Modernization theory

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

Studies of Modernization and Sociological Theory

Abstract: Studies of "modernization" and "development" have been in the forefront of the social sciences for at least the last three decades, and many of their assumptions have guided much of the research in economics, sociology, political science, and social anthropology. Lately many of these assumptions and approaches have undergone rather severe reappraisals, criticisms, and rejections. These reappraisals are, however, of interest not only to the specific although certainly not narrow fields of modernization and development; they have touched on some of the basic and central problems of sociological theory and thinking. This is not surprising. It is true that the concern with modernization and development, in the narrow sense of the words, is relatively recent, having emerged mainly after World War II as part of the interest in problems of development in new nations or "the Third World." But the concern with the nature of modern society and of social change and development lies at the very roots of modern social science; in fact, many of the specific problems preoccupying students of modernization and development during the last three decades are very closely related to some of the initial basic Probleinstellungen of modern sociology and their subsequent theoretical development. Thus, many of the criticisms voiced against these studies touch on some of the central problems of sociological theory.

China's obsession with Singapore: learning authoritarian modernity

Abstract: Chinese government officials and academics have shown disproportionate interest in the small city-state of Singapore. The Southeast Asian country with a majority ethnic Chinese population has drawn their attention because it is the only country in the world that combines advanced industrial development with stable one-party rule. Singapore not only seemingly defies Western predictions that modernization will inevitably lead to democracy, but also appears to show that authoritarian regimes may be better suited to achieving societal stability in an Asian context. In particular, the ruling party of the city-state, the People's Action Party, has drawn the attention of conservative Chinese reformists who seek to fill the ideological void that emerged following the decline of Maoist ideology. Reformers in China also derive practical governance lessons from Singapore about fighting corruption, increasing professionalization, and improving responsiveness within the party-state. As such, political learning...

Women's Medicine: The Zar-Bori Cult in Africa and Beyond

Abstract: Despite the large-scale destruction of traditional practices throughout the world, the Zar-Bori spirit-healing cult continues to hold tremendous meaning for some women in West Africa, the Sudan and North Africa, and even in the more progressive countries such as Tunisia, Kuwait, Egypt and the Gulf States. This study uses historical, anthropological and psychiatric methods to explore the social history of this growing cult and its significance for women in different places and times. It asks how and why the cult has persisted to the present day, and throws light on the environments in which it thrives. The largest indigenous African cult concerned primarily with women's matters, the Zar-Bori has survived the fundamentalist challenge and creeping modernization, yet it is in many ways a subversive movement. This aims to be a comprehensive account of its origins, spread and increasing importance in the lives of African women.

Media and Nation Building: How the Iban Became Malaysian

Abstract: "Postill's book will provide a stimulating read to anyone interested in the broad field of nationalism studies.a breakthrough attempt to bring nation building back on the agenda of media and communication research, and a valuable contribution to the field of media anthropology. Further comparative work in this area will hopefully give rise to a revised theory of nation building, one that acknowledges and theorizes the diversity of nation building processes, and the associated diversity of modernization projects, around the world." * H-Nation "...very well written, lively, incisive and clear. Students will learn a lot about anthropology and media from this book...it should be recommended or essential reading for students." * Andrew Beatty, Brunel University "The book excellently traces the development of both print and electronic media, which are central in making the Iban Malaysian.[It] contributes much to our understanding of the complex process of change that has occurred among the Ibans." * Asian Anthropology With the end of the Cold War and the proliferation of civil wars and "regime changes," the question of nation building has acquired great practical and theoretical urgency. From Eastern Europe to East Timor, Afghanistan and recently Iraq, the United States and its allies have often been accused of shirking their nation-building responsibilities as their attention - and that of the media -- turned to yet another regional crisis. While much has been written about the growing influence of television and the Internet on modern warfare, little is known about the relationship between media and nation building. This book explores, for the first time, this relationship by means of a paradigmatic case of successful nation building: Malaysia. Based on extended fieldwork and historical research, the author follows the diffusion, adoption, and social uses of media among the Iban of Sarawak, in Malaysian Borneo and demonstrates the wide-ranging process of nation building that has accompanied the Iban adoption of radio, clocks, print media, and television. In less than four decades, Iban longhouses ('villages under one roof') have become media organizations shaped by the official ideology of Malaysia, a country hastily formed in 1963 by conjoining four disparate territories. John Postill is a Research Fellow at the University of Bremen. He is currently studying e-government and ethnicity in Malaysia. Trained as an anthropologist at University College London, he has published a range of articles on the anthropology of media, with special reference to Malaysian Borneo.