MODERNISATION THEORY

Foracountrytobeseenasmodern,modernisationtheoristssayithastoundergoanevolutionaryadvanceinscienceandtechnologywhichinturnwouldleadtoanincreasedstandardof livingforall. Modernisation is the total transformation of a traditional or pre-modern into the type of technology and associated social and political organisation that characterise the western world. Countries develop out of a functionalist and evolutionary system of theory of social development that is linear . Modernisation theorist believe that modernisation is an all encompassing process which dvpt theorist generally perceive developing countries have to undergo for dvpt to occur. This highlight the positive role played by the developed world in modernising and facilitating dvpt in underdeveloped nations.

Causesoflackofdevelopmentorprogresstowardsmodernisation
Thatsomecountrieshavenotmodernisedisseentobetheresultofinternalfactorssuchas (a)povertyand(b)inadequateculture(c) insufficient capital (human, financial)

Historicalbackgroundtomodernisationtheory
Postworldwartwo’sdeepeningpovertyinsomecountries

Ideological competition from communism

Increasing unrest in some countries

The above posed a threat to capitalism, and especially the USA

This led to the development of modernisationtheory (mainly by US economists and policy makers)

Modernisationtheoristsaimedto:

  • explainwhypoorer countriesfailedtoevolveintomodern societies
  • Reducethespread ofcommunismbypresentingcapitalistvalues asthesolutiontopoverty
  • Adopt the evolutionary theory which stated that social change is unidirectional from primitive to an advanced state. and that social change is evolutionary and not revolutionary –slow gradual and piecemeal

Modernisationtheoryhasbecomeincreasinglyinfluential,especiallysincepost collapseofUSSR. The theory dichotomised the developed and the developing countries

Comparisons where made between the backward and the advanced societies, the barbarian and the civilised, the traditional and themodern. The traditional sector is agriculture based – low technology, capital and worker productivity. The traditional society relies on kinship structure, has little social or spatial mobility and has a traditional elite and hierarchical organisation. The modern sector –high productivity manufacturing or urban centred industrialisation which requires growth in savings and increased capital accumulation. It hasgot highly differentiated political structures and l rational legal sources of authority.To close the gap AN Smelser in Burns (1969) recommended that there should be a move from the simple to complex technology, subsistence farming to cash crops, animal and human power to machine power, rural settlements to urban settlements

Rostow recommended the five stage evolutionary ladder of development (economic factors)

1Traditionalsociety: characterisedby poverty,primaryproduction,traditionalvalues, subsistence economy –output not traded or recorded, existence of barter trade, and high levels of agriculture and labour intensive agriculture

2Pre-conditionsfortake-off: theWestassistsdevelopmentthroughaidandindustrial investment,necessity of external funding, some growth in saving , investment and dvpt of mining industries and increase in capital use in agriculture

3Take-off:higheconomicgrowthandinvestmentininfrastructurebegins, increasing industrialisation and further growth in savings and investments and number of people employed in agriculture declines

4Thedrivetomaturity:economicandculturalfactorsleadtoincreasingprosperityforall. Growth becomes self sustaining wealth generation enables further investment in value adding industry and development, industry more diversified and increase in levels of technology utilised

5 Theageofhigh Massconsumption:high output levels ,mass consumption of consumer durables and high proportion of employment in the service sector

Modernisationtheory –roleoftheWestindeveloping countries

Western investmentinfactories, expertiseandequipment –useloansfrom WorldBank(Trickle down)

Western fundingtointroduce meritocraticeducation(values ofuniversalism,individualism andcompetition

Mass media to disseminate modern ideas e.g. nuclear families

Urbanisation to be encouraged

Withsuchhelpfromthewestpoor countrieswoulddevelop
capitalistentrepreneurial,middleclasstodevelopbusinessopportunities, highmassconsumption, anurbanpopulation and lifestylesofconspicuous consumption

Criticismofmodernisationtheory

Itisethnocentric because

(a)itdevalues traditionalvaluesandsocialinstitutions e.g.extendedfamilies

(b)itignores increasinginequalitywithinandbetweencountries

(c)itis notaneutraltheoryasitsuggests (itpromoteswesterncapitalistvalues)A Eurocentric development thinking the dvpt theory and model is rooted in western European history .Mistakenbly concluded that the history of the developed industrial state is taken as a model which should be followed by the rest of the world irrespective of the different institutional ,structural, attitudinal and cultural conditions.

Education indevelopingworld mainlybenefitssmall, localelites(those atthetop)

Itassumesunlimitednaturalresourcesforindustrialexpansion.(ignoresecological issues)

The theory perpetuates imperialism in all forms ie economic, cultural and social. A way developed nations creates barriers to the progress of poor nations.

Emphasised economic growth at the expense of equality –widening the gap between the rich and the poor.

Supporters of the modernisation theory assumed that the linear process exist whereby developing countries progressively become industrialised

Reduced the reasons for underdevelopment to internal factors ie their traditions, lack of sufficient capital, ignoring the external factors ie colonialism and the spread of capitalism

Did not take into consideration the differences in less developed countries, they do not have identical economic and social structures.

Ideologization the model was supported by USA pitched against communism USSR so the self correction of the camp was impaired.

Influenceofmodernisationtheorytoday

PaternalismofNGO’s –‘peoplefirst’policiesarebased onwestern‘help’asitisdeemed thatpoorcountriescannothelpthemselves

Neo-liberalswant afreemarketandadvocate‘helping’ poorcountries.(Arguablytheywantit bothwaysdependingonwhatsuitsthem.)