Modernization theory or modernisation theory holds that as societies become more economically modernized, wealthier, and more educated, their political institutions become increasingly liberal democratic and rationalist. [1] .
Modernization is a continuous and open-ended process. Historically, the span of time over which it has occurred must be measured in centuries, although there are examples of accelerated modernization. In either case, modernization is not a once-and-for-all-time achievement.
Modernization Theory is a perspective that examines the transition of societies from "traditional" to "modern" states, positing that this transformation is both inevitable and linear.
Modernization represents one of the most significant transformations in human history, fundamentally reshaping how societies organize themselves, produce goods, and relate to one another.
Modernization theory explains how societies develop and become modern. Its focus on technology and economic progress has been influential in shaping how policymakers think about and work towards development.
Modernization theory refers to a body of theory that became prominent in the 1950s and 1960s in relation to understanding issues of economic and social development and in creating policies that would assist economic and social transitions in poorer countries.
Modernization theory emerged in the 1950s as an explanation of how the industrial societies of North America and Western Europe developed. The theory argues that societies develop in fairly predictable stages through which they become increasingly complex.
Modernization theory was the dominant approach to global developmental issues in the 1950s and 1960s, characterized by the search for factors that underdeveloped countries lacked, and which were presumed to cause their lack of development.