Modernization theory

About: Modernization theory is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 14641 publications have been published within this topic receiving 232469 citations.

Peasants into Frenchmen: The Modernization of Rural France, 1870-1914

Abstract: France achieved national unity much later than is commonly supposed. For a hundred years and more after the Revolution, millions of peasants lived on as if in a timeless world, their existence little different from that of the generations before them. The author of this lively, often witty, and always provocative work traces how France underwent a veritable crisis of civilization in the early years of the French Republic as traditional attitudes and practices crumbled under the forces of modernization. Local roads and railways were the decisive factors, bringing hitherto remote and inaccessible regions into easy contact with markets and major centers of the modern world. The products of industry rendered many peasant skills useless, and the expanding school system taught not only the language of the dominant culture but its values as well, among them patriotism. By 1914, France had finally become La Patrie in fact as it had so long been in name.

Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in the 2003 UNESCO Convention: a critical appraisal

Abstract: This critical article expounds on what 'intangible cultural heritage' is and the historical background of UNESCO's attempts to safeguard and protect the world's living cultural heritage in the wake of modernization, global mass culture and the diminishing of national identities. By the mid-1990s, as international awareness dramatically increased, UNESCO sponsored surveys of national actions (1995-99) as well as regional conferences, which led to a List of Intangible Masterpieces (2001) and a Convention (2003). The latter is still considered as a work in progress wherein experts and community members, policy-makers and scholars will try to figure out how to improve its provisions over the coming years. Indeed, the Convention looks idealistic and very challenging for several reasons: the conceptual distinction of the tangible and intangible can be problematic among the diversity of the world's people; intangible heritage must be consistent with human rights, exhibit the need for mutual respect between communities, and be sustainable; nations are expected to develop inventories and action plans for safeguarding this heritage; and those who practice the traditions should have the major responsibility for their safeguarding. The Convention imposes obligations upon states that may construct unintended negative consequences and obstacles to its success. The call to take 'necessary measures' to 'ensure the viability of intangible cultural heritage' is unrealistic as culture changes and no coercive measures may stop this evolution. More appropriate is giving aid to traditional cultural practices and their practitioners to ensure survival without influencing the outcome. In addition, the discussed inventories and UNESCO lists may have value for recognizing and valorizing various traditions, but they alone will not save them. This causes the author to question whether the Convention is adequate for the task of safeguarding living cultural practices.

Ethnic Competition and Modernization in Contemporary Africa

Abstract: It has been argued that modernization promotes potentially disintegrative forces in developing areas, and in particular, often gives rise to powerful ethnic groupings (for example, see Geertz, 1963; Melson and Wolpe, 1970; Huntington, 1968). In this article, we elaborate this hypothesis in the context of the developing nations of black Africa. We note that important competition can and do covary in contemporary Africa (Morrison and Stevenson, 1972). And we attempt to explain why this should be so.