There are four concepts through which modernization manifests itself in the United States. Rural communities are becoming smaller while urban communities are swelling because of rural-urban migration. The aging unlike in the years gone by, are becoming more alert of the future. There is an increase in personal choices, and we are witnessing a more diverse society than ever before. Currently, a lot is happening in the country, we are at war whether rightly or wrongly, we need the national support to help make the best out of worst possible condition. We are witnessing a ‘revolution’ in our politics. For example, America have a black president which shows that we are breaking away from the norm and adopting a diverse political life (Foster 2011).
We are witnessing a change in our health care system. For a long time now, health agencies and doctors have been governed by the bills written by politicians and lobbyist. The bills dictated who could be treated and who could not receive treatment (Leonard 2005). This turned our health care into more of a business. With the socialized medicine (Obamacare) coming into place, a lot of the decisions have gone back to the basics. This is because it is now for the doctors, patients, and the whole health care fraternity to make decisions as they deem them necessary (Scanlan 2001).
It is expected that modernization will continue in United States in spite of it being among the most modernized countries. Modernization was brought about by the industrial revolution witnessed a few centuries ago. Since then, America her people have been able to advance themselves in every imaginable way of life. For America to maintain progress in the future modernization is inevitable. Modernization and progress go hand in hand for any country to grow. It is to be expected that due to superior education, many people are well equipped to take us to the next level. This also translates into that people will want to advance on every ground possible. The craving for more information will eventually lead to America experiencing further modernization. Modernization can be expected as more and more the emerging issues crave for more efficient methods to be solved or handled. For example, due to global warming, it is expected that cars will be made to be more environmentally friendly and different measure taken to curb pollution then. In cars, it means that making some much needed adjustments to the existing cars or coming up with completely new machines. People will also try to perfect on the existing technology to make it more efficient, reliable, and easier to use (Macionis 2011).
It would be right to say that modernization is nowadays a world-wide trend (Adams, Keith & Soo 1999). This said, it would be worth noting that modernization will be slower in some countries and faster in others. This is because, some countries may openly adopt it and thus going a long way in promote it while others may prove difficult in their adoption. However, this does not mean that modernization will not take place in these communities. In one way or the other, they will have to compromise on some things so as to embrace change that will help them move forward. For example, very few people if any, will stick to their traditional modes of transport with better ones out available. This is because they have a lot of shortcomings. For instance, it is unthinkable how way a person may opt to move on an animal’s back while there are better, faster, and reliable modes of transport.
Modernization has had a lot of impact on our lives. It has brought with it some positive effects as well as some negative effects. While looking at modernization, it is difficult not to accept that technology has played a very big role. It is through technology that life has been made better and easier to live. Modernization, for instance, has led to an increase life expectancy and a healthier society. This is because, technology has provided us with some high end machines which enables us to effectively handle or improve on some problems. Drugs have been discovered that help in fighting some of the most deadly disease. It has brought about change in agricultural, communication, and transport industries. This has improved lives as people are able to go about their businesses with ease (Weymann 1996).
However, modernization has had negative impacts on our lives too. For instance, it has destroyed many cultures. This is because through interaction, foreigners have come to corrupt the culture of the hosts. Case in point, due to Europe and America being modernized, it has led to most of Asian, African, and South American communities leaving their culture for some from ones. Due to industrialization, some communities have been made to adapt to new ways of living. Farmers and pastoralists had to leave behind most their practices due to loss of land. Social structure has been destroyed as people have moved from places to places. Big families are rarely found living in