Discussion

Answer the following questions and then respond to a classmates post. For full credit put effort into both your post and response. This is a space to debate and argue politely.

1. What is modernization theory?

2. Has modernization theory proved to be true? Why or why not?

3. Is comparative politics a science? Why or why not?

4. Be sure to respond to a classmates post!

Here is the classmates’ post

In “Cases and Concepts in Comparative Politics: An Integrated Approach” the authors define modernization theory as “a theory asserting that as societies developed, they would take on a set of common characteristics, including democracy and capitalism.” This theory assumes that all countries will eventually catch up to modern standards unless they are diverted by alternate systems such as communism and fascism.
Modernization theory has been proven wrong because it has wrongly prescribed the Western model of modernization and western ideals instead of understanding the world. For example in “The Failings of Liberal Modernisation Theory” the authors state “A recurring theme…in modernization theory is the opinion that globalization and international connectedness lead to a consensus that the most desirable systems for modernization are liberal democratization and Western models of capitalist development” (Dun, 2013) in ignoring the people in countries where democracy is not an institution, modernization theory fails to incorporate others who define themselves by other means such as religions and ethnicities. Additionally, it has been wrong as it has not matched the politics that have evolved and replaced conflict and revolution. An example of this is the People’s Republic of China, which despite modernizing, has lacked the fundamentals of democracy, which are idealized in Western countries. Such as freedom of speech and religion. This is made evident in the most recent news of China refusing to close their “reeducation” camps in the Xinjiang province, which Uighurs, a persecuted Muslim minority in China, and human rights observers are more appropriately calling concentration camps (Mujahid, 2020). By denying the Uighurs the right to practice their religion, and their right to personal freedom, China, an advanced country, has proven the modernization theory to be false.
Comparative politics is a science because in looking at the politics inside countries by analyzing things such as elections, political parties, and revolutions, comparative politics use analytical concepts and methods. This is important because, by comparing countries and their inner workings of politics and power struggles, people can be more informed and challenged on their own ideas and assumptions. In “Overview of Comparative Politics” the author states “Jointly with a growing acceptance among most researchers about the need to develop broad, general propositions about politics, comparative politics has also embraced the use of standard scientific practices to provisionally validate any theoretical claims.” (Boix and Stokes, 2011) This is important because the author is relating to how comparative politics have evolved over the decades when it was first made popular and points out there is a more solid approach to tackling research methods and analytical concepts. As such, in using data-sets and larger national studies which are more directly aligned with empirical formatting, to solve theories or provide hypotheses, comparatists today are striving to accept the mistakes of the past, and are moving towards theoretical propositions that make it a scientific discipline.
Boix, Carles, and Susan C. Stokes. “Overview of Comparative Politics.” Oxford Handbooks Online, 7 July 2011, www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199604456.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199604456-e-027.

Dun M. Thomas.”The Failings of Liberal Modernisation Theory”.2013. The University of Nottingham,https://www.e-ir.info/2013/06/26/the-failings-of-liberal-modernisation-theory/

Mujahid, Abdul Malik. “Detained Uighur Muslims Are Sitting Ducks for the Coronavirus. China Must Close the Camps.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 14 Feb. 2020, www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/02/14/coronavirus-uighurs-china-muslim-concentration-camps-column/4739265002/.

O’Neil, Patrick H, and Don Share. “Can We Make a Science of Comparative Politics?” Cases and Concepts in Comparative Politics: An Integrated Approach, edited by Karl Fields, First ed., W.W. Norton & Company, 2018, pp. 12–13.