Modernization Theory Essay

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Modernization theory refers to the development processes  that  developing countries—or  traditional communities—employ  in their adaptation  processes to modern  technologies, cultural and social change, and adjustment  to regional or global economic  disequilibrium. Recognizing the far-ranging implications  of increasing  social and  regional  inequalities in the  wake of colonization  and  decolonization  in the non-European world, developing countries  and Western decolonization  scholars pondered  the practicalities  of (1) emulating  the  European  economic growth  and  modernization model  in a bid to  successfully improve  local conditions,  or  (2) resisting Western-style   modernization attempts   in  favor  of implementing  local non-Western-style development policies and practices that aimed to reduce colonial and economic dependencies.

Modernization theory  as academic  social scientific discourse was popular in the West from the late 1950s until  the  late 1960s with increasing  industrialization describing progressive change in a postcolonial  world.  In  the  decades  that  followed, this approach  experienced a backlash as local (or hybrid) approaches gained in popularity and a Western-style modernization  model   was  questioned.   However, hints  of modernization theory  can still be found in the approaches  of many development  theorists.  The notion  of modernization appears to have originated in Europe  between  the  13th  and  18th  centuries—a period often referred to as the Early Modern Period.

While Max Weber (1864–1920) understood modernization  mainly as rationalization,  modernization in the  views of many  also encompasses  increasing numbers  of participatory  citizens,  the  transformation of societies from agriculture to industrialization, technological  change,  the  relevance  of science  for progress, and the importance of progress per se. Modernization  processes and areas of development  also include   education   (alphabetization),   urbanization, and diversity of media. The Modern  Era—from the 18th century onward—was marked by industrialization (19th century) and globalization (20th century).

The seemingly desirable aim of the West to ensure societal progress toward modernity often legitimized Western   “assistance”  (from  the  “Word”  spread  by early proselytizing missionaries  and the “developing efforts” of the colonizing power/s)  and “aid” (financial and  credit)  programs  designed  to  further  the traditional   societies’   transition    from   agricultural to industrial  nations.  Such an approach  at the same time implied a so-called backwardness or inferiority of these traditional  societies—justifying the Western model  as the  only possible  alternative.  These processes of modernization are often  understood as a universal development  trajectory, starting with colonization and ending with decolonization. To this end, it was often the colonial power that introduced these “modern” or Western advancements.

Due to the challenges these new technologies and knowledge have presented to the power and influence of local elites and the traditions  of the local populations,  the  new ways have not  always been  enthusiastically welcomed. A further  reason for this lack of enthusiasm was that on occasion the Western powers used force to change the traditional ways of the locals in order to (1) set the colonized country on a Western modernization course, and (2) direct  (often exploit) the  local resources  according  to  the  economic  and strategic needs of the colonizers. Nonetheless, often in the face of unremitting local resistance, local elites and those interested in advancing in the colonized nations took advantage of these new learning, economic, and social opportunities, not only in the interests  of personal development but also to minimize the perceived structural  gap between the development level of their homeland and that of the colonizing nation.

One prominent proponent of embracing these new Western  ideas and  innovations  as positive stimulation for his country’s own culture and economy was Burma’s (today’s Myanmar) King Mindon (1808–78). In an attempt  to modernize  and reform his country, the king introduced and promoted  Western  technological innovations  in this former colony of the British Empire. Similar developments  could be observed in  other  colonized  countries  that  had  experienced or  were  experiencing  the  technological  and  military superiority of the foreign powers, the “modern” lifestyle, the  enlightenment, the  independence,  and Western notions of democracy.

Some of the ideas introduced by colonizing powers were more welcome than others, given that they were not necessarily perceived as purely “Western.” Prominent persons such as the first president of an independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, for example, saw education as central  to the successful development  of a country. As such, these ideas and reforms were on the whole easier to implement in the social reforms of the developing countries.  This represented a departure from a colonial mindset: Now there was recognition of the degree of empowerment that would enable the developing countries themselves to effect and control (social) change. Thus the colonizer’s role often took the form of change agent in the independence  movements of former colonized countries.

Failures And Alternatives

The failure of modernization theory in the late 20th century, palpable in the ongoing and persistent underdevelopment,  poverty, and failure of many developing countries  to catch up to—or participate  in—the world economy, resulted in dependency theorists arguing that disequilibrium  still existed. The genesis of the  more  contemporary disparities,  so the  argument goes, can be found in the ongoing exploration of developing nations by capitalist nations. Today, this is perpetuated not by military but by financial means, e.g., through credit and development aid. Apart from pernicious microstructural problems, progress in the postcolonial world was also inhibited by diverse sociopolitical problems and erratic development stages: Africa faced huge economic challenges and debt with the introduction of democracy; in the Islamic world, Samuel Huntington’s well-documented perceived “clash” between Eastern and Western  values became apparent; east Asia experienced  fluctuations  of economic boom and financial decline; and Latin America saw the  rise of new social movements,  military regimes that had their own ideas about the direction and nature of modernization.

Concomitant with the trajectory of decolonization, the number of less developed countries (LDCs) grew. However,  these   newly  independent  nations   were more heterogeneous than homogenous—economically, culturally, and politically. Some of these countries were resource-rich,  others  resource-poor. Any concept  of presumed  unity  of these  less developed countries, envisaged, for example, in the Bandung Conference (1955), remained utopian. In the decades following decolonization, some of these countries showed significant development,  both  economically and socially. Nonetheless,  many LDCs continued  to experience   structural   disadvantage,   continued   to be dependent upon  their  former  colonizing  power. Furthermore, often within the poorer  countries  the social and economic disparities continued to exist. In such cases, an economic divide between the rural and urban areas became evident.

Decolonization   trends   and  development   strategies are often  linked with the  term  modernization, generally  understood as a “world-historical transition toward progress.” Modernization was first introduced mainly as a Western  concept.  However, soon the question of alternative models rose. The successful rise of many of Asia’s emerging countries, and the role of Confucianism, for example, held great promise. It clearly demonstrated that  the developing and developed  countries  do  not  necessarily  experience the same sequence of modernization.

Bibliography:   

  1. Ian Buruma, God’s Dust: A Modern Asian Journey (Farrar, Straus  & Giroux, 1989);
  2. Irene Gendzier, Managing Political Change: Social Scientists and the Third World  (Westview, 1985);
  3. Nils Gilman, Mandarins  of the Future: Modernization Theory in Cold War America (Johns Hopkins   University  Press,  2003);
  4. Samuel  Huntington, “The Clash of Civilizations,” Foreign Affairs (v.72/3, 1993);
  5. Stephen Krasner, Structural  Conflict: The Third World Against Global Liberalism (University of California Press, 1985);
  6. Daniel Lerner,  The Passing of Traditional  Society: Modernizing the Middle  East (Macmillan, 1958);
  7. George Mavrotas and Mark McGillivray, Development Aid: A Fresh Look (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009);
  8. Dietmar Rothermund, Companion  Decolonization: The Routledge Companion  to Decolonization (Routledge, 2006);
  9. Brian C. Smith, Understanding Third World Politics: Theories of Political Change and Development (Indiana University Press, 2003);
  10. Alfred J. Watkins  and  Michael  Ehst,  Science, Technology, and Innovation: Capacity Building for Sustainable Growth and Poverty Reduction (World Bank, 2008).

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