Category: Modernization Theory

Since the 18th Century, people have had the idea that they can develop and change their societies for the better. Arguably, the topics of growth, development and modernization are inseparable in the modern world. Three key aspects of development exist, namely the economic, sociological and psychological perspectives.

It is the aim of each and every country to achieve a higher state of development, since this represents better living standards and welfare of its citizens. This paper explores the topic of modernization, critically analyzing its basic argument, its features and characteristics, and discussing the contribution of Walt Rostow in the form of his five stages of economic development.

The modernization theory explains the process through which modernization occurs in societies. Its origin can be traced back to the 18th century, to the development of the basic principles of the Idea of Progress. This period came to be referred to as the Age of Enlightenment, signifying the period when people brought up with the idea that they could change their societies.

The fundamental line of reasoning of the modernization theory is that societies change from traditional to a modern form. A number of factors are associated with this change, including technology, economic growth and development, education, religion and culture. According to Marquis de Condorcet, economic development and advancement in technology can lead to change in cultural value, consequently leading to social progress (Perry et al. 194).

This became evident since as societies adopted the idea of modernization, further radical changes in the social structure came into existence, bringing about the social evolution. This was characterized by division of labor in the society, industrialization, globalization and capitalism. According to this theory, development is the process through which societies achieve modernization.

According to the modernization theory, traditional societies can achieve the same status as the developed societies using the same criteria as the latter, provided the former gets the necessary assistance. The modern society refers to the U.S.A and Western Europe countries. All other countries aiming to achieve the status of a modern society must imitate these developed countries.

Modernization theory exhibits several characteristics. Top on this list is the proposition that development leads to modernization. This theory suggests that a country can only achieve modernization if it experiences significant levels of development in three key areas: economically, sociologically and psychologically. The psychological aspect is a significant element of development, since psychological intentions form the driving force of economic growth (McClelland et al. 5).

Focusing on the economic aspect, one of the most significant contributors to this theory is Walt W. Rostow. For instance, he put forward a non-communist manifesto identifying five stages of economic development (Stages of Economic Growth 4). According to Rostow, development can only be achieved through capitalism and industrialization (Process of Economic Growth 6). This theory is discussed in details later in this paper.

Another significant proposition by the modernization theory is that development is a linear and irreversible process. The process of transformation of a society from the traditional to the modern state through the Rostows stages of economic development is as a result of influence of both internal dynamics and external forces.

This theory also takes economic growth both as a means to achieving economic development and a result of economic development. According to Todaro, there can be economic growth without development, yet there cannot be economic development without economic growth (22).

Apart from economic growth, economic development also encompasses elements such as increase in national income, betterment of living standards of the citizens, higher life expectancy, lower child mortality rates, better health care and improved education systems.

Several methods of measuring economic development exist, including determination of increase in Gross National Product (GNP) and GNP per capita; improvement in welfare of citizens of a country and through the use of social indicators. However, the most accurate and commonly used method is through measurement of increase in GNP per capita (World Economy 8).

Traditional and modern societies exhibit totally contrasting characteristics, according to the modernization theory (Torado and Smith 203). Traditional societies are based on socialism while the modern societies exhibit capitalism. While the economies of traditional societies depend on agriculture as the main source of income, modern societies economies are based on industrialization.

Production at the level of traditional societies is for subsistence only while modern societies exhibit surplus production. Modern societies extract their labor from formal labor markets. Such markets are non-existent in traditional societies, and the source of labor is families and clans. While modern societies apply advanced levels of technology in production processes, traditional societies apply primitive technology, which raises the production cost and often results in low productivity.

Other characteristics include an underdeveloped, rural, religion based society exhibiting collective social relations and a culture based on traditions for the traditional societies; as opposed to a developed, urban, rational, secular society exhibiting individuality and which is based on rules and laws; as in the case of modern societies.

The economic aspect of modernization follows the Rostows stages of economic growth. Walt Rostow identified five stages of economic development, namely the Traditional Society, Preconditions for Take Off, Take Off, Drive to Maturity and High Mass Consumption.

During the stage of the Traditional Society, the economy is dominated by subsistence production. All the output is consumed by the producers, implying that no surplus is left for sale. Such societies exercise barter trade, where there is direct exchange of goods for other goods.

This form of trade depends on a double coincidence of wants between the seller and the buyer. Production in traditional societies is labor intensive and utilizes only limited amount of capital. Further, such societies utilize traditional methods of production, since modern production methods and technology are either inaccessible or unavailable. The political organization of the traditional societies is not centralized, while the social organization is hierarchical and based on inheritance.

