The Sociology of Modernization - Book Report/Review Example

The Sociology of Modernization Introduction Modernization is a form of social science that transforms process that leads to the evolution of traditional states to modern states. Modernization is associated with processes such as urbanization, industrialization, education development as well as social changes that alter people’s lives in a society. Moderation in current societies is rated by the level of technology and civilization. United States of America stands out to be one of the most modernized counties in the world. It has manifested in every facet that promote modernization. These include; good education systems, technology and scientific advancements, levels of education of the populace, sociological structures and the political system. Manifests in the U.S include the minimization of communities, personal choice increase and increase in miscellany in different aspects. Social change is one of the manifests of modernization in the U.S. it is influenced by culture diversity which is an aspect of modernization as it involves the collection of different ideology and cultural practices and using them as entities of development. The U.S has a form of synchronizing multiple communities into a minimal number of communities that are rich in diversity. This has helped to maintain stability in social, cultural and political aspects. Culture and change bare a great influence in the modernization process of the United States. Ralph Linton is a modern theorists who discovered that there is a very high percentage of people living in the United States and whose origins are from foreign countries. This has resulted to culture diversity in which the nation uses in promoting development through ideology. It is easy to practice development with this kind of approach as it brings about technological aspects from various communities as well as geographic location. A combination of ideas generates one big idea which leads to modernization. Cultural diversity helps people to take keen interests on small elements of the globe. A good example is the discovery of herbal medicine and its advancement using the modern technology. Herbal medicine is popular in Africa and Asian continents. The United States of America historically was not conversant with the idea that herbal medicine was effective compared to the chemical medicine. These discoveries have offered huge understanding of the human body. This has extended the level of life expectancy to a higher percentage. Modernization rate is accelerated by the increase in the speed at which information is passed from a source to a recipient. Modernization also relays on the increase computer technology which enables global rooming. The U.S has a powerful technology system that facilitates efficient communication and thus improvement of the industrial sector. The U.S has potential in modernization. This is because it is rich in technology as well as resources that essential to modernization. The state has adequate medical care and a good education system that can foster modernization. There is a stable political system that signifies civilization in the United States. This is a good indication that modernization will continue in the years to come. Although the state has experience economic imbalance in recent years, it still maintains its efficiency in production and supply of goods and services. This aspect is an indicator of modernization in future. Modernization is currently a world process. Many nations in Europe and northern America have already established modernization (Harrison, 1988. Pg 57). Few nations in Africa have undergone transformation because of the long period of colonial rule and the political instabilities that are being experienced even in the current government systems. Unlike the U.S, Africa is rich cultural diversity. The only problem the is accompanied with this cultures is that they are traditionally based and need to be abolished since they cannot accommodate change. Africa has also not employed the approach of minimization of communities (Hofstede, 1984. Pg 151). This has continued to cause more trouble as it contributes to political instability. The rate of civilization is low in Africa and Asia continents. This is why they lack behind in development. The industrial sector is also not developed thus the rate of poverty is high in this regions. Africa and Asia are currently experiencing the problem of brain drain as most of the highly rated elites move to European nations or the U.S in search of job opportunities with better pay. These decreases the chances of these continents to establish modernization through development as most of the potential ideologists have shifted abroad. Our lives are influenced by the development of science and technology. Technology uses scientific knowledge in the creation of modern and advanced machine (John, 2011.Pg 480). Communication on the other hand is modernized using these machines. The consequences of modernization in the world today have affected the human ways of living. Most children have become addicts of television programs as well as computer games thus forget to put more attention to education. They do not participate in outdoor activities thus are prone to obesity and other body malfunctions. Insecurity cases are also attributed to modernization. Criminals use the contemporary technology to promote crime, fraud and terrorism. Modernization has increased the rate of unemployment in the world as machines have taken over human labour. However, this has created the need to be empowered as people take interest in education in order not to be left behind with the emerging trends of technology. Modern science has led to emergence of various diseases as many people suffer from chronic diseases such as cancer due to poor feeding habits and a lot of chemical content in food items (Muehlenbein, 2010. Pg 576). There are many positive outcomes of modernization. The world has been made much smaller and easily accessible with the emerging trends of communication and transport systems. Max Weber attributes modernization to social change. In his theory, change is brought about by different ideas (John, 2011. Pg 480). The traces the roots of social change to ideas for instance martin Luther King Jr. carried a message that transformed the world. In the same way modernization is a form of change that obtains its roots from development. Conclusion Modernization is a form of transition that all countries in the world struggle to achieve. It portrays the advancement in development and richness in social understanding. Modernization has improved the level of education all over the world. People strive to attain education and become aware of the emerging trends of technology. Therefore modernization should be highly endorsed as it brings a lot of positive change in our societies. References Harrison D. (1988). The Sociology of Modernization and Development. New York. Routledge John J. (2011).Society: The Basics. Social Change: Modern and Postmodern Societies. New York. Prentice Hall. Muehlenbein M P. (2010). Human Evolutionary Biology: London. Cambridge University Press, Hofstede G. (1984). Culture & consequences. New York. SAGE Read More