<P> The theory was introduced in the 1950s by Raul Prebisch, Director of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America after observing that economic growth in wealthy countries did not translate into economic growth in poor countries . Dependency theorists believe this is due to the import - export relationship between rich and poor countries . Walter Rodney, in his book How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, used this framework when observing the relationship between European trading companies and African peasants living in postcolonial states . Through the labour of peasants, African countries are able to gather large quantities of raw materials . Rather than being able to export these materials directly to Europe, states must work with a number of trading companies, who collaborated to keep purchase prices low . The trading companies then sold the materials to European manufactures at inflated prices . Finally the manufactured goods were returned to Africa, but with prices so high, that labourers were unable to afford them . This led to a situation where the individuals who labored extensively to gather raw materials were unable to benefit from the finished goods . </P> <P> Neocolonialism is the continued economic and cultural control of countries that have been decolonized . The first documented use of the term was by Former President of Ghana Kwame Nkrumah in the 1963 preamble of the Organization of African States . Nkrumah expanded the concept of neocolonialism in the book Neo-Colonialism, the Last Stage of Imperialism (1965). In Nkrumah's estimation, traditional forms of colonialism have ended, but many African states are still subject to external political and economic control by Europeans . Neocolonialism is related to dependency theory in that they both acknowledge the financial exploitation of poor counties by the rich, but neocolonialism also includes aspects of cultural imperialism . Rejection of cultural neocolonialism formed the basis of négritude philosophy, which sought to eliminate colonial and racist attitudes by affirming the values of "the black world" and embracing "blackness ." </P> <P> Benign colonialism is a supposed form of colonialism in which benefits outweighed risks for indigenous populations whose lands, resources, rights and freedoms were preempted by a colonising nation - state . The historical source for the concept of benign colonialism resides with John Stuart Mill who was chief examiner of the British East India Company dealing with British interests in India in the 1820s and 1830s . Mill's most well - known essays on benign colonialism are found in "Essays on some Unsettled Questions of Political Economy ." </P> <P> Mill's view contrasted with Burkean orientalists . Mill promoted the training of a corps of bureaucrats indigenous to India who could adopt the modern liberal perspective and values of 19th century Britain . Mill predicted this group's eventual governance of India would be based on British values and perspectives . </P>

Trace the spread of european influence through colonial expansion