The Preconditions for Take-off can be referred to as a transitional stage, in which an economy exits from the traditional society. During this stage, there is the rise of new ideas that are favorable to economic progress. These include better education systems and entrepreneurship.

There is the emergence of new and better capital mobilization institutions. There is a dramatic increase production; resulting from investment in infrastructure and specialization in production. This leads to surplus production, which can be used for trading.

Improvement in the infrastructure also facilitates trade and administration in the society. Take note that although there is the emergence of a new industrial sector, traditional social structures remain in place. This results in what is known as a dual society. Another significant change that takes place during this stage is the change in the political structure. This involves change to nationalism, characterized by the formation of a centralized national government and administrative power.

The Take-off is the most essential and the hardest stage to achieve, according to Rostow (Stages of Economic Growth 299). It involves sustainable growth of industries and a significant rise in investment.

Technically, this stage requires a revolutionary advancement in agricultural production. In order to achieve take-off, three conditions must be met: First, the rate of investment must increase to between 10% and 12.5% of the national income. Secondly, there must be emergence and high growth rate of at least one (preferably more than one) leading manufacturing sector(s).

Such a sector employs the latest advancements in technology and stimulates supplementary growth sectors and derived growth sectors. This leads to an overall growth in the economy (299). The third condition requires the existence of a social, political and institutional framework that can adequately support the leading sector and allow the benefits of the economic expansion to spread throughout the economy.

Drive to Maturity is the stage occurring about two decades since the beginning of the take-off stage. The former is characterized by slowing down of growth of leading sector(s), hence other sectors become more prominent.

At this level, modern production techniques are not limited to the leading sectors as in the case of take-off  they now exist in most sectors in the economy (World Economy 2). Production at this level aims at maintaining competitiveness in the international market, not just for social necessity. The factor facilitating the development at this stage is the emergence of mass education.

Age of high mass consumption refers to the stage when per capita income exceeds the cost of basic needs. There is the accumulation of significant economic surplus. Consequently, consumers have sufficient disposable income.

Economies at this level may choose to extend their social overhead capital and social-welfare policies, strive for world power by building up military power and colonization; investing overseas, including exportation of capital and expertise; or gear the economy towards given consumption patterns.

This stage is characterized by a shift of the leading sectors towards housing and durable consumer goods; in addition to education, health and recreation services in the economy. Note that the first three stages seek to prolong the drive to maturity while the last option will result into the entrance into the age of high mass consumption.

Through his theory of economic development, Rostow brought out the point that development requires substantive investment in capital. This concept can be applied in enforcing development in less developed countries (LCDs) as follows: Foreign direct investment and aid can only be of help in inducing development if it is given to the LCD in its take-off stage, meaning that the economy has already reached the preconditions for take-off stage.

His theory also proposes injections in the form of capital, foreign investment and aid as the means to fill the financing gap facing LCDs, hence attain development.

A number of weaknesses have been identified with the Rostows theory of economic development. For instance, this theory is based on observations of American and European societies. Assuming that third world countries have to follow the same path towards modernization may be incorrect, since they face different environments.

They may, therefore, have to follow different paths towards their economic development In addition, Rostows theory assumes that growth occurs automatically by the time an economy reaches its maturity stage. This was disputed by Kuznets, who denoted that all levels of growth require external forces (Todaro 431). There is also an overlap between the preconditions for take-off and the take-off stages of the Rostows Model (431).

Works Cited

McClelland, David, et al. The Achievement Motive. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc., 1953. Print.

Perry, Marvin, et al. Sources of the Western Tradition: From the Ancient Times to Enlightenment. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Print.

Rostow, Walt. The Process of Economic Growth. 2^nd ed. London: Oxford University Press. 1960a. Print.

Rostow, Walt. The Stages of Economic Growth: A Non-Communist Manifesto. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1960b. Print.

Rostow, Walt. The World Economy: History and Prospect. London: Macmillan. 1978. Print.

Todaro, Michael, and Stephen Smith. Economic Development. 6^th. Ed. London: Macmillan. 2009. Print.

Modernization theory is an interdisciplinary model which is supposed to explain the progress of various societies. In particular, it is aimed at identifying the factors that shape the transition of the society from traditional to modern stage. This approach has been widely applied by American policy-makers during the 1950s and 1960s at the time when they studied developing countries that could become the allies of the United States.

