Developmentalism:

"a form of analysis of social change that treats each country separately in an evolutionary manner.
Two assumptions are made: first, countries are deemed to be autonomous in terms of social change; and, second, all countries follow the same stages of change. This was a very common way of thinking about economic development in the optimistic years following the Second World War. "

1994 Johnston, Gregory & Smith
Dictionary of Human Geography 3rd ed.
Blackwell Press