Flashcards
Modernisation Theory
Cards in this deck (16)
- 1Why did Modernisation Theory develop?It attempts to explain why poorer countries failed to evolve into modern societies.
Closely tied to the cold war.
Durkheim referred to pre industrial society as 'mechanical solidarity'.
Modernisation theory blames lack of development on internal factors.
When development occurs it is said to be an 'evolutionary process' - Huntington. - 2Rostow's stages:1. Traditional society: poverty, primary production and traditional values.
2. Pre-conditions for take off: the west assists development through aids and industrial investment.
3. Take off: high economic growth and infrastructure begins.
4. The drive to maturity: economic and cultural factors lead to increasing prosperity for all.
5. The age of high mass consumption. - 3How are Rostow's stages useful? What are the criticisms of it?It offers us a solution/stages that will help. Wealth will bring positive change and allow it to modernise.
However, it gives us false needs which are damaging to the individual and modernising. We cannot all consume like we do, we'd need more than one planet earth. It was updated by neo-liberalists. - 4Parsons - Values?Parsons identifies pattern A and B variables:
Traditional values: affectivity, particularism, ascription, diffuse roles, collectivism (all community based).
Modern values: affective neutrality, universalism, achievement, specific roles, individualism. - 5How is Parsons idea of different values useful and what are the criticisms?They are useful because they consider the roles that values play and how important they are.
However it fails to consider that growth has to be culturally specific. He also favours his own culture and thinks it is superior.
Example: China need to get rid of their collectivism. - 6The 4 Motors of Development? Give the first one.1. Investment (Rostow) Western investment in factories expertise and equipment - plus aid and loans from World Bank 'Trick down'. Working in factories earns more money than the actual farming.
Useful because it can cause social damage as people are wanting to buy products such as false wants rather than spending money on their child's education and therefore doesn't always help a country develop because our future generations will become less dependent on education and work.
Criticism: Kleptocracy - when government officials take that money and keep it for themselves - slows down development. - 7Second Motor of Development?Education (Hoselitz) Western funding to introduce meritocratic education (values of universalism, individualism and competition) .
Useful because wealth will bring positive change - people push themselves to get 'middle class' careers, helps us to develop new ideas and creations and create more wealth.
Considers the roles that values play. - 8Third Motor?Mass Media (Inkeles) - used to spread modern ideas, eg. nuclear families spread the idea of using contraception and to have a nuclear family as it costs less money.
Useful because it gives tangible solutions to change the culture.
Criticism is that spreading values is a good idea but not everyone can afford it - condoms. - 9Fourth Motor?Urbanisation (Hoselitz) - urbanisation to be encouraged - links with mass media.
Useful because when a country is urbanised it is easier to spread values through the media.
Fails to consider that growth has to be culturally specific. - 10Emile DurkheimMechanical solidarity (a sense of togetherness in society arising when people, performing similar work, share similar experiences, customs, values and beliefs. Places with mechanical solidarity are LESS DEVELOPED as they DON'T ACCEPT NEW VALUES.
Useful: can explain WHY some countries are less developed.
Criticisms: However it isn't always internal factors such as mechan solid and gemeinschaft, but external factors also cause countries to be less developed.
Internal: KLEPTOCRACY - gov keeps money and doesn't pass down. Kenya - gov didn't want people to own their own business or land - conflict - low emancipation of women. - 11TonniesGemeinschaft (tight knit community) means they'll be resistance to change (the same as mechan solid)
Can explain why they'll be a resistance to change as they hold the traditional value of being collective, whereas if they changed to a modern approach of being 'individualistic' they would be a part of the capitalist system and be able to develop because they would consume.
Criticisms: there are other reasons why people haven't developed e.g. politics, diseases, conflict, etc.
If tiger econmies have had all of these internal and external factors, how have some still managed to develop, this shows it doesn't apply to all countries. - 12Samuel HuntingtonDescribes development as an evolutionary process that goes through stages to bring about dramatic change (similar to Rostow)
Criticism: McKay has criticised it for it's naivety that by implementing the 'correct' policies, all nations (however poor) can achieve a modern standard of living. - 13RostowShares the view of Huntington that development should be seen as an evolutionary process in which countries progress up a development ladder of five stages. Rostow developed the Rostovian take off model of economic growth that argues economic modernisation occurs in five basic stages.
Criticisms: Ignores the problems that comes with modernisation. - 14Influence of Modernisation Theory today:It influences IF and world bank and uses it as a structure to provide to developing countries.
- 15Overall criticisms of MT?1. Ethnocentric: implies traditionals have little values, ignores crisis of modernism, reflects American dream, development needs to be culturally specific.
2. questionable benefits, e.g. Kleptocracy
3. Ecological limits
4. social damage: false needs
5. not economically sustainable
6. Ignores diversity of societies and western domination
7. Postmodernism - completely dismisses the assumption that developing world is hegemonous. - 16Conclusions of Modernisation Theory:Dependency theorists would argue that since the IMF and the World Bank are both located in the USA and influenced by western governments they would promote a theory of development that holds the west us as an ideal and serves the interests of their TNCs.
Neo-liberal theory developed in the 80's and was strongly influenced by the aspects of modernisation theory. Neo Libs strongly support the free market and are fiercely anti communist, so took enormous solace from the falling of the Berlin wall and the decline of communism generally. They oppose gov spending and argue gov interference in the economy should be kept to a minimum. Influential in shaping the IMF policy which has leant money to the developing world on condition that gov spending on social projects, e.g. health, educ and welfare be CUT BACK.
However, Bauer challenges some of modernisation theorist ideas. He is an opponent of foreign aid arguing that it encouraged Kleptocracy and stifles the free market by suppressing the local food markets.
Huntington - 8 cultural zones - 7 resist western values + prevented from develop
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- A-Level World Flashcards on Modernisation Theory, created by Georgia Davidson on 20/01/2016.
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- Georgia Davidson
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