Furthermore, this framework was used to develop recommendations that could boost the progress of these states. One can say that this theory can be helpful for distinguishing those factors that can contribute to the development of a country and the growth of its economy; however, the recommendations offered by the advocates of this approach are not always effective, because there are several cultural and social variables that are not included in this model.

Overall, researchers single out several drawbacks of this model. In particular, this model does not always take into account the differences between various traditional societies. For example, they can differ in terms of social hierarchy, the role of religion, workplace culture, and so forth. Therefore, one cannot easily tell how such communities can respond to innovative policies. The advocates of modernization theory focus on Japan which eloquently exemplifies the process of modernization.

One can also refer to some other countries such as South Korea or Singapore. However, the number of such cases is not sufficient for developing definitive guidelines that can benefit various traditional societies. Thus, modernization theory lacks rigor which is important for any scientific model. This is one of the drawbacks that should be taken into account by policy-makers.

Furthermore, scholars note that that there are differences in the rate of modernization. This argument is particularly relevant if one speaks about countries representing different regions such as Southeast Asia, Middle East, or Africa. Even though, these states have been allied with the United States, not all of them have been able to create democratic institutions.

Furthermore, they did not always achieve prosperity. These examples indicate that there are certain factors that can influence the ability of the society to embrace modernization. For example, some cultures are open to innovation and social transformation while others tend to resist such processes. These issues were not fully considered by the supporters of modernization theory. This is one of the aspects that shout be taken into account.

Another limitation of this model is that it is based on the Western standards of social and political development. One of such standards is the promotion of liberal democracy which is regarded as the optimal political regime.

However, in many cases, it is not permissible to compare developing and advanced in this way because these communities can differ in terms of values or worldviews. For instance, even during the pre-modern stages, the political landscape of countries like England was dominated by people who wanted to limit the power of the state. This is why many of them embraced the principles of liberal democracy. However, this political regime was not readily accepted in other regions of the world, especially those countries, in which there were fewer people who could protect their rights or struggle for them.

Additionally, modernization theory cannot fully explain the influence of such factors as natural resources on the development of the community. For instance, maritime transportation can be critical for the economic growth of the country. In turn, landlocked states are usually more disadvantaged because they have fewer opportunities for trade. Such factors have to be mentioned to show that under some circumstances, the recommendations based on the modernization theory may not be applicable to certain countries or regions.

Admittedly, there are some benefits of this model. In particular, this approach can be useful for identifying the factors that contribute to the improvement of living conditions in the community. For instance, one can speak about the accountability of government, the development of transportation infrastructure, rule of law, investment in educational institutions, and so forth. They are the necessary prerequisites for the ability of any community to make progress. However, one cannot assume that the guidelines offered by modernization theorists can always be effectively implemented.

Additionally, the guidelines developed on the basis of modernization theory proved to be efficient when American policy-makers tries to reform the social, legal, and political environment of Japan. Again, one can speak about Singapore, Hong Kong, or South Korea. To some degree, modernization was achieved in Turkey. However, these principles can be implemented if policy-makers can anticipate potential response to dramatic transformation of various social, legal, and economic institutions.

On the whole, modernization theory is an important landmark in the history of social and political sciences. Moreover, it has significantly shaped the development of various countries. However, this interdisciplinary model can only identify the prerequisites that are important for social progress. Moreover, the guidelines developed by the advocates of this approach are not always effective because one cannot always anticipate potential resistance to modernization. These are the main aspects that be distinguished.

Bibliography

Latham, Michael. Modernization as Ideology: American Social Science and nation Building in the Kennedy Era, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2000.

Lerner, Daniel. The Passing of Traditional Society. Glencoe: Free Press, 1958.

Rostow, Walt. The Stages of Economic Growth: A Non-Communist Manifesto. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1960.

“The Passing of Traditional Societies” is based on empirical material obtained from fieldwork and interviews conducted over a decade in Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, and Iran. Lerner proceeded from the fact that in the process of modernization, all societies move in the same direction, which was set by the Western countries that had completed modernization earlier. However, this “Western model,” according to Lerner, is, in fact, global. It acquired its name only due to a historical confluence of circumstances. Countries of the North Atlantic were the first to carry out the processes of secularization, urbanization, and industrialization. Analyzing the modernization of lifestyles based on empirical material, Lerner pays the most attention to the growth of population mobility, the spread of literacy, and the mass media.

For example, Lerner dwelled on the problem of restrictions for modernization. Among the most critical factors hindering development, he attributed ethnocentrism. Lerner states, “From the West came the stimuli which undermined traditional society in the Middle East; for the reconstruction of a modern society that will operate efficiently” (Lerner 47). The author contrasts societies, at the same time declaring that the focus on cultural identity impedes progress.

