The Modernization Theory Explained | The Stages Of Economic Growth

The modernization theory is a model used to explain how societies transition from traditional or underdeveloped economic and social systems to modern, technologically advanced, and industrialized ones. The theory contends that all societies progress through similar stages on the path to modernization as they adopt more modern political, social, and economic institutions.

This theory emerged in the 1950s and 60s and continues to be influential today, though it has been critiqued for overgeneralizing the development process and lacking cultural sensitivity. This video summarizes the key tenets of the modernization theory.