Modernization, Cultural Change, and Democracy

This book presents a revised version of modernisation theory.

This book demonstrates that people's basic values and beliefs are changing, in ways that affect their political, sexual, economic, and religious behavior. These changes are roughly predictable: to a large extent, they can be interpreted on the basis of a revised version of modernization theory presented here. Drawing on a massive body of evidence from societies containing 85 percent of the world's population, the authors demonstrate that modernization is a process of human development, in which economic development gives rise to cultural changes that make individual autonomy, gender equality, and democracy increasingly likely. The authors present a model of social change that predicts how the value systems play a crucial role in the emergence and flourishing of democratic institutions - and that modernization brings coherent cultural changes that are conducive to democratization.

Part I. The Forces Shaping Value Change: 1. A revised theory of modernization; 2. Value change and the persistence of cultural traditions; 3. Exploring the unknown: predicting mass responses; 4. Intergenerational value change; 5. Value changes over time; 6. Individualism, self-expression, and civic virtues; Part II. Consequences of Value Change: 7. The causal link between democratic values and democratic institutions: theoretical discussion; 8. The causal link between democratic values and democratic institutions: empirical analyses; 9. Social forces, collective action, and international events; 10. Individual level values and system level democracy: the problem of cross-level analysis; 11. Elements of a pro-democratic civic culture; 12. Gender equality, emancipative values, and democracy; 13. The Implications of human development; Conclusion: an emancipative theory of democracy.