Modernization Theory From Historical Misunderstanding to Realistic Development: A Review of A New Thesis on Modernization

Many theoretical propositions on modernization have appeared over the past several decades. The majority originated from the West and tend to contain misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the process of modernization around the world. They seem to rely too much on the Western experience, and on that of the United States in particular as the model for others. Luo Rongqu's book, A New Thesis on Modernization, proposes a new theoretical framework by incorporating the Chinese and East Asian experiences and analyzes modernization from the perspective of historical development. Luo maintains that if modernization represents a necessary stage of societal change in modern times, this movement, though in one general direction, has been highlighted with multiple paths.