title: Overurbanization reconceptualized:  a political economy of the world-system approach.
abstract: "After many years of relative neglect, the issue of 'overurbanization' in Third World countries has recently received renewed attention in the social science literature.  Adopting a political economy of the world-system perspective on urbanization and development, this article critiques the theoretical adequacy of the overurbanization thesis. Conceptualizing a causal relationship between spatio-demographic imbalances (labelled 'over-urbanization') and relatively skewed and stagnant economic development is midleading.  Both urban patterns and development trajectories are distorted by the international dependency of Third World nations in the world economy.  The general argument is illustrated by discussing the role that the so-called 'urban surplus labor' of the 'informal sector' plays in surplus extraction under peripheral capitalism."
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D003710:Demography; D003906:Developing Countries; D004467:Economics; D004651:Employment; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005843:Geography; D006280:Health Workforce; D011056:Political Systems; D011057:Politics; D011153:Population; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012942:Social Sciences; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D014507:Urbanization
keywords: Capitalism; Critique; Demography; Developing Countries; Economic Development; Economic Factors; Geographic Factors; Human Resources; Labor Force; Political Factors; Political Systems; Population; Population Theory; Social Sciences; Socioeconomic Factors; Spatial Distribution; Urban Spatial Distribution; Urbanization