I believe that this concept of modernization designed to solve the problems of transition from “backwardness” to “modernity” was a specific product of the era after the Second World War. Built on numerous simplifications, the modernization theory interprets the historical process as one-line and non-alternative (Dunmire 23). The paradigm proposed by Lerner does not explain the development principles of many countries, such as China, Russia, or Cuba, and therefore loses its relevance in modern days.

Works Cited

Dunmire, Patricia L. “‘America’s Most Precious Resource: The Future in American National Identity and Foreign Policy.” Futures, vol. 112, 2019. Crossref, Web.

Lerner, Daniel. The Passing of Traditional Society: Modernizing the Middle East. 2nd ed., Free Press, 2022.

Since the 18th Century, people have had the idea that they can develop and change their societies for the better. Arguably, the topics of growth, development and modernization are inseparable in the modern world. Three key aspects of development exist, namely the economic, sociological and psychological perspectives.

It is the aim of each and every country to achieve a higher state of development, since this represents better living standards and welfare of its citizens. This paper explores the topic of modernization, critically analyzing its basic argument, its features and characteristics, and discussing the contribution of Walt Rostow in the form of his five stages of economic development.

The modernization theory explains the process through which modernization occurs in societies. Its origin can be traced back to the 18th century, to the development of the basic principles of the Idea of Progress. This period came to be referred to as the “Age of Enlightenment”, signifying the period when people brought up with the idea that they could change their societies.

The fundamental line of reasoning of the modernization theory is that societies change from traditional to a modern form. A number of factors are associated with this change, including technology, economic growth and development, education, religion and culture. According to Marquis de Condorcet, economic development and advancement in technology can lead to change in cultural value, consequently leading to social progress (Perry et al. 194).

This became evident since as societies adopted the idea of modernization, further radical changes in the social structure came into existence, bringing about the social evolution. This was characterized by division of labor in the society, industrialization, globalization and capitalism. According to this theory, development is the process through which societies achieve modernization.

According to the modernization theory, traditional societies can achieve the same status as the developed societies using the same criteria as the latter, provided the former gets the necessary assistance. The modern society refers to the U.S.A and Western Europe countries. All other countries aiming to achieve the status of a modern society must imitate these developed countries.

Modernization theory exhibits several characteristics. Top on this list is the proposition that development leads to modernization. This theory suggests that a country can only achieve modernization if it experiences significant levels of development in three key areas: economically, sociologically and psychologically. The psychological aspect is a significant element of development, since psychological intentions form the driving force of economic growth (McClelland et al. 5).

Focusing on the economic aspect, one of the most significant contributors to this theory is Walt W. Rostow. For instance, he put forward a non-communist manifesto identifying five stages of economic development (Stages of Economic Growth 4). According to Rostow, development can only be achieved through capitalism and industrialization (Process of Economic Growth 6). This theory is discussed in details later in this paper.

Another significant proposition by the modernization theory is that development is a linear and irreversible process. The process of transformation of a society from the traditional to the modern state through the Rostow’s stages of economic development is as a result of influence of both internal dynamics and external forces.

This theory also takes economic growth both as a means to achieving economic development and a result of economic development. According to Todaro, there can be economic growth without development, yet there cannot be economic development without economic growth (22).

Apart from economic growth, economic development also encompasses elements such as increase in national income, betterment of living standards of the citizens, higher life expectancy, lower child mortality rates, better health care and improved education systems.

Several methods of measuring economic development exist, including determination of increase in Gross National Product (GNP) and GNP per capita; improvement in welfare of citizens of a country and through the use of social indicators. However, the most accurate and commonly used method is through measurement of increase in GNP per capita (World Economy 8).

Traditional and modern societies exhibit totally contrasting characteristics, according to the modernization theory (Torado and Smith 203). Traditional societies are based on socialism while the modern societies exhibit capitalism. While the economies of traditional societies depend on agriculture as the main source of income, modern societies’ economies are based on industrialization.

Production at the level of traditional societies is for subsistence only while modern societies exhibit surplus production. Modern societies extract their labor from formal labor markets. Such markets are non-existent in traditional societies, and the source of labor is families and clans. While modern societies apply advanced levels of technology in production processes, traditional societies apply primitive technology, which raises the production cost and often results in low productivity.

Other characteristics include an underdeveloped, rural, religion based society exhibiting collective social relations and a culture based on traditions for the traditional societies; as opposed to a developed, urban, rational, secular society exhibiting individuality and which is based on rules and laws; as in the case of modern societies.

