3rd Broad Topic 2

Core-periphery theory
Inter-regional -> Global perspective
Intra-regional -> Local perspective
Core countries -> high income, rich
Semi periphery country -> middle income
periphery country -> low income
core periphery concept
A model that describes how economic, political or cultural power is spatially
distributed between dominant core region, and more marginal or dependent
semi peripheral and peripheral regions.

Core tries to give its political/cultural/technological views to periphery

region. USA-capitalistic CHINA-communism
The 2 theories behind c-p theory
1. World system theory: This theory is a multidisciplinary, macro-scale
(global) approach to world history and social change which
emphasizes the world system as the primary unit of social analysis.
It is also known as world system analysis or world systems perspective.
This theory does not focus on nation states and rather focuses on the
world system, but not exclusively.
World system refers to the inter-regional and transnational division
of labor, which divides the world into core countries, semi periphery
countries and the peripheral countries.
Core countries focus on higher skillful and capital centric
production and more into secondary and tertiary work.
The rest of the world focuses on low skill and labor-intensive
production oriented work, more into extraction of raw material and
primary work. This constantly reinforces the dominance of the core
countries.
This system has dynamic characteristics, in part as a result of
revolutions in transport technology, and individual states can gain or
lose their core status (periphery, semi periphery) over time. This
structure is unified by the division of labor. It is a world economy
rooted in a capitalist economy. For a time, certain countries become
the world hegemony (supremacy). During the last few centuries, as the
world system has extended geographically and intensified economically,
this status has passed from the Netherlands, to the UK, to recently to
the USA.
World System Theory has a 3 tiered structure:

This theory’s final view is: a capitalistic core country will interact with
peripheral country in such a way that resembles dependency theory.
2. Dependency Theory:
It’s the notion that resources flow from a periphery of poor and
underdeveloped states to a core of wealthy states, enriching the latter at
the expense of the former.
The cities around the core are called satellite cities. Like Narayanganj for
Dhaka.
It is a central contention of dependency theory that poor states are
impoverished and rich ones are enriched by the way poor states are
integrated into the world system.
Core countries are investing in peripheral countries to get more raw
materials and make finished goods to sell it to the peripheral countries. This
is an unequal and uneven trade between the 2 parties.
Area of core place is small but periphery is big in terms of area. Until we
can break the ties, we can’t expect periphery to develop.
Core-periphery stages of development in an urban system:
This is core periphery in a country: intra country.
Urban center in bd: 534 – this is Important
Stage 1: Pre industrial (no urban hierarchy – because in this stage, no
node has developed. Example maybe pre independency BD)
 Agricultural and pre industrial society
 Localized economies
 Small scale settlement structure
 Each settlement is fairly isolated, activities are dispersed and mobility
is low
 There are limited differences
Stage 2: Transitional (Primate city (Capital city or core city is determined.
Example the early industrialization of Great Britain.))
  The core city begins as a result of capital accumulation and industrial
growth
 Location (better access) being a significant factor to become its
growth pole
 Trade and mobility increase
 The overall mobility remained low
Stage 3: Industrial (Regional sub-centers)
 A process of economic growth and diffusion, other growth centers
emerge
 The main reason for deconcentrating is increasing input costs
(mainly labor and land) in the core area
 This diffusion is linked with increased interactions between elements
of the urban system
 The construction of transport infrastructures
 Environmental externalities high
 Development of regional sub centers is a must
Stage 4: Post-industrial (Integrated urban system)
 The urban system becomes fully integrated and spatial inequalities
are reduced significantly
 The distribution of economic activities creates a specialization and a
division of labor linked with intense flows along high capacity
transport corridors.
 The factors that have favored spatial inequalities in the previous
phases of development have structured
 The dominant poles of the urban system and favored the setting of a
large commercial gateway, usually a world city
 Spatial inequalities in education, health, security are low among
areas.
To go here, we need political stability and be a bit like Malaysia to develop
to post-industrial stage.
Why does core develop so fast and periphery so slow?
2 theries or explanation behind this.
i) Labor Migration – labors migrate to core and core develops more
and new investors avoid periphery because of the same reason
and so periphery falls behind.
Extra - At one point the core becomes saturated like land in dhaka
is scarce, only then it is shifted to periphery.
ii) Investment – less investment will induce wider gap between core
and periphery and so new investments are more drawn towards
core again.

Periphery needs investments and more job creation for its

development.

Bangladesh needs regional development plans and land use plans.