Part 1: Theories and Concepts of STS
4 Modernization Theory
Dylan Fahs; Tom Faile; Dante Demeo; Anabelle C Reardon; Jarrett Carson Holman; Nicholas Charles Longo; Joe Chen; Omar Yousuf Ahmed; Catherine Jarvis; Jack Lucas; Liam Dennis Wood; and Grayson Smoak
Definition
So, you may be wondering to yourself what is the Modernization Theory? A standard Google search would leave you with the description that studies the idea that all societies develop and evolve socially (Goorha, 2010). This is a great foundation for your understanding of the Modernization theory but there are many things left hidden and unnoticed with the traditional view. In order to get a true understanding of the definition of the Modernization Theory, you have to take a look at where the ideology started. The term and basic ideas of the Modernization Theory came from a man named Max Weber (Kumar, 1999). Max Weber laid the groundwork for future academics to add onto it and create a global view of the Modernization Theory. Although most perspectives of the modernization theory focus on the first-world countries such as Great Britain, France and the United States, they fail to look at the countries that are not as technologically advanced. Modernization theory is easy to apply to the recent technological innovations in massive tech sectors like electric vehicles, or the development of nuclear energy; both to solve and evolve beyond past inconveniences. However, the countries with the lowest human development indexes such as Somalia and Niger are often overlooked (U., 2022). Now you may ask yourself, why is this and shouldn’t all countries be included in such a widely studied and respected theory? The sad reality is that the people who are more educated seem to look at the countries that they are most familiar with, such as the countries where they live and frequently visit, instead of looking at all perspectives (Erickson, 2021). In order to fully understand the modernization theory, you must look at all perspectives because it is important to see how all of the countries are developing and the history of their development in order to be completely educated on the topic.
Modernization theory’s core definition fails in many ways to fully describe the development of underdeveloped and newer countries. As many critics of the theory point out, there seems to be a lack of research and development from the theory’s advocates on how other countries have and can develop into more modernized and successful societies without the use of modern technology. The theory is clean cut and straightforward, but with no intent to focus on culture and society. It is like a set of rules that is to be followed but not questioned. “Modernization cannot remain without the exchange of ideas and thoughts and its consequences” (MPHANDE, F., 2020) So how can these underdeveloped countries be represented or catch up to the most powerful nations of the world. Are they to just adapt and suffer the consequences?
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