Modernization Theory, Friend or Foe?

A week ago, we had a rather interesting discussion in one of my classes.  At first, when the professor presented the topics on the board, I thought they were pretty generic. However, once we began the heated debate, I found myself very intrigued. We talked about development theories – more specifically, about modernization theory and the accuracy of it. For those of you who may be unsure, modernization theory explores the development process within societies. This theory particularly suggests that, with proper guidance and support, traditional countries can evolve into more developed countries through a process called social evolution (source: http://www.bookrags.com/research/modernization-theory-eos-03/).

This brings me to our discussion topic; can developing countries really become more developed through mimicking “modernized” countries? Our class conferred whether this process is the best way to achieve development. I am aware that modernization theory has its fair share of critiques – loss of culture through globalization, and uneven development through rapidly growing economies to name a couple – but I think the most important of these critiques is that if developing countries mimic developed countries, our earth will have much to endure.Here is a little history background: When European countries were going through their industrial revolution, they colonized continents like Africa, which had cheaper costs for a bountiful supply of natural resources and labour power. After the Berlin Conference from 1884 – 1885, the scramble for Africa began; major European powers divided the continent into sanctions they could occupy. It was because of their exploitation, that the industrial revolution in Europe was possible at such a fast pace; their thriving economy was born (Source: http://wysinger.homestead.com/berlinconference.html). 


My question is this: if developing countries today used natural resources at the rate the European powers used them to get to where they are today, what would be the state of our planet? We would be left with a giant, useless rock, sucked of all its zing. That being said, there are no land masses that developing countries can exploit in order to attain copious amounts of resources. So does the trail of development for traditional countries lie in their imitation of developed countries? Or, will this lead to disastrous circumstances for our planet and all of its inhabitants. Even today, developed countries use heavy amounts of resources to sustain their lifestyle. If traditional countries became more like the standard developed country, they would need to consume vast amounts of resources to sustain the “modern” lifestyle; pretty soon there will be no resources left for future generations to enjoy. Please leave a comment with your thoughts about this issue; do you think any countries have been successful in respect to modernization theory?


I want to end this post by reiterating an analogy used by Ray Anderson in the film, The Corporation. In his analogy he discusses, in his early attempts to fly, a pilot would roll his aircraft off of a cliff and in those first few seconds, he would think himself to be successful. In reality, his aircraft would be on its way to crashing, and he, being completely oblivious, would think he is airborne. Anderson uses this metaphor to portray our civilization. Today, we use the natural resources of our planet at such a rate that one would think we have an infinite amount. Certainly our planet provided us with such an abundance of resources to begin with, that our cliff is pretty high, and many of us think we are “flying”, but actually, we are the poor sucker in the aircraft that is about to crash to its doom.

3 Months and 28 Days!

Seems like forever since I have written a blog. The last couple of weeks have been rather strange. It is strange to think that in just 3 months and 28 days, I will be travelling to Hanoi, Vietnam as part of an 8 month field placement. It is even stranger to think that once those 8 months are over, I am officially done my undergraduate degree – unreal! At a time like this, it is difficult not to reflect back on my time at Waterloo; the past 3 years have taught me so much from academics to simply taking care of myself. When I first accepted my offer of admission, the placement felt very distant, especially because I haven’t left North America, so it is difficult to imagine it being just a few months away now.

I wish I made more of an effort to leave North America when I was younger.  I feel so sheltered from the world now and can only really dream of what is out there for me to discover. I know the next school year has a lot in store for me; in fact this entire summer has a lot in store for me and I want to live every moment of it to the fullest. I have come close to figuring out exactly where I want to be in 10 years – the experiences I want to have under my belt, the goals I want to achieve, the degrees I want to complete, and the places I want to have travelled to. I also know that plans change all the time and it is better to live in the moment, but even having a slight idea of my path is curiously comforting.

Being at St. Pauls this summer with the rest of the INDEV crew has been great thus far! We’ve all become so much closer and I know our bond will only grow from here. The last three years with you wonderful people has been nothing less than extraordinary. I have learned so much from each one of you and I know you will go on to accomplish great things! 

- Madiha