Modernization and Indigenous Cultures Essay

IntroductionModernization is the process of moving from farming and agricultural orderliness to an industrial society and it mainly deals with societies after the Industrial Revolution of the mid-18th century. Some key features of modern-dayization would be big(p), formal organizations and argonaicle of labor based on specialization of skills and abilities. in that respect is more control over environmental resources much(prenominal) as oil, water, land, and animals. There is similarly a distinct feeler in the quality of life during this clip. Because of a higher per capita income individuals are able to buy more goods and services, have more recreational time, and have break in housing and health care. Modernization preserve have both positive and negative do on society and can very much bring ab come out controversy. In this paper I will odour at casefuls of how modernization has affected cultures and usages around the world.TheoriesBefore we come along at the ef fectuate of modernization on different cultures we will look at a few specific theories concerning how modernization affects society and community. The German sociologist Ferdinand Tnnies (1855-1937) formed two theories concerning modernization which he called _Gemeinschaft_ and _Gesellschaft_. Ferdinand Tnnies viewed modernization as the progressive privation of human community _Gemeinschaft_. He also believed the Industrial Revolution weakened the social bond of families and communities by emphasizing the impersonal business attributes like money, efficiency, and self-interest _Gesellschaft_. Tnnies belief was that modernization turns societies inside out so that individuals are essentially separated in spite of uniting factors (Macionis, 2006, page 457).Peter Berger, whose execution was greatly influenced by Ferdinand Tnnies, identified four major characteristics of modernization the decline of diminutive, traditional communities, the working out of personal choice, increas ed social diversity, future oriented and higher focus on time. As we look at societies and cultures around the world we will see how these four characteristics play a large part in explaining the effects of modernization on each. There are other aspects of modernization that are not quite as appropriate for explaining the affects on indigenous cultures but should still be discussed.Other theorists such(prenominal) as Emile Durkeim, whose view of modernity differed from Tnniess in a more optimistic manner. He viewed modernization as a reposition from community based bonds to a community based on economic priorities division of labor. There was Max Weber, who thought that modern societies valued efficiency over tradition at that placefore, modern people will adjust to any intimacy that will allow them to attain their objective. Weber felt that for modern people, truth is the result of rational calculation. accordingly we have Karl Marx, who analyzed modernization as the ascendancy of industrial capitalism. He anticipated a socialist revolution that would lead to an egalitarian society. The problem with Marxs theories is that he had an idealistic view of how the world would work, and underestimated the dominance of bureaucracy in shaping modern societies (Macionis, 2006).Cultures and traditionsTraditional culture, in a broad sense, is human activity such as religion, philosophy, moral standards, laws, society, history, and art that have been intentional and passed on in a community or group over a long layover of time. Whether a society can survive modernization without losing its identity is the question that is debated by many people. In Asian countries such as Japan, Modernization has often been conf utilize with Westernization. This is partly collect to the fact that the supposition originated during the Industrial Revolution in England.It is also due to the fact that judge modernization often meant accepting a Western culture and its resulting fash ion of life. Many feel that Japan is a great example of how a thoroughly modern modal value of life can exist in a non-western society. Others get by that Japan has become distinctly more western as a result of its modernization. The main thing to understand about Japan is that it has perpetually been on the periphery of culturally developed countries such as China, and has become accustomed to accepting foreign developed cultures. The fact is that Japanese people have always had a great interest and curiosity in imported things, including religion and science. This is why Japan neer felt a strong resistance against the introduction of Western culture.Effects on FamilyThere was a United Nations study conducted in the mid-80s that examined the effects of modernization, urbanization, and industrial enterprise on the family structure. Part of the findings were focused on developing countries where wide-spread poverty was forcing families to migrate to areas where work could be foun d mainly large cities. Technology and ontogenesis have both positive and negative effects on family. It is true that there is usually an improvement in living conditions especially in the area of health care, income, living conditions, and education. On the other book it can lead families into an impoverished life, loss of social identity and traditions, and an effort to ever improved alteration with no regard for the effects on family life.Most would agree that the positive or negative effects of modernization on the family are not intentional, but a product of growingpopulation and ever-advancing technology. It can be said that few activities resulting from modernization have been geared explicitly towards families whether to reduce the negative effects or improving their well-being. There have been many changes in family structure due to modernization. Along with the change in roles and responsibilities within the family are changes in values. This includes a greater pressure t o adopt the values, culture, or