Technological Dependency and the Dialectics of Unequal Development in Morocco: A Markov-Switching Analysis in the Autocentric Growth Dilemma Age

Technological Dependency and the Dialectics of Unequal Development in Morocco: A Markov-Switching Analysis in the Autocentric Growth Dilemma Age | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Technological Dependency and the Dialectics of Unequal Development in Morocco: A Markov-Switching Analysis in the Autocentric Growth Dilemma Age SAKHR M'SSIYAH, NOR-EDDINE OUMANSOUR This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8020483/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This paper interrogates the profound dialectic unfolding between the ascendant technological superstructure and the persistent structures of social inequality within the peripheral economies of the Global South. Moving beyond the Panglossian narratives of technological determinism, we posit that the digital revolution, far from being a panacea for development, operates as a potent amplifier of pre-existing contradictions inherent in the heterogeneous modes of production characteristic of dependent capitalism. Through a critical resurrection and operationalization of Samir Amin’s seminal framework, specifically his concepts of unequal exchange, economic extraversion, and the development of underdevelopment, this analysis dissects the mechanisms by which technological adoption, when uncoupled from a radical reconfiguration of social production relations, systematically reinforces centre-periphery asymmetries. The methodological approach embraces this structural complexity by employing a Markov-Switching Autoregressive (MS-AR) model, an econometric formalism uniquely suited to capturing the non-linear, regime-dependent dynamics of a peripheral economy such as Morocco. The empirical architecture reveals a tragic paradox: quantitative advances in technological export intensity coexist with a deepening qualitative dependency and negative specialization, a configuration that perfectly embodies the Aminian prophecy. The results further illuminate the schizophrenic character of key variables; technological reliance and financialization exhibit profoundly bifurcated impacts, oscillating between contingent advantage and developmental constraint across distinct economic regimes, thereby crystallizing a state of stable instability. In conclusion, this study argues that the contemporary trajectory of peripheral development is not one of linear convergence but of a choreographed dance of constrained modernization. The superior performance of this model, which delineates a "dependent duality" between financialized extraversion and fragile autocentrism, demands a radical re-imagination of development strategy. The path forward cannot be a simplistic choice between integration and delinking, but must involve a sophisticated, state-orchestrated navigation of the global economy, leveraging moments of extraversion to build the endogenous technological sovereignty required for a genuine, auto-centric structural transformation. JEL code: O33, F63, O14, P16 , D63 Technological Superstructure Inequalities Unequal Development Peripheral Capitalism Markov-Switching Models Digital Dependency Autocentric Development Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 03 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 10 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 06 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 20 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 18 Nov, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 12 Nov, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 05 Nov, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 05 Nov, 2025 First submitted to journal 03 Nov, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8020483","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":548217856,"identity":"41db263a-6b31-44b0-8012-b5905fa17574","order_by":0,"name":"SAKHR 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