Development Concept (1)

With the industrial revolution, the characterization of less developed countries and developing countries has emerged compared to countries that have rapidly developed and completed their industrialization. In underdeveloped or developing countries, the level of production and income is low. Its industries are underdeveloped or developing, and the economic structure is largely based on agriculture. Light industry branches may be developed to a certain extent. However, full industrialization has not yet been achieved. According to Vural Savaş, an underdeveloped country is a country whose per capita income is significantly lower than that of developed countries.

In today's conditions, although a clear figure is not specified as the scale of "income per capita", when we look at developed/developed countries, it is seen that the per capita income is 30,000 USD and above. Countries below this line are shown in the category of underdeveloped or developing countries according to general acceptance.

Indeed, per capita income within the scope of development is a good indicator. In addition, improvements in the level of education, the use of technical knowledge, and the increase in resources to develop human resources/human capital are also considered within the scope of development and included in the indices.

Although it is not very binding, when we look at the general view of the underdeveloped countries, we see that some features stand out as the common features of the underdeveloped countries. Let's talk about them briefly:

Economic Features

Low income per capita, unbalanced income distribution, undeveloped saving and investment climate, high unemployment and insufficient employment environment, agriculture being the leading sector (70-90%), exports being based on primary goods production.

Demographic features

Rapid population growth, high level of foreign dependency, insufficient health expenditures, low average life expectancy, high infant and child mortality rates are the fact that the majority of the population lives in rural areas. Education level is low.

Social Features

There is a ready-made social order, where there is almost no middle class, a social structure based on tradition and religion, kinship, kinship, compatriotism, communalism, which dulls individualism and entrepreneurship, and where everything is expected from the state.

Political Features

There is often political instability, a dictatorship, or a political structure that is more prone to serving the interests of a small minority.

Administrative Features

Poor planning culture, inadequate tax collection and budget system, cumbersome bureaucracy, bribery and corruption are common.

By looking at the qualities possessed such as geography, natural resources, industrial capacity, population, national character, economic indicators, diplomacy, political institutions, connections with international institutions and organizations, form of government, development, economic size, etc. comments can be made.

In the international system, states that are considered the most important international actors act as if they are part of a whole. The mutual interaction of states with each other is shaped by power according to their level of development.

In addition to economic power, industrial and technological capacities that guarantee development and therefore development levels are as important as military capacities that ensure the existence and security of states.

By definition, we can talk about many definitions of development. In our view, the integrative and comprehensive definition is this: “Development” refers to capital accumulation, industrialization and structural change as a whole, including economic growth. The concept of development is intertwined with concepts such as growth, development, progress, industrialization, modernization, keeping up with technology. Development refers to capital accumulation, industrialization and structural change as a whole, including economic growth, and is the common goal of developing countries.

Development is expressed as policies implemented for progress towards a predetermined goal. The realization of development is the common goal of all developing countries.

In a developing country;

(1) National income per capita increases,

(2) The efficiency of the factors of production increases,

(3) The growth of the national income and the share of the industrial sector in the national income increase.

While transition from agricultural economy to industrial economy is achieved through the development process; lifestyle changes from rural to urban life, technology transforms from primitive and old technology to new and advanced production technologies. This transformed society transitions from village and town life, where community culture is dominant, to city and metropolitan life, where the transition to community culture is experienced. If the country's development adventure takes place quickly, a great difference in life between generations will emerge spontaneously. It can be said that the elderly will have the greatest difficulty in keeping up with this change, and serious social problems may arise in adapting to the rapid cycle of cities even if they are detached from their land. The dimensions of sociological and psychological problems, which are seen as an extension of this change, can be summarized.

Leaving these dimensions aside and looking at material bases, in general, in the course of development, firstly iron and iron-steel-related industries developed, followed by coal industry, engineering industries (machinery and motor vehicles), chemical industry (petroleum products and fertilizers) and electricity. The electronics industry is developing.

Economic development; represents a two-stage process.

-- The first stage is the bringing together of the factors of production. At this stage, an institutional/structural change is needed that includes the economy.

-- In the second stage, developments are recorded in socio-cultural and political structures as well as economic structures.

Regarding the development process, we can easily express the following: Development encompasses a complex process that encompasses the society with all its cultural, psychological and political dimensions, along with the economic dimension. In this context, the basic components of development are seen as a dynamic and young population, national economic assets and capital.

Mobilizing these components for development with good governance will naturally bring development in a country. Spontaneous development cannot occur in any country where the political will cannot show the necessary leadership. We see that the primary actor writing the development stories in the modern era, starting with England, including the USA, Germany and Japan, is the state mechanism. A development story that is not based on the legal existence of the state apparatus has not yet been written. The most important requirement is the political leadership that will guide the developmental elements of a state in the right direction. It is a must for the political leadership to lead the process from the preparation of human capital to the development of the country's resources.

Leaving the population, economic assets and capital components unattended may bring with it an economic growth temporarily, it may enable an economy based on rent to dominate the country haphazardly, but development, which is a long-term journey, cannot be realized. It can be a temporary hallucination, such as temporary jumps in development in very narrow spaces. As a result, we are faced with an undesirable situation such as the inability to establish continuity, the transfer of natural resources in the country to other countries in the form of natural raw materials before they can be turned into semi-finished or finished products, in short, an economic life that cannot produce added value dominates the country. Even if the natural resources of a state are rich, even if it is possible to reach a per capita income level of over 30,000 USD for a while, this will be a temporary situation that can last until the "sea ends". If the richness of natural resources cannot be used for development moves, even the countries with the richest natural resources cannot develop, moreover, they will donate their resources to the outside world as a direct or indirect colony of the developed countries.

In any case, development under the leadership of the state is the first priority for the people of every country in the modern age. Living in an undeveloped country inevitably brings with it the situation of missing not only the economic life but also the right to a "human life", which is nourished by all aspects of life. For this reason, the first condition of reaching and exceeding the level of modern civilization, "development", has to be the basic ideal of the citizens of every country. Any nation that does not have this ideal is condemned to be seen as a second/third class person in the civilized world.

Note: In our next article, we will focus on “Theories of Development”.

Some References that we used:

Demiray M, Iscan IH. (2008). Change in the Concept of Security in the International System, Economic and Geopolitical Background, Dumlupınar University Journal of Social Sciences, Issue 21, August 2008 <https://birimler.dpu.edu.tr/app/views/panel/ckfinder/userfiles/17/files/DERG_ /21/141-170.pdf>, set 14.04.2017.

Patience H. (2010). Competition and Development in Underdeveloped Countries, Derin Publications: 162, Istanbul

War V. (1986). Development Economics, Beta Press Distribution, Istanbul, 4th Edition.

Şahin E. (2007). Information and Technology Based Development as an Alternative Economic Policy (Master's), Abant İzzet Baysal University Social Sciences Institute Department of Economics, Bolu <https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/TezGoster?key=wBmNpkQC9Nhi90NLW7E7-b4ztdoR4ARKuM6k0 wJFWcSMQ9_zy0rZKQ>, set 10.06.2017.

Taban S, Snow M. (2016). Development Economics, Ekin Publishing House, 3rd Edition, Bursa.