viewpoints of the predominant group. The emphasis on individualism is probably pre-eminent among the values of developed societies. (Development and the family, 1985)There is a very large pressure on families and small communities to integrate into the dominant culture. Although there has been a long-term shift outside(a) from the extended family towards the nuclear family, the extended family is still regarded in or so instances (among rural-urban migrants, for one) as a way to bear upon social and cultural traditions while adapting to new circumstances and behaviors (Development and the family, 1985). It is inevitable that there will be clashes amid the dominant culture and that of family values.Industrialization and urbanizationThere are two key aspects of modernization in which we need to explore Industrialization and Urbanization. Both can be looked at as a by-product of modernization and have related affects on a societys culture and tradi tions. The effects of industrialization on a family, as with modernization, is influenced by the distance they must travel to acclimate themselves to the new way of life. Some of the pressures that a traditional family structure might face include work schedules that reduce the time a family spends together, less family production as a unit, and a diminished societal network due to migratory labor.In the U.N study mentioned above, urbanization is listed as the third major aspect of development impacting on family functioning, particularly the rapid growth of rural-to-urban migration (Development and the family, 1985). Some of the negative aspects of urbanization on family life would includereduced communication between family members, separation of family members and lack of communal support for urban migrants, more single-parent households and postponement of child-bearing. any of these factors affect how communities and families develop, and how their culture and traditional valu es are passed on.There are also areas like Sao Paulo in South the States where modernization has caused substantial population growth over the last 100 years. In the case of Sao Paulo, widespread coffee cultivation created sudden prosperity to a region that was fairly isolated. Then there was another population surge as manufacturing was established in the area. By the middle of the twentieth century Sao Paulo became the chief manufacturing center of Brazil. The problem with that much growth in a generally ridiculous country is the mass influx of people. With over-crowded cities come crime, air and noise pollution, traffic congestions, and most importantly a labor force that seriously outnumbers the available jobs (Cohen, 2004).Many individuals from outlying areas will continue to travel to this urban center in hopes of a better life, and most will end in continued poverty. Its executable that many will end up in areas like Prestes Maia. The largest squat in Latin America, just about 258 families, nearly 2,000 people, have crammed into this disused textile factory. Its 20 storys provide shelter for some of the poorest people in arguably the most unequal place on earth (Study in contrast, 2007). There is no daylong a sense of community in large cities like this. How can there be a local support network when each individual is busy looking after themselves.ConclusionMost people would probably say that globalization and modernization rarely cares for societies and culture, but that educational activity is not completely accurate. Cultures do not always have to modify themselves and adapt to the global changes that are being imposed upon them. There have been cases, like the Kayapo in Brazil, where natives used modern technology to divine service fight the intrusion of developers. In the case of the Kayapo people, they used videocameras to film treaty negotiations and then used them against the government when they tried to go back on their word. This seems to be the exception rather then the rule.In most cases though, the reality is that dominant cultures do overwhelm smaller indigenous cultures. Small communities and societies are often torn apart by the pull of large urban areas. Because of modernization there has been an increase in personal choice. With industrialization come more opportunities for an individual to choose there future. People no longer had to stay on the farm to ensure that the family would produce enough to survive. This also led to the decline of small traditional communities. Individuals and families would travel to where the opportunities were. The problem is that those that are left behind feel abandoned by those who migrate to the cities. This fact alone creates a cultural division between indigenous peoples.Central and South America are a classic example of how a dominant culture can completely crush out that of the indigenous people. The Portuguese and Spanish left a lasting impression on the indigenous way of life. That influence reached new heights during the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th century. Not only were the Europeans extracting recourses from the area, they were also introducing new ways of thinking, new technologies, and a new type of economy. It would be almost impossible for a lesser developed people to compete against the dominant culture of a technologically advanced society.ReferencesCohen, B. (2004). Urban Growth in Developing Countries A Review. _World__Development_, _32_, Retrieved March 06, 2008, fromhttp//www7.nationalacademies.org/dbasse/Cities_Transformed_World_Development_Article.pdfDevelopment and the family. (May 1985). _UN Chronicle_, 22, p.xix(2). Retrieved March 17,2008, from General OneFile via Galehttp//find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPSMacionis, J. J. (2006). Society The basics (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ PearsonPrenticeHall.Study in contrast. (2007, March 14). The Statesman,1. Retrieved March 6, 2008, fromProQuest Newsstan d database. (Document ID 1232854241).