Which analytic framework would best help explain PKP's external influences on internal change?

• A. Social constructivism exclusively.
• B. Feminist theory.
• C. Cultural relativism only.
• D. World-systems theory, modernization theory, and dependency theory, among others.

Answer: (D)

Understanding how external forces shape internal change requires a lens that explicitly analyzes global structures and their interaction with a society’s development. The best framework brings together ideas from world-systems theory, modernization theory, and dependency theory because each highlights different ways outside actors, economies, and power relations influence internal change. World-systems theory explains how core-periphery dynamics and international hierarchies push or pull on a country’s development. Modernization theory looks at how ideas, institutions, and practices diffuse across borders, shaping internal evolution toward modern systems. Dependency theory emphasizes how exploitative economic relationships and unequal exchange constrain or direct internal trajectories.

Together, they provide a more complete account of external influences than approaches that focus narrowly on ideas, gender, or cultural evaluation. Social constructivism centers on how beliefs and meanings shape behavior, feminist theory concentrates on gendered power within societies, and cultural relativism emphasizes valuing cultures on their own terms without necessarily addressing external structural pressures. Hence, a framework that integrates these global and structural perspectives offers the strongest explanation for how external influences drive internal change.