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in as far as development is concerned cannot be observed when there are variances in both the natural as well as the human resources. The movement from the traditional stage to the take off stage calls for capital injection which could be inform of foreign debts. Repayment of such debts may interfere with time a nation gets into the next stage, a factor that he ignored. Rostow’s model is also criticized on the basis that it fails to acknowledge that the development of one nation could be at the expense of another for instance through the process of colonization as well as imperialism.

He also failed to indicate the need of a financial infrastructure which could channel the savings made to investment. Again, there was no guarantee that the investment made would lead to economic growth. Some investments could have been in vain or unproductive. The need for other infrastructures like education, roads, rails and communication were also undermined and they are important to register economic development. He emphasized on investment though he did not indicate if it was to be done efficiently or it was used on luxury goods. The argument that countries would learn and adopt better production means that would ensure economic development has failed the test of time as some countries remain in the initial stages of development though others continue to advance.

The model is also criticized on the grounds that it is ‘Anglo centric’ and only based on what was experienced in North America and Western Europe. (Saldana-Portillo 2003: 42). It also fails to take account for the racial differences although it is clear that there is a correlation between one’s ethnicity and their prosperity levels. The model cannot be used for predictive purposes as it is based on historical data and there is no clear cut way to explain the time that each stage takes. Rostow’s argument that all nations must follow these stages was proved wrong as some countries have developed without undergoing the said stages. A clear example of such a nation is Saudi Arabia whose development can be blamed on her rich natural resources. Rostow’s model also fails to provide a clear link of the movement of one stage to the next and some characteristics are similar across two stages. He also argued that countries were to learn from the developed ones in their process to economic development but time has proved him wrong. Some developing countries lag very far behind in as far as economic development is concerned even though they interact with the developed nations.

Modernization suggests that poverty can be reinforced by government policies that interfere with the economy as well as people’s or citizens cultural beliefs. Economic development is said to occur in nations that embrace capitalistic tendencies such as East Asian countries which have developed for their increased savings, aggressive work ethics as well as adopting a market based economy for instance China.

Critics of the modernization theory

The modernization theory is criticized for arguing that the US as well as other developed countries have superior values than those embraced by other nations. It is also blames the poor for their status quo, although it is quite clear that some factors beyond their control can be blamed for their predicament. (Shannon 1989:6). This theory is also criticized for failing to put into account the role of interrelationships