Human modernization theory (human?modernization?theory)

Source: modern culture research network

The modernization of man is a personal change in the process of modernization, which is a manifestation of the phenomenon of modernization. The theory of human modernization is a theory about the phenomenon of human modernization, a subfield theory of modernization theory. It broadly includes two theoretical collections: the classical theory of human modernization and the broad theory of human modernization. It intersects with cultural modernization theory and social modernization theory, among others, and with behavioral psychology.

1. Classical human modernization theory

Classical human modernization theory, as an important branch of classical modernization theory, was formed in the 1960s to 1980s. In some cases, it is called the behavioral psychology school of classical modernization theory. The appearance of three monographs by American scholars, including The Achieving Society (McClelland 1961), Toward Modernity: Individual Change in Six Developing Countries (Inkeles, Smith 1974), and Exploring the Modernity of the Individual (Inkeles 1983), marked the birth of classical human modernization theory. To date, the modernization theory of the classical man has no systematic and recognized general theoretical elaboration, but rather a collection of academic ideas.

First, the definition of classical human modernization.

There is no uniform definition of human modernization. Generally speaking, human modernization is the transformation from traditional people to modern people, including personality modernization, psychological modernization, personal behavior modernization and values modernization.

American scholars Inkers and Smith believe that in any society and any era, people are the most basic factors in the modernization process. Only if the nationals are transformed psychologically and behaviorally, forming a modern personality, and the staff in modern political, economic, scientific, technological, educational and cultural institutions are modern in personality, can the society become a modern society. If the people of a country lack the broad psychological basis of modernity that can give life to advanced institutions, if the people who hold and use advanced institutions have not themselves undergone a transformation to modernity in their psychology, thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors, then failure and aberrant development are inevitable (Inkeles, Smith 1974).

Secondly, the result of the modernization of the classical man.

The formation and proliferation of human modernity is the main result of personal modernization.

Professor Inkeles summarized nine psychological characteristics of modern man (Inkeles 1966).

First, a willingness to accept new experiences and an openness to innovation and change;

second, an active mind, which forms and expresses its own views on a wide range of issues around it;

third, a focus on the present or future rather than an obsession with the past;

fourth, a belief that human beings can control their environment to a large extent and achieve their goals;

fifth, a belief that human beings can control the environment to a large extent and achieve their goals;

fifth, a belief that human beings can control their own goals and achieve their own goals. p>

fifth, planning and organization in the conduct of affairs;

sixth, a sense of trust and a belief that society and other people can be relied upon;

seventh, fairness in distribution, whereby an individual's compensation is proportional to his or her skills and contribution to the goals of the organization;

eighth, ambition and a willingness to pursue formal education and scientific knowledge;

and ninth, an understanding of, and respect for, the dignity of other people .

According to Inklings and Smith, the character of the modern man can be summarized in four main characteristics.

He is a participatory citizen and well-informed;

He possesses a fairly pronounced sense of personal efficiency;

He has a high degree of independence and autonomy in decision-making, especially in dealing with personal matters, when influenced by traditional forces;

He is willing to embrace new experiences and ideas, and is open-minded and cognitively flexible. (Inkeles, Smith 1974).

Kahl's study found that the core characteristics of modernity contain seven elements, which are:

Activism, low bonding with relatives, preference for city life, individualism, low level of urban sub-communities, and low social stratification of life chances (Kahl 1968). Black argues that the modern personality is more open, more tolerant, more concerned with control of the environment, and more restless than individuals of past eras (Black 1976).

Third, human modernity and economic development.

According to McClelland (1961), economic development is closely related to the "need for fulfillment" of human beings, and the need for fulfillment is closely related to values, beliefs and ideologies. Themes of aggressiveness and the desire to achieve are found with high frequency in children's and schoolchildren's books and fairy tales in Western industrialized countries, and with relatively low frequency in developing countries. Three factors influence boys' need for achievement: high parental standards for success, warmth and encouragement, and a father who is not authoritative and dictatorial. Societies with higher achievement needs will create more energetic entrepreneurs who drive more rapid economic growth.

2. Generalized Human Modernization Theory

The generalized human modernization theory is a theoretical explanation of the phenomenon of individual modernization during the 18th to 21st centuries. It is the application of the second modernization theory in the field of personal behavior, which was proposed by Chinese scholar He Chuanqi. The broad theory of human modernization includes general theory, branch theory and related theory. Here we focus on its general theory, including the definition of human modernization, process, results, motivation and mode of five aspects.

First, the definition of human modernization.

Human modernization is a manifestation of modernization, which is the change of individuals and related factors in the process of modernization.

Connotation of human modernization: human modernization is a cutting-edge change and international competition in the field of personal behavior since the 18th century, which includes the formation, development, transformation and interaction of modern man, the innovation, selection, dissemination and withdrawal of personal elements and civic institutions, as well as international competition, international differentiation and national stratification to catch up, reach and maintain the advanced level of the world.

Extension of modernization of the person: modernization of the person includes modernization of individual behavior, qualities, systems and concepts, including personality and psychological modernization, modernization of pre-workers, workers, retirees, male and female citizens, modernization of material, service and knowledge workers, modernization of the individual in segments, strata and sectors, including individual modernization interacting with modernization in other domains, including changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of personal modernization, and so on.

Generally speaking, human modernization is the self-liberation and comprehensive development of human beings, the behavior and process of human change of the world frontier and reaching the world frontier, which includes two transformations from traditional to modern and modern to post-modern people, the improvement of the quality and ability of citizens, the development of citizens' rights and obligations, and the change of personal lifestyle, behavioral patterns, and values, and so on.

