Models and Social Change

Dr. Andrew Austin

Study Guide

What is Durkheim’s theory of social change? What are mechanical are organic solidarity? What are the characteristics of each type of solidarity? What is the driving force behind social change? How is Durkheim’s model relevant to the modernization perspective?

What does Ferdinand Tönnies mean by the terms Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft? What is the difference between the two? How are they similar to Durkheim’s model? What are Wesenwille and Kürwille? How is Tönnies’ model relevant to the modernization perspective?

What are the elements of Talcott Parsons’ structural-functionalist model? What do we mean by “organic analogy”? What are pattern variables? What is the relevance of Parson’s ideas to modernization theory?

How does Marion Levy define modernization? What are the key differences between modern and premodern (nonmodern) societies in Levy’s scheme?

What is structural differentiation, according to Neil Smelser? What is the driving force behind modernization from Smelser’s perspective? What are the pitfalls on the road to modernity?

Who was Walt Rostow and what role did he play in shaping US foreign policy? How does Rostow distinguish between traditional and modern societies? How do societies make the transition from traditional to modern? What is “takeoff”?

Know the main arguments in the other modernization studies covered in the book—McClelland, Inkeles, Bellah, Lipset, Wong, Davis, Banuazizi, and Huntington. What are the criticisms of the modernization school? How were these addressed by the new modernization theorists?

What is Huntington’s thesis in Political Order and Changing Societies? What is his argument in The Crisis of Democracy. What is the Trilateral Commission? What do they do?

What is the ECLA program? Was it a radical program? Was it a successful program? Is so, why? Is not, why not?

What is neo-Marxism? What are the main tenets of this view? Why is neo-Marxism relevant to dependency theory?

What is the main premise of dependency theory. What are Andre Gunder Frank’s arguments. He develops four hypotheses. What are they? What is delinking? Is there evidence to support this concept?

What are the historical forms of dependency according to Theotonio dos Santos? What according to Samir Amin are the two major factors in variable outcomes of development?

What are the core assumptions of dependency theory? What are the differences between modernization and dependency theory?

The United States is portrayed by the media and politicians as spreading democracy around the world. How true is this? Does the United States ever support monarchies and dictatorships? How well does the model of imperialism fit US foreign? What is a client state? What is a colonial collaborator?

Who is Immanuel Wallerstein? Who is Terry Hopkins? What is world-systems theory? What are the components of the model and how does it differ from dependency theory?

What is an export processing zone (EPZ)? What effect do EPZs have on the countries in which they are located? What is exploitation? What is superexploitation? What is the structure of global inequality, debt, and hunger?

What was the world-system prior to the European (or modern) world-system? What were the approximate dates of its existence? How is the rise and fall of this prior world-system associated with the rise of the European world-system? When did the European world-system emerge? What are the modern core countries?