DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW MODERNIZATION CONCEPTS

Abstract

This article, based on a philosophical and historical analysis, explores modernization theories that have influenced the transformation of contemporary concepts of social development. The stages of the evolution of the modernization paradigm are analyzed in accordance with the changes in empirical reality, identifying the factors that influence their formation. Ineffective political and economic institutions that have caused the backwardness of authoritarian regimes in both the West and the East are examined, and conclusions are drawn about the significance of political and economic institutions in social development. For developing countries that are designing their own model of social development, conclusions are presented regarding the necessity of creating a model that takes into account local specificities. Furthermore, based on the chronological evolution of the modernization paradigm at the end of the 20th century, theoretical models explaining this paradigm are systematized, and their reciprocal transformation is revealed.