Ai Feedback
Exact(12)
From modernisation theory to democracy promotion, the civilising imperative behind them was not so hard to discern.
Modernisation theory, inspired by Max Weber, famously claimed that as societies evolve, religious belief is replaced by scientific rationality.
Modernisation theory makes a similar claim, that economic growth in an authoritarian state leads to democratisation.But that theory now recognises that growth can help sustain all types of regimes, democratic and authoritarian.
Like a modern-day thinktank, it sought to overturn many of the rather western-centric assumptions of modernisation theory, replacing them with a critique of the unequal terms of economic exchange between core (rich) and periphery (poor) countries.
He did this by applying American modernisation theory, which held that industrialisation would be accompanied by increased social mobility and political democracy, and a Marxist concept of class conflict.
This model, also referred to as 'centre periphery', derives from the Latin American dependencia school of the 1960s (see Frank, 1969), which arose as a counter-thesis to the 'stages-of-growth' modernisation theory which dominated thinking about the development process in the early postwar period (Rostow, 1960).
Similar(48)
Like other modernisation theories, The Stages of Economic Growth was both a diffusionist and technocratic doctrine, since it sought to replicate within more traditional societies the benefits of rationality and progress already experienced in the wealthier parts of the world.
Theories about modernisation and development have assumed that cities and urbanisation were necessary accompaniments to positive economic change.
In theory, it all went to pay for food imports and industrial modernisation, and to prop up public finances.
In its hardline form, then, dependency theory is of perhaps limited value today, which reiterates a lesson learned from modernisation: that when theories become all encompassing, they tend to become ever further removed from useful policy advice.
CHAMPIONS of modernisation theory the idea that prosperity begets democracy are upbeat.
Write better and faster with AI suggestions while staying true to your unique style.
Since I tried Ludwig back in 2017, I have been constantly using it in both editing and translation. Ever since, I suggest it to my translators at ProSciEditing.
Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com