Structural Determinants of Third World Urban Change: An Ecological and Political Economic Analysis

Abstract

Quantitative cross-national studies of peripheral urbanization have been rooted in human ecology or political economy. Studies in the human ecology tradition cite rural adversity as a major determinant of Third World urban growth. Studies in the political economy mode emphasize economic dependency. This paper 1) argues that no quantitative analysis of Third World urbanization can be if it fails to incorporate determinants suggested by 1 or the other theory and 2) conducts such a complete quantitative cross-national analysis which examines simultaneously both rural adversity and dependency as predictors of urban change. Findings suggest that both factors are important. (authors)