The economic aspect of modernization follows the Rostow’s stages of economic growth. Walt Rostow identified five stages of economic development, namely the Traditional Society, Preconditions for Take Off, Take Off, Drive to Maturity and High Mass Consumption.

During the stage of the Traditional Society, the economy is dominated by subsistence production. All the output is consumed by the producers, implying that no surplus is left for sale. Such societies exercise barter trade, where there is direct exchange of goods for other goods.

This form of trade depends on a double coincidence of wants between the seller and the buyer. Production in traditional societies is labor intensive and utilizes only limited amount of capital. Further, such societies utilize traditional methods of production, since modern production methods and technology are either inaccessible or unavailable. The political organization of the traditional societies is not centralized, while the social organization is hierarchical and based on inheritance.

The Preconditions for Take-off can be referred to as a transitional stage, in which an economy exits from the traditional society. During this stage, there is the rise of new ideas that are favorable to economic progress. These include better education systems and entrepreneurship.

There is the emergence of new and better capital mobilization institutions. There is a dramatic increase production; resulting from investment in infrastructure and specialization in production. This leads to surplus production, which can be used for trading.

Improvement in the infrastructure also facilitates trade and administration in the society. Take note that although there is the emergence of a new industrial sector, traditional social structures remain in place. This results in what is known as a “dual society”. Another significant change that takes place during this stage is the change in the political structure. This involves change to nationalism, characterized by the formation of a centralized national government and administrative power.

The Take-off is the most essential and the hardest stage to achieve, according to Rostow (Stages of Economic Growth 299). It involves sustainable growth of industries and a significant rise in investment.

Technically, this stage requires a revolutionary advancement in agricultural production. In order to achieve take-off, three conditions must be met: First, the rate of investment must increase to between 10% and 12.5% of the national income. Secondly, there must be emergence and high growth rate of at least one (preferably more than one) leading manufacturing sector(s).

Such a sector employs the latest advancements in technology and stimulates supplementary growth sectors and derived growth sectors. This leads to an overall growth in the economy (299). The third condition requires the existence of a social, political and institutional framework that can adequately support the leading sector and allow the benefits of the economic expansion to spread throughout the economy.

Drive to Maturity is the stage occurring about two decades since the beginning of the take-off stage. The former is characterized by slowing down of growth of leading sector(s), hence other sectors become more prominent.

At this level, modern production techniques are not limited to the leading sectors as in the case of take-off – they now exist in most sectors in the economy (World Economy 2). Production at this level aims at maintaining competitiveness in the international market, not just for social necessity. The factor facilitating the development at this stage is the emergence of mass education.

Age of high mass consumption refers to the stage when per capita income exceeds the cost of basic needs. There is the accumulation of significant economic surplus. Consequently, consumers have sufficient disposable income.

Economies at this level may choose to extend their social overhead capital and social-welfare policies, strive for world power by building up military power and colonization; investing overseas, including exportation of capital and expertise; or gear the economy towards given consumption patterns.

This stage is characterized by a shift of the leading sectors towards housing and durable consumer goods; in addition to education, health and recreation services in the economy. Note that the first three stages seek to prolong the drive to maturity while the last option will result into the entrance into the age of high mass consumption.

Through his theory of economic development, Rostow brought out the point that development requires substantive investment in capital. This concept can be applied in enforcing development in less developed countries (LCDs) as follows: Foreign direct investment and aid can only be of help in inducing development if it is given to the LCD in its take-off stage, meaning that the economy has already reached the preconditions for take-off stage.

His theory also proposes injections in the form of capital, foreign investment and aid as the means to fill the financing gap facing LCDs, hence attain development.

A number of weaknesses have been identified with the Rostow’s theory of economic development. For instance, this theory is based on observations of American and European societies. Assuming that third world countries have to follow the same path towards modernization may be incorrect, since they face different environments.

They may, therefore, have to follow different paths towards their economic development In addition, Rostow’s theory assumes that growth occurs automatically by the time an economy reaches its maturity stage. This was disputed by Kuznets, who denoted that all levels of growth require external forces (Todaro 431). There is also an overlap between the preconditions for take-off and the take-off stages of the Rostow’s Model (431).

Works Cited

McClelland, David, et al. The Achievement Motive. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc., 1953. Print.

Perry, Marvin, et al. Sources of the Western Tradition: From the Ancient Times to Enlightenment. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Print.

