Presented by:

CLENETTE A. ESCOTO

MS- AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION

Sociology and DevelopmentNeo- Evolutionary ,

Modernization Theory

General refers to the variety of perception applied by non- Marxist in Third World in the 1950’s and 1960’s

Emile Durkheim - French sociologist, social psychologist and philosopher.

Durkheim (1858) with his idea of differentiation used Darwin as a model to make this theory of social evolution.

* Neo- evolutionist and modernization theories

Evolutionary theories

were seen being able to explain how’s First Word progressed over time into Modern Industrial Societies.

*Modernizations Theories

tried to explain and predict how the Third Word Countries might become modern.

*Neo- Evolutionism*Developed by the American

sociologist Talcott Parsons, and by the other associated with the school of thought that be created, specifically Smelser and Eisentadt.

Talcott Parsons - considered one of the most influential figures in the early development of American sociology.

*Neo- Evolutionism*Basic argument of neo-

evolutionists was that Social Change, that is the Third World become more likely First World, can best understood and explained as a quasi- biological process.

Component of Developing Countries

*Economic*Political*Social structures* Simple, multi-functional characteristics* Specialized function

* Differentiation When different parts of society become specialized, allowing for greater development. In traditional societies, the institution of the family has responsibilities for reproduction, economics life and education.

* In the work of many modernization theories, evolutionism was usually more implicit than explicit.

Contributors to the volume agreed on the ff. 1. Societies are systems that adapt on order to survive.2. They are primarily systems based upon Social Norms.

* Social Normsrules governing behavior. Normative

behavior is that which is seen as ‘correct’ and ‘proper’ in society.3. Innovation and diffusion are critical in modernization.

* Innovationcan defined as changed involving

new, and implicitly better, ideas or ways of doing things.

* Diffusion is an idea that emerged from chemistry, and was later used by anthropologist to refer to the spread cultural attributes from one region or people to another.4. Modern societies are unique, especially in the extent to which internal differentiation occurs.

Moore, is one of the contributor’s characterized evolution as unpredictable and inconsistent, using term like ‘cycles and swing’ and fluctuation’

* Charles Darwin – he suggested that in order for societies to move from the primitive to the modern, several ‘evolutionary universals’ have to be presents.

*He defines an evolutionary universal as any complex of structure and processes which so increase the capacity of living systems to adapt.

* A wide outlook on the world* Rewards based on achievement* Cities* A class system* Bureaucracy and* Democracy.

* Modernization theories were less holistic, and tended to emphasize the important of transmission of modern attitudes and values for the success of development.

Less holistic theories might focus on one aspect of social change.

ex: they might emphasize the role of modern ideas and attitudes in development, rather than attempting to create a theory explaining how traditional society comprised of many part, can ‘evolve’ into a modern society.

*Daniel Lerner was one of the example of modernization theorist who argued that it was modern techniques of communicating ideas, which made the difference in making the transition from a traditional to a modern society, in key institution such as education and the mass media.

* Inkeles and Smith* Modernization Theorist, expressed the goal of development as making men modern’(sic). This male-oriented idea will be important to remember when we consider the criticism that women had been left out of development of process. * Making men modern is many ways, the essence of modernization theory. “Modern man has become modern when he has changed as an individual.”

* Modernity is indicated in the presence of distinct set of attitudes. * A readiness for new experience and openness to innovation.* An interest in things other and those of immediate relevance* A more ‘democratic’ attitude towards the opinions of others* An orientation to the future rather that the past* A readiness to plan one’s own life

*A belief that we can dominate our environment and achieve our goals* An acceptance that the world is ‘calculable’ and therefore controllable* An awareness of dignity of other, for example, women and children* A faith in the achievement of science and technology, albeit a somewhat simple faith* A belief in ‘distributive’ justice.

* Rostow’s Stage of Economic growth* Walt Rostow, wrote a well known book that combined a variety of strands within Modernization and Neo-evolutionary theory called “Stages of Economic Growth”.

He argued that economic development takes place in well-defined stages. Development is only possible where the socio – economic condition promotes money saving among the population exist.

