Core-Periphery Model

The Core-Periphery Model is essentially a theory of spatial organization—how regions develop in relation to one another—and more importantly, why some regions stay underdeveloped while others flourish.

Imagine the economy and society as a chessboard. While a few squares (the “core”) gain most of the power, wealth, and infrastructure, the rest (the “periphery”) remain systematically weaker, always dependent on the core.

🔍 What Does the Model Say?

• The core is the dominant area—it controls resources, industries, information, and capital.
• The periphery is dependent on the core. It supplies raw materials, labour, and markets, but doesn’t benefit proportionally.
• This core-periphery relationship is unequal, and this inequality is maintained through exchange mechanisms (e.g., trade, investment, information flow).

🧠 Think of Delhi or Mumbai as the core and a tribal district in Jharkhand or Bastar as the periphery. While goods, talent, and raw materials flow out of the periphery, very little returns in terms of development.

🧠 John R. Friedmann’s View on the Model

The modern conceptualization of this theory comes from John R. Friedmann, who offered some bold insights:

1. Development of the Core Happens at the Cost of the Periphery

• The centripetal forces (forces pulling towards the centre like capital, talent, institutions) help the core grow.
• Meanwhile, peripheral areas experience centrifugal forces (forces that push resources and people away)—leading to outmigration, resource depletion, and underdevelopment.

🌍 This is not accidental. It is a natural outcome of how economic and spatial forces operate, according to Friedmann.

2. Growth Nuclei and Expansion

• Initially, small nuclei or pockets of development emerge due to advantages like location, infrastructure, or investment.
• These nuclei evolve into cores, sucking in talent, capital, and investment from surrounding areas—which slowly become the periphery.

3. Criticism of Other Development Models

• Rejects the Rostovian model, which assumes linear, stage-wise growth for all regions.
  • Friedman says: growth is not uniform or equitable. Some regions get richer, others remain stuck.
• Also critiques the myth of development: Post-colonial countries might be politically independent, but economically, they are still subservient to First World countries.
  • They are tied into unequal trade relationships, where:
    • Raw materials go from developing countries to rich countries.
    • Finished goods and technology come back at higher prices.

🔁 It’s a cycle of modern economic exploitation, not very different from colonial dependency.

🌍 Neo-Colonial Dependency: Global Core-Periphery

Friedman takes this model to a global scale:

• First World countries like the US, UK, France form the global core.
• Nations of the Global South (Africa, Latin America, South Asia) become the global periphery.
• Economic control, not military, is the tool of modern domination:
  • Through trade agreements, loans, MNCs, and technology, the core keeps the periphery dependent and underdeveloped.

🧩 How This Model Links to Others

• Has strong parallels with Growth Pole Theory—both speak of concentrated development and trickle effects (though Core-Periphery is more critical and inequality-focused).
• Also aligns with Gravity Model in geography, where larger centres of mass (population, economy) attract more activity.
• But while Growth Pole assumes development will spread, Core-Periphery is more pessimistic—it says disparity is structural and long-term unless challenged.

📌 Conclusion

• Core-Periphery is not just a theory, but a lens to understand persistent underdevelopment—why Bihar, despite abundant water and manpower, struggles, while Maharashtra thrives.
• It is essential to understand that regional disparity is not a technical failure, but often a structural consequence of how development is planned and power is distributed.
• This model urges planners to:
  • Recognize invisible dependencies in society and economy.
  • Create functional linkages so the periphery is not left behind.