that a nation goes through as it transitions from a
traditional society to a modern one. The theory has not been attributed to any
one person; instead, its development has been linked to American social
scientists in the 1950s.
There are many different versions of modernization
theory. This lesson will discuss the opposing views of the Marxist and
capitalist versions, a Western version, and a present-day version of
modernization theory.
Criticisms of Modernisation Theory
The Asian Tiger
economies combined elements of traditional culture with Western Capitalism to
experience some of the most rapid economic growth of the past 2 decades.
Ignores the ‘crisis
of modernism’ in both the developed and developing worlds. Many developed
countries have huge inequalities and the greater the level of inequality the
greater the degree of other problems: High crime rates, suicide rates, health
problems, drug abuse.
Ethnocentric
interpretations tend to exclude contributions from thinkers in the developing
world. This is a one size fits all model, and is not culture specific.
There are ecological
limits to growth. Many modernisation projects such mining and forestry have lead
to the destruction of environment.
Social damage – Some development projects such as dams have lead
to local populations being removed forcibly from their home lands with little
or no compensation being paid.
Happy Learning!
Anamika Gupta
IAAN
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