academicians. Different theories about the causation of development and underdevelopment have emerged since the 1950´s and have been the subject of fervent discussions within the academic community. A multitude of theories and approaches have been the result of these discussions and can be used to understand development and its related implications. This thesis will provide an overview of the most relevant theories of development and show how they are the product of their respective time. The works of the most influential authors of the respective theories will support the theoretical discussion in order to offer the framework for the deduction of motives.
This thesis focuses only on the theories that examine state or actors behavior in development cooperation in general, in order to elucidate the motives of these states or actors. A y-centered research approach (Gerring, 2006) has been used in order to answer the following question: “Can China´s motives for development cooperation be explained by the models of the classical theories of development?”
The dependent variable (y) is China´s motives and the independent variables (x1, 2, 3, 4,n) are the motives derived from the classical theories. This paper investigates whether there is a correlation between these traditional motives and the Chinese motives or whether the Chinese motivations cannot be explained by the classical theories. The last part of this thesis is a discussion of the following hypothesis, which reflects my research questions and the relationship of the variables:
Chinese motives highly correlate with the motives described by traditional development theories.
The comparison, that has been deduced, might not be immediately evident to the reader, seeing that this is a comparison of motives derived from a theoretical discussion (chapter 2 and 3), with motives that were derived from empirical observations (chapter 4).
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
2 THEORETICAL APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT POLITICS
2.1 FOCUS ON THE THEORETICAL CONCEPTS
2.2 MODERNIZATION THEORY
2.3 DEPENDENCY THEORY
2.3.1 POST COLONIALISM
2.4 WORLD SYSTEMS THEORY
2.5 GLOBALIZATION THEORY
2.6 POST-DEVELOPMENT THEORY
3 WESTERN MOTIVATIONS – IS THE WESTERN DONOR’S BEHAVIOR BASED ON ALTRUISM?
3.1 WHAT DOMINATES THE WESTERN DONOR BEHAVIOR?
3.2 FROM THEORIES TO MOTIVES
3.2.1 A CHRONOLOGY OF AID
3.3 KEY MOTIVES
3.3.1 INTERNAL MOTIVES
3.3.2 EXTERNAL MOTIVES
4 IS CHINA´S DEVELOPMENT POLICY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA IN LINE WITH THE TRADITIONAL PERCEPTION OF MOTIVES OF DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION?
4.1 CHINA’S “DIFFERENT APPROACH” TO DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION
4.2 CHINA´S POLICY IN AFRICA: NEO-COLONIALISM VS. “WIN-WIN-COOPERATION”
4.2.1 INTERNAL DIMENSION
4.2.2 EXTERNAL DIMENSION
4.3 CHINA´S OPERATIONS IN AFRICA: WHICH TOOLS ARE USED TO PURSUE THE POLITICAL AGENDA?
4.3.1 THE REFORM OF 1995
4.4 AFRICAN PERCEPTIONS ON CHINA IN AFRICA – POST-COLONIAL AND POST-DEVELOPMENT PERCEPTIONS
5 COMPARISON OF THE “WESTERN” AND CHINESE MOTIVES
5.1 FIND AN ANSWER TO THE HYPOTHESIS
5.2 SIMILARITIES
5.3 OPPOSITIONS
6 CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Thematic Focus
This thesis investigates whether China’s motives for development cooperation in sub-Saharan Africa can be explained by traditional development theories. By analyzing Western donor behavior through theoretical frameworks and comparing it with Chinese empirical practices, the study seeks to determine if Chinese motives are fundamentally different or if they represent a variation of established donor patterns, thereby testing the hypothesis that Chinese motives highly correlate with those described by traditional development theories.
- The evolution of major development theories from the post-WWII era to the 1990s.
- A critical examination of Western donor motivations, distinguishing between internal (self-interest) and external (recipient-focused) factors.
- An evaluation of Chinese development policy in Africa, focusing on the 1995 reform and the "win-win-cooperation" approach.
- A comparative analysis between Western and Chinese aid apparatuses, trade strategies, and geopolitical objectives.
