According to Dependency Theory, what is the nature of the core-periphery relationship?

According to Dependency Theory, what is the nature of the core-periphery relationship?

• A. Core countries exploit peripheries through unequal exchange, keeping peripheries underdeveloped.
• B. Core countries are dependent on peripheries for labor.
• C. Peripheries control core policies leading to underdevelopment.
• D. There is no interaction between core and periphery.

Answer: (B)

In Dependency Theory, wealthier core countries stay powerful because their economies rely on the labor and resources provided by poorer peripheral regions. The periphery supplies cheap, surplus labor that fuels production in the core, helping core industries grow and profits to accumulate. That dynamic creates a dependency: the core needs the periphery’s labor to maintain its high level of development, while the periphery remains underdeveloped because its economy is structured to serve the needs of the core—often with limited opportunities for autonomous growth. So, describing the relationship as core countries being dependent on peripheries for labor captures how the core’s prosperity rests on the periphery’s labor power and the resulting unequal exchange that underpins the whole system.

In Dependency Theory, wealthier core countries stay powerful because their economies rely on the labor and resources provided by poorer peripheral regions. The periphery supplies cheap, surplus labor that fuels production in the core, helping core industries grow and profits to accumulate. That dynamic creates a dependency: the core needs the periphery’s labor to maintain its high level of development, while the periphery remains underdeveloped because its economy is structured to serve the needs of the core—often with limited opportunities for autonomous growth. So, describing the relationship as core countries being dependent on peripheries for labor captures how the core’s prosperity rests on the periphery’s labor power and the resulting unequal exchange that underpins the whole system.