3.6 Theories of modernization and post-industrial society.

Theories of modernization express the same viewpoints as those advocated in the classical sociocultural theories by defining progress as movement toward developed countries on the Western industrialized model. The basic value judgment is the proposition that Western societies are the most developed, and the rest of the world ought to be helped to achieve that stage of development. The thinking in modernization theories is uni-lineal proposing that all countries are on the same road of development, and with technological assistance developing societies will eventually reach the same level of material culture as developed industrial countries. There is some practical reality to these speculations as the developing world is indeed on a course to catch up, and in some cases like China’s super trains have actually passed the developed Western world.

In modernist theories developmental stages move from traditional societies to more developed cultures if the socio-political culture permits the change required in technology and information. Modernist theories would argue that so-called Third World countries are behind the rest of the world for cultural reasons and needs the efforts of social engineering to emulate the most successful societies. The world economy reflects modernist thinking as all countries see the advantages of technological development, although many have not weighed the costs resulting from globalization.

All theories put emphasis on economic development, but also the connection between progress and democracy, ethical governance, and efficient production. Society must value innovation and personal success found through so-called “free enterprise” before modernization can take place. Individual members of society must also be encouraged to develop to provide a corps of workers and managers that value independent and rational thought and can produce long-term plans for the future.

Modernist thinkers are criticized for the same reasons as discussed for classical social evolution. The focus is seen as one-sided and the Western economic model is used exclusively in developing countries in ways that benefit only the elites. Using Western developed societies as a model is also ethnocentric and may have unforeseen negative consequences when evaluated for outcomes beyond the rewards of economic development. The ubiquitous Great Recession affecting economies worldwide should give pause for reflection. Further, as noted there is increasingly an acknowledgement that not all segments of the populations share equally in the benefits of economic development since economic disparity is getting larger and not smaller. The various regional trade agreements have produced new under-classes in border areas between the U.S. and Mexico, new illegal immigrants as people seek to escape poverty, and the flight of quality jobs to low wage countries. It seems a heavy price to pay for a globalized and integrated world advocated by modernist theory.

Bell (1976) defined postindustrial society by dividing social progress into three stages of pre-industrial, industrial, and post-industrial development. Societies reaching the post-industrial level are characterized by the dominance of the service sector over traditional manufacturing, and by the increasing importance of information technologies. Postindustrial societies also set aside traditional ethics and value systems in favor of technocracy and pragmatic solutions, and depend increasingly on technology. Bell also prophesized that highly educated specialists would dominate the traditional middle classes and upset the traditional social hierarchies. A megatrend expected by postindustrial thinking is what we now understand under the concepts of globalization, the World Wide Web, and the Global Village. It is thought these megatrends will weaken centralized powers as observed during the Arab spring uprisings increasing the importance of local democracy and the power of consumers. Most critics of postindustrial society argue that the predictions and concepts are unclear and it is uncertain whether these megatrends will continue in the future. Nevertheless, we cannot argue that we are in the midst of ubiquitous change brought about in postindustrial society.