Core–periphery model

The core–periphery model describes a system in which economic activity and power concentrate in a core while peripheral regions depend on it. It is used to explain spatial inequality and unequal exchange.

World-systems theory: A framework that explains global history through an interconnected capitalist world economy divided into unequal zones. It explains the core–periphery pattern at the scale of the world economy.
Immanuel Wallerstein: An American sociologist who developed modern world-systems analysis. His account made core, semi-periphery, and periphery central to a global historical framework.
Core countries: States with strong economies, diversified production, and substantial influence in the world economy. They occupy the dominant position in many global core–periphery accounts.
Modernization theory: A theory that explains development as a transition from traditional societies toward modern industrial economies. Unlike dependency accounts, it emphasizes internal stages of development rather than unequal external relations.
Unequal exchange: Trade in which economic benefits are distributed unevenly between regions or groups. Unequal trade can transfer value from peripheral economies to core economies.
Raúl Prebisch: An Argentine economist who analyzed unequal trade relations between industrial and primary-producing economies. His center–periphery formulation helped shape dependency approaches to global inequality.
Peripheral countries: States with less economic power that often depend on exporting primary goods or low-cost labor. They exemplify the dependent position the model seeks to explain.
Growth pole theory: A theory that explains regional growth through concentrated industries whose expansion stimulates surrounding areas. It treats concentrated activity as a possible engine of wider growth, not only a source of dependence.
Cumulative causation: A process in which an initial advantage generates further advantages through reinforcing feedback. Core advantages can attract more investment and activity, deepening regional divergence.
Andre Gunder Frank: A German-American sociologist and historian associated with dependency theory. His account linked peripheral underdevelopment to the historical expansion of capitalism.

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