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Theories Of Modernization Theory

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Modernization theory sprouts from modernization analysis. It is a theory that is used to explain the process of modernization that a nation goes through as it transitions from a traditional society to a modern one. The development of the theory, in the 1950s, is attributed to several American social scientist. Among them was W. W. Roskow. Many modernization analysts subscribed to Roskow’s thought that developing nations followed five stages of development.: traditional, pre-conditions for take-off, take-off, maturation, and finally, mass production or consumption. This paper will examine the first three stages. A traditional society is one that is characterized by its reliance on agriculture or hunting and gathering. These societies have made limited technological advances. There may not be a centralized governing body. The economy relies on limited production which leads to minimum output that can only be increased by increasing agricultural production. Most technological advances have not been introduced. Thus, they rely on manual labor and self-sufficiency to survive.1 Trade is regional and largely conducted through bartering instead of a monetary system. Wars, famines, and plagues cause populations to be stagnant, limiting labor. Trade fluctuates due to political instability. In the second stage, where you see preconditions for take-off, the economy is changing. Rostow noted that “these changes in society and the economy had to be of fundamental nature in the

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