Rostow, Walt. The Process of Economic Growth. 2^nd ed. London: Oxford University Press. 1960a. Print.

Rostow, Walt. The Stages of Economic Growth: A Non-Communist Manifesto. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1960b. Print.

Rostow, Walt. The World Economy: History and Prospect. London: Macmillan. 1978. Print.

Todaro, Michael, and Stephen Smith. Economic Development. 6^th. Ed. London: Macmillan. 2009. Print.

Modernization theory is an interdisciplinary model which is supposed to explain the progress of various societies. In particular, it is aimed at identifying the factors that shape the transition of the society from traditional to modern stage. This approach has been widely applied by American policy-makers during the 1950s and 1960s at the time when they studied developing countries that could become the allies of the United States.

Furthermore, this framework was used to develop recommendations that could boost the progress of these states. One can say that this theory can be helpful for distinguishing those factors that can contribute to the development of a country and the growth of its economy; however, the recommendations offered by the advocates of this approach are not always effective, because there are several cultural and social variables that are not included in this model.

Overall, researchers single out several drawbacks of this model. In particular, this model does not always take into account the differences between various traditional societies. For example, they can differ in terms of social hierarchy, the role of religion, workplace culture, and so forth. Therefore, one cannot easily tell how such communities can respond to innovative policies. The advocates of modernization theory focus on Japan which eloquently exemplifies the process of modernization.

One can also refer to some other countries such as South Korea or Singapore. However, the number of such cases is not sufficient for developing definitive guidelines that can benefit various traditional societies. Thus, modernization theory lacks rigor which is important for any scientific model. This is one of the drawbacks that should be taken into account by policy-makers.

Furthermore, scholars note that that there are differences in the rate of modernization. This argument is particularly relevant if one speaks about countries representing different regions such as Southeast Asia, Middle East, or Africa. Even though, these states have been allied with the United States, not all of them have been able to create democratic institutions.

Furthermore, they did not always achieve prosperity. These examples indicate that there are certain factors that can influence the ability of the society to embrace modernization. For example, some cultures are open to innovation and social transformation while others tend to resist such processes. These issues were not fully considered by the supporters of modernization theory. This is one of the aspects that shout be taken into account.

Another limitation of this model is that it is based on the Western standards of social and political development. One of such standards is the promotion of liberal democracy which is regarded as the optimal political regime.

However, in many cases, it is not permissible to compare developing and advanced in this way because these communities can differ in terms of values or worldviews. For instance, even during the pre-modern stages, the political landscape of countries like England was dominated by people who wanted to limit the power of the state. This is why many of them embraced the principles of liberal democracy. However, this political regime was not readily accepted in other regions of the world, especially those countries, in which there were fewer people who could protect their rights or struggle for them.

Additionally, modernization theory cannot fully explain the influence of such factors as natural resources on the development of the community. For instance, maritime transportation can be critical for the economic growth of the country. In turn, landlocked states are usually more disadvantaged because they have fewer opportunities for trade. Such factors have to be mentioned to show that under some circumstances, the recommendations based on the modernization theory may not be applicable to certain countries or regions.

Admittedly, there are some benefits of this model. In particular, this approach can be useful for identifying the factors that contribute to the improvement of living conditions in the community. For instance, one can speak about the accountability of government, the development of transportation infrastructure, rule of law, investment in educational institutions, and so forth. They are the necessary prerequisites for the ability of any community to make progress. However, one cannot assume that the guidelines offered by modernization theorists can always be effectively implemented.

Additionally, the guidelines developed on the basis of modernization theory proved to be efficient when American policy-makers tries to reform the social, legal, and political environment of Japan. Again, one can speak about Singapore, Hong Kong, or South Korea. To some degree, modernization was achieved in Turkey. However, these principles can be implemented if policy-makers can anticipate potential response to dramatic transformation of various social, legal, and economic institutions.

On the whole, modernization theory is an important landmark in the history of social and political sciences. Moreover, it has significantly shaped the development of various countries. However, this interdisciplinary model can only identify the prerequisites that are important for social progress. Moreover, the guidelines developed by the advocates of this approach are not always effective because one cannot always anticipate potential resistance to modernization. These are the main aspects that be distinguished.

Bibliography

Latham, Michael. Modernization as Ideology: American Social Science and “nation Building” in the Kennedy Era, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2000.

Lerner, Daniel. The Passing of Traditional Society. Glencoe: Free Press, 1958.

Rostow, Walt. The Stages of Economic Growth: A Non-Communist Manifesto. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1960.