Final answer:
the traditional society
The first stage of Rostow's five-stage model of economic development is the traditional society, characterized by an agrarian economy, high birth and death rates, and larger family sizes due to high fertility rates.
This stage is the starting point for a country's development, leading up to the age of high mass consumption with advanced industrialization and a consumer economy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first stage of Rostow's five-stage model of economic development is the traditional society. This stage is characterized by a predominantly agrarian economy with limited technology and a static social structure.
Traditional societies are marked by high birth and death rates, and they rely heavily on subsistence agriculture and barter trade systems.
Health care, education, and social services are often lacking or non-existent, leading to low levels of economic development and larger family sizes due to high fertility rates. Rostow's model portrays this as the starting point for a country's journey towards an age of high mass consumption, where advanced industrialization and higher standards of living prevail.
As the model proposed by economist Walt Rostow in the 1960s suggests, societies evolve from this stage through four subsequent stages: preconditions for take-off, take-off, drive to maturity, and finally reach the stage of mass consumption that defines advanced economies.
This progression is often accompanied by a shift from rural to urban settings, increases in industrial activity, and a demographic transition towards smaller family sizes and lower fertility rates. Each stage of Rostow's model is designed to reflect the economic and demographic development of a country over time.