In the history of human civilization, the self-emancipation of mankind has occurred about three times. Among them, the liberation from religion and feudal despotism was the first human modernization, and the liberation from organization and machine control was the second human modernization.

The Three Self-Emancipations of Man

First Emancipation

Second Emancipation

Third Emancipation

Time

3,500 B.C.E. to 1763 A.D.

1763 to 1970

1970 to 2,100

Content

Freedom from natural food dependence

Freedom from religious and feudal despotism

Freedom from organization and machine control

Outcome

Becoming a food producer, free from natural dependence

Becoming an independent, free, and equal citizen

Formation of individualized, autonomous world citizens

New Controls

Control of Religion and Feudal Despotism

Control of Man by Organizations and Machines

Constraints of the Earth on Man

Remarks

The Birth of Civilization

The First Modernization of Man

The Second Modernization of Man

The Modernization of Man is an intersection of personal change and modernization. The modernization of the human being is an intersection of personal change and modernization. The modernization of man includes not only changes in man himself, but also changes in the system and environment in which he lives. Without the modernization of the system and environment, human modernization is difficult to achieve. In the process of modernization, the three elements of man, system and environment can either promote or inhibit each other.

The conceptual model of human modernization. First, human development is the intersection of personal progress, institutional progress and environmental progress. Second, human modernization is the intersection of human development, human transformation and human interaction.

Second, the process of human modernization.

Human modernization is a long-term process. During the period from the 18th to the 21st century, the frontier trajectory of human modernization can be divided into two stages, the first and the second personal modernization, and the two modernizations have different connotations.

The first personal modernization is the transformation from traditional man to modern man, from agricultural man to industrial man, including the transformation from ethical man to contractual man, from family man to social man, from hierarchical man to equal man, from monarchical man to national citizen, and from rural man to urban man.

The second personal modernization is the transformation from modern man to postmodern man, from industrial man to knowledge man, including the transformation from economic man to ecological man, material man to cultural man, organizational man to autonomous man, national man to world man, etc.

The first and second modernization of man had different features, and the features of the second modernization of man are still developing.

Characteristics of the phases of human modernization

Characteristics of the first human modernization

Characteristics of the second human modernization

Differentiation of human beings, civicization, vocationalization, rationalization, classification, secularization, equality, economization, politicization, socialization, etc.

Networking, ecologizing, internationalization, diversification, autonomy, personalization, leisure, innovation, knowledge, (new features will appear in the future)

There are 10 general features of human modernization: partially predictable, nonlinear, reversible, path-dependent, multipath, pluralistic, uneven, asynchronous, staged, and global, etc.

Human modernization is an expression of modernization and follows the 10 principles of modernization.

Thirdly, the results of human modernization.

Since the 1960s, the relevance of the outcome of personal modernization to the goal has been gradually formed and strengthened.

The results of personal modernization include the formation of personal modernity, distinctiveness, diversity and side effects. Analyzed from the theoretical point of view, it includes six aspects of profound changes: the completion of two personal transformations, the improvement of personal qualities and abilities, the change of personal values, the development of the civic system, the free emancipation and all-round development of the human being, and the change in the distribution of personal modernization.

The result of the first personal modernization is the formation of the first human modernity, distinctiveness and diversity, the main features of which include professionalism, citizenship, rationality, equality, class, democracy, organization, efficiency, openness, independence, participation, planning, realism, fairness, initiative, mobility, scientific, disciplinary, sense of responsibility, trust, sense of achievement and personal values, etc. Side effects include the dilution of human feelings and the prevalence of materialism.

The result of the second human modernization is the formation of the second human modernity, distinctiveness and diversity, which is now characterized by knowledge, network, ecology, autonomy, diversity, interest, internationality, happiness, lifelong learning, self-realization and all-round development of human beings, with the side effects of accelerated aging of knowledge and skills, expanding work and family risks, and so on.

Analyzed from an individual perspective, there are three main goals of personal modernization. Completing the first personal modernization; completing the second personal modernization; and catching up, reaching and maintaining the world's advanced level of civic quality.

Analyzed from the policy point of view, there are three main goals of personal modernization. Comprehensively improve the quality of citizens and promote the comprehensive development of human beings; develop and improve the system of civil rights and obligations; and improve the creativity and international competitiveness of citizens and so on.

Fourth, the dynamics of human modernization.

Micro-level motivational factors include innovation, competition, adaptation, communication, personal interests and personal interests, etc.; macro-level motivation includes national modernization, regional modernization, informatization and globalization.

Innovation is the fundamental source of institutional progress, competition is the incentive mechanism for personal progress, adaptation is the personal and institutional adjustment to changes in the external environment, communication is the facilitator of personal development, and personal interests and interests are the influencing factors of personal development. The role of innovation and competition is more prominent in developed countries, and the role of communication and adaptation is more prominent in developing countries.

The power model includes innovation drive, two-wheel drive, joint role, innovation diffusion and innovation spillover. Different types and different periods of individuals have different modernization dynamics.

Fifth, the model of human modernization.

There is no universal best path for human modernization. there are three basic paths for human modernization in the 21st century.

If the first personal modernization is the primary modernization of the individual, then the second personal modernization is the advanced modernization of the individual; the coordinated development of the two personal modernizations and the continuous transformation to the knowledge, network and ecological people is the comprehensive personal modernization.

There is no standard model of personal modernization, it is influenced by traditional culture, personal occupation and objective conditions.

In general, the content and mode of personal modernization differ at different stages, in different fields and sectors.