Modernisierungstheorie
Modernisierungstheorie, also known as modernization theory, is a theoretical framework that explains the process of social modernization and how societies transition from traditional to modern ones. It emerged primarily in the post-World War II era and was heavily influenced by Western sociological and economic thought. The theory posits that developing countries can follow a similar path of development as Western industrialized nations, characterized by industrialization, urbanization, secularization, and the adoption of democratic political structures.
Key tenets of modernization theory include the idea that traditional societies are held back by certain cultural
Critics of modernization theory argue that it is ethnocentric, imposing a Western model of development as the