*Rostow first stage “Traditional society”*economic output is limited because of a lack of scientific and technological expertise. People’s values are fatalistic, that is they believe that the future is predetermined and they cannot control it. Political power has not been centralized, as in a modern state.

* Second Stage called “The preconditions of take off” * People begin to support economic advancement. Connected to this education, free enterprise and economics institution are developed further. * The society invest in transportation, communication and raw materials and this business. At the same time as modern institution and production techniques begin to emerge, aspects of traditional society remain.

Ex. Colonial State

* Third Stage of Economic ‘growth is labeled take off’* this stage is manifested in the defeat of traditional barriers to growth. This could occur through the appearance of new politically active groups, that prioritize economic growth and expansion, or through the development of new technologies such as new ways to produce goods that represented the beginning of industrial revolution.

* Four Stage ‘Drive Community’* when the10 to 20 % of national income is invested and the economy is nearly ’developed’. The economy begins to advance beyond heavy industry, and technology gets more sophisticated. National production and consumption moves from meeting basic needs, to the ability to choose goods and services.

* Fifth and last Stage ‘High Consumption’* based on increasing ability to produce high value consumer items like cars, refrigerators , television and computers, the economy also becomes more service oriented. At this point, people’s needs are satisfied, and the state focuses on social welfare and security.

* Gusfield’s Critique* his analysis focuses on the ways in

which the concepts of ‘tradition and modernity’, which are central to many of the theories, misrepresent the sociological realities the exist in 1st and 3rd world countries.*He points out that ‘tradition’ and ‘innovation’ are not necessarily in conflict or opposed.

*First Critique* he contends that is wrong to suggest that traditional society is untouched by modernity. Neo- evolutionary and modernization theories tended to ignore the fact that developing societies had been strongly influenced by their histories and foreign domination and colonialism.

* Second Critique*He argues that traditional culture is not homogeneous. Hindu philosophical and religious teaching, for example, is consistent with a number of diverse orientation to life. The importance of this is that so called ‘traditions culture’ is not resistant to change; it can actually allow for a wide variety of behaviors.

* Third Critique* he suggests that modern ideas or practices do not always replace traditional ones. They may increase the range of option people have in developing countries. Tradition and modernity are not always in conflict.

* Fourth Critique

* the last criticism is that modernizing processes do not weaken tradition. He suggest that increased transportation, technologies, and the spread of ideas benefits tradition as well as modernity.

* Thus Gulfield concludes that the common practices of neo-evolutionary and modernization theorists to pit tradition and modernity against each other as paired opposites tends to overlook the real world’s complexities. Some, but not all of the points raised by Gusfield remain valid about modernization theory today.

* Crenshaw* attempts to surpass criticism regarding the problematic ways in which tradition and modernity are used reified in modernization and neo-evolutionary theories of 1950’s and 1960’s. * Crenshaw similar to Parsons, define social change in any society as adaptation that follows conflict. However, unlike Parsons, they not refer to value laden terms such as ‘evolution’ , ‘stage of growth’, ‘progress’, ‘tradition’ and modernity’.

* Crenshaw* he emphasize ‘transition’ that occur resulting from changes in social and organizational circumstances when looking at issues such as human reproduction and its link to modernization. Their model therefore focuses on mechanism that produce social change, such as instituting family planning programs, rather than prescribing solutions that treat the social and economic values and structures of Western countries as the evolutionary ideal for which Third World countries must strive.

*References https://philosopheress.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/evolutionary-and-modernisation-theories/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernization_theory

https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=emile+durkheim&biw=1366&bih=667&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjan7SY_YXOAhWGnZQKHaCcBm0Q_AUIBigB

=emile+durkheim&biw=1366&bih=667&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjcgaX-hYbOAhXBJ5QKHeyVAnMQ_AUIBygA&dpr=1#q=talcott+parsons

http://www.londoninternational.ac.uk/sites/default/files/programme_resources/lse/lse_pdf/subject_guides/sc3055_ch1-3.pdf

http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/third_world_countries.htm