Future of Modernization in the

¶ … Future of Modernization in the United States The past few decades have witnessed the introduction of a number of innovations in technology and transportation that have created a truly globalized marketplace and all signs indicate that these trends will continue well into the future. The economic benefits of increased international commerce are well documented, of course, but there are some other factors involved in this equation that may not be so readily discernible.

To determine the impact of the inexorable march towards continuing modernization in the United States and abroad, this paper provides a review of the relevant literature concerning these issues followed by a summary of the research and important findings in the conclusion. Review and Discussion How does modernization manifest itself in U.S. society? As the nation with the largest economy, prolific agricultural industry and most sophisticated military forces, modernization is clearly evident throughout U.S. society.

In this regard, Huffman (1999) notes that that while agricultural output has increased more than five-fold in the last century, the number of workers required to produce this output has been significantly decreased, a trend that is directly attributable to the modernization of the agricultural industry. Perhaps nowhere are the signs of modernization so apparent, though, as in the telecommunications industry.

The increasingly widespread use of cellular telephones, personal computers, and wireless connections to the Internet have created a truly modern society that has immediate access to more information than has been available at any point in the history of mankind. The use of consumer robots is also becoming increasingly prevalent as well as innovations in healthcare. Is modernization likely to continue in the U.S. The wheels have been set in motion and there is no turning back now.

While there will always be some people who believe that "getting back to nature" al a Thoreau and Walden Pond is the best way to live, and Americans are always on the lookout for the newest, fastest and best of whatever is available. Computers are becoming smaller and will soon disappear altogether as ubiquitous computing is realized.

Americans will likely receive some type of brain or ocular implants that eliminate the need for any type of external connection to the World Wide Web and Americans in the 22nd century will likely look back on this period in the nation's history as one of the major turning points in the drive towards modernization. Is modernization a world-wide trend? Modernization is without a doubt a global trend that has affected both developed and developing nations and the signs of these trends as easy enough for all to see.

For instance, Snyder (2004) emphasizes that, "Around the world over the past generation, the children of traditional societies are growing up wearing Western clothes, eating Western food, listening to Western music, and (most importantly of all) thinking Western thoughts" (p. 22).

Even the poorest of the poor in remote places in India and China now possess cell phones and have access to the Internet and the same forces that are driving modernization in developing nations will become more readily available in these developing nations as economies of scale drive prices down even further. What are the consequences of modernization? The consequences of modernization are both positive and negative.

On the one hand, advanced societies such as the United States can provide developing nations with technological assistance that can assist them in the provision of up-to-date healthcare services, improve their agricultural output and help them become part of the international community in an increasingly globalized marketplace. On the other hand, though, the impact of such interventions by advanced societies can have profound effects on a developing nation's culture and heritage.

In this regard, Latham (2000) emphasizes that modern societies such as the United States "could actively create institutions affecting the social life of an 'emerging' country. In addition to providing external investment, the "advanced" state could furnish scientific technology and training, provide instruction in the virtues of democratic systems, help produce more efficient forms of business organization, and even instill a new spirit of rationality" (p. 66). The downside of such assistance, though, is that, "Countries on the receiving end have little choice in the matter" (Latham, 2000, p. 66).

Consequently, the people of developing nations who are on the receiving end of modernization initiatives may view such interventions with a great deal of ambivalence. According to Snyder (2004), there is a great deal of ethnocentrism involved in the efforts by developed nations to enforce modernity on developing countries. In this regard, Snyder advises, "People in the West regard the basic institutions of modernization, including universal education, meritocracy, and civil law, as benchmarks of social progress, while the defenders of traditional cultures see them as threats to social order" (p. 22).

Not surprisingly, modernization is viewed as a dual-edged sword by emerging societies. As Mirsepassi (2000) emphasizes, for the developing nations of the world, "The future of modernization, in its blind and brutal rampage forward, appears increasingly bewildering and confusing" (p. 74). Which theorist best reflects personal perceptions of modernization? In his essay, "Five Meta-Trends Changing the World," Snyder (2004) makes several points that coincide with this author's personal views concerning where the world is heading and what will happen when it gets there.

According to Snyder, among the most prevalent trends shaping America today is the move towards home-based activities including employment that will likely change the manner in which people interact with other in significant ways in the years to come.

Based on these trends, it is reasonable to suggest that Snyder' observation that, "Given the recent accelerated growth of telecommuting, self-employment, and contingent work, one-fourth to one-third of all gainful employment is likely to take place at home within 10 years" will in fact be what takes place in the United States, but the percentages involved.