CHAPTER TWELVE
Development in Africa and the Middle East

Study
Chapter 12 turns its attention to Africa and the Middle East, where development has occurred slowly and sporadically. A number of theories exist to account for this. Realists perspectives, for example, stress the struggle over resources Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) as a cause of their slow development. The conflicts over oil, diamonds, and other raw materials occur at all levels of analysis and have hindered economic growth in these regions. The liberal perspectives often turn to corrupt governments and poor market policies as the best explanations for the lack of development in SSA and MENA. Until these two problems can be solved, liberals contend, the region will not see improvements. Identity perspectives, finally, focus on oppression and the lack of modernization in SSA and MENA, suggesting that discrimination against women and egregious human rights abuses are the roots of the region's poor development.

Study Questions

1. How has domestic governance helped or hindered the economies of Sub-Saharan Africa? Give specific examples.
   



2. What is debt relief? How can it be both harmful and helpful to a country?
   



3. What is the status of women in the Middle East and Northern Africa? How does this hinder economic development in the region?