Unit 11: Globalization and values
Reading: Inglehart, Ronald. 1997. "Modernization and Postmodernization in 43 Societies."
Chapter 3 in Modernization and Postmodernization. Princeton University Press.
1. MECHANISMS OF CONVERGENCE
Two theories have predicted homogenization of values across the world:
(1. Global Polity Theory (Meyer and colleagues). Globalization favors the proliferation of
international organizations and international associations that facilitate the diffusion through
imitation of standardized scripts about how to do things and of those values deemed to be
GOOD for society and progress).
Globalization facilitates the convergence and the diffusion of some ways of organization and
attitudes towards life, across the world. The elimination of barriers facilitates convergence and
diffusion to the extent that in all realms of life, successful ways of organization and attitudes
towards life are imitated across the world. Globalization creates a setting for successful ways of
doing things to be imitated and adopted. Before globalization it was possible to develop isolated
from one another, but nowadays we’re all connected. Globalization makes it possible for
successful values to diffuse around the world. The main process behind this (convergence) is
known as isomorphism (the idea of things becoming more alike).
Some sociologists in the 80s theorized these isomorphic processes and encapsulated in 3 main
types of isomorphism (imitative –fuelled by success, normative –when a particular way of doing
things become a norm and coercive –things become the same because someone impose it). This
idea of isomorphism is very used.
The communication revolution, by facilitating information facilitates imitation. Those values
may diffuse easily.
The transportation revolution: by people travelling more and seeing other places and cultures
may adopt those ideas which they like.
These are the arguments made to predict that as globalization advances, values around the world
converge. There’s another theory that predates globalization theory that also predicts
convergence of values: the modernization theory.
2. ALTERNATIVE CONVERGENCE THESIS: MODERNIZATION THEORY
(2. Modernization Theory (1950s): There is a one-to-one relationship between values and
stages of modernization. All societies are assumed to follow the same path to
modernization until they reach a ceiling. Both the linear progress assumption and that of
the ceiling lead to the prediction of long-term convergence in values).
a. Modernization
It is still highly influential. The main tenet is the idea that as societies modernize, their values
change. Similarly, other authors emphasize that modernization takes place when societies have
certain values. There’s reciprocity in the relationship. Some aspects that helped to gain those
values were industrialization, education, occupational specialization, urbanization.
It is also said that societies follow different stages to modernization. So sooner or later, all
societies modernize and get that set of value priorities.
b. Linear modernization path and ceiling to modernization
