Development as modernisation: Rostow’s The Stages of Economic Growth

Abstract

Walt Whitman Rostow’s stages of economic growth theory continues to appear in curricula and textbooks on development geography despite being originally published in 1960 and being criticised for its Eurocentrism. This ‘Spotlight On … ’ article provides an overview of Rostow’s ideas, their influence and why modernisation ideas are still relevant in understanding how development is defined and implemented.