Extract from the Book
MODERNIZATION THEORY
Modernization theory emerged in the 1950s and was widely discussed in political science, economics and sociology, among others. The major theorists of this movement assumed that the creation of a modern society would inevitably lead to development and the rise of a nation. This assumption was based on the success story of the United States of America and the implementation of the Marshall-Plan, which led to a modernization and democratization of the war-torn countries of Europe. The premise was that there were two forms of societies, one modern, which was usually led by a democratically elected government, was highly industrialized and urbanized, and displayed a high level of secularization and one traditional which was usually lead by an arbitrary and inefficient government, was mostly rural with a small degree of industrialization and based on traditional values. (Calhoun, 2002)
Modernization proponents were persuaded that the way to forge a stable and economically prosperous nation was to embrace a process of modernization. This means, that once a (development) country would implement policies to allow the modernization process to start, it would automatically lead to growth and to an increase of standard of living for a country´s population.
One major proponent of this theory is Walt Whitman Rostow an American economist, who published The stages of economic development: a non-communist manifesto in 1970. He believed that the transition from a traditional to a modern society or in other words from an underdeveloped to a developed nation would always undergo the same five stages. The five stages of a country were 1) „the traditional society, 2) the pre-conditions for take-off into self-sustaining growth 3) the take-off 4) the drive to maturity 5) the age of high mass consumption“. (Todaro and Smith, 2011)
Summary of Chapters
1 INTRODUCTION: Outlines the research objective to analyze Chinese development motives within the framework of classical development theories.
2 THEORETICAL APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT POLITICS: Provides an overview of five major development theories including Modernization, Dependency, World-Systems, Globalization, and Post-Development.
3 WESTERN MOTIVATIONS – IS THE WESTERN DONOR’S BEHAVIOR BASED ON ALTRUISM?: Examines internal and external motives behind traditional Western donor aid patterns, linking them to historical and strategic interests.
4 IS CHINA´S DEVELOPMENT POLICY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA IN LINE WITH THE TRADITIONAL PERCEPTION OF MOTIVES OF DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION?: Analyzes Chinese development policy since 1995, focusing on tools, internal and external dimensions, and African perceptions.
5 COMPARISON OF THE “WESTERN” AND CHINESE MOTIVES: Synthesizes findings to compare Western and Chinese motives, highlighting both similarities and oppositions.
6 CONCLUSION: Synthesizes the findings, concluding that Chinese and Western motives highly correlate despite different operational approaches.
Keywords
Development cooperation, China, Africa, Modernization theory, Dependency theory, Foreign aid, Official Development Aid (ODA), Win-win-cooperation, Political motives, Commercial motives, Sub-Saharan Africa, Washington consensus, Beijing consensus, Neo-colonialism, Aid allocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary objective of this thesis?
The research aims to determine if China’s motives for development cooperation in Africa can be explained by existing traditional development theories, testing the hypothesis that Chinese and Western motives share significant correlations.
What are the central thematic fields?
The study centers on development politics, the evolution of development theories, Western donor motivations, Chinese aid mechanisms, and the comparative analysis of these two donor blocs.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The thesis employs a theoretical framework approach, analyzing state actor behavior and utilizing empirical observations, case examples, and literature reviews to investigate the research question.
What is the core focus of the theoretical analysis?
It examines how theories like Modernization, Dependency, and World-Systems explain the behavior and motivations of states when providing development assistance.
How are internal and external motives defined?
Internal motives refer to self-interest and domestic strategic considerations of the donor, while external motives are characterized as factors relating to the recipient country's needs and development trajectory.
What defines the Chinese "win-win" approach?
The "win-win" strategy refers to China's method of bundling infrastructure and development projects with commercial interests, where the recipient benefits from aid and infrastructure while China secures resources and market access.
What role does the 1995 reform play in Chinese policy?
The 1995 reform represents a paradigm shift where China moved from passive support to taking an independent initiative, establishing policy banks and focusing on infrastructure and resource procurement.
How does the author characterize the differences between the Washington and Beijing consensus?
The Washington consensus emphasizes free markets, strict conditionalities, and good governance, whereas the Beijing consensus prioritizes government-led economic participation, infrastructure projects, and non-interference in domestic affairs.
Are Chinese motives fundamentally different from Western ones?
The thesis concludes that while the official discourses differ significantly, the underlying motives—primarily self-interest and state welfare—are remarkably similar between the two.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Loris Kempchen (Autor:in), 2015, Traditional motives for development cooperation. An evaluation of Chinese development politics, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/306084
