Modernity and Modernization as Theoretical and Doctrinal Constructs to Explain Social Change

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to study two social change conceptions, very popular in the sociological literature: Modernity and Modernization. The chapter starts by analyzing succinctly the specific meaning of social change in sociology. We posit that the rise of social change interest is intertwined with the radical transformation which happened in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, namely, the transition from traditional to modern society. This section explores the Modernity’s idea of the founding fathers of sociology: Marx, Weber and Durkheim. The next section includes an analysis of the concept of Modernization. The Modernization concept became widespread amongst sociologists and economists after World War Two and was used to illustrate societal change processes in former European colonies in Africa, Asia and America. The last section analyzes the doctrinal implications of conceptions about Modernity and Modernization. We posit that, in many cases, the study of social change goes beyond the frontiers of sociological theory to move towards the philosophical field. This field includes a collection of ideas or doctrines with axiological or political claims.