From tradition to modernity

In the seventies many developing nations are in the process of modernization. Most of these nations are planning social and economic changes in their societies, which are perhaps different than those experienced by Western nations during eighteenth and nineteenth century during industrial revolution. While these developing nations were under colonial rule, the industrialization model of the West was considered not only an apparent choice but an inevitable historical parallel. However, modernization of new nations though initially based on Western experience of industrialism came in conflict with the rise of nationalism, and unique economic, social, and cultural circumstances of each nation. Traditionalism was not necessarily incompatible with modernization, and modernization was not necessarily industrialism. Transition from a traditional society to a condition of modernization did not require rejecting a social system, and among the successful models emerged Japan and Russia during post World War II period.

Today modernization ideologies exhibit wide differences, and an attempt to synthesize a theory of modernization would remain a complex task. Any attempt to study them during. transitional phase would require fresh ideas, methodological sophistication, and cross cultural research. Since we do not have a useful scheme already worked out, our concern is that of understanding how social systems in developing nations are undergoing changes in the process of moderniza tion. Whatever work is produced must remain expendable, and any additions made at various stages of the modernization process should be seen as a stepping stone to adequate theories. A controlled analysis of changes in social and economic institution, during transitional phase, could provide us useful comparison of modernization and help us establish a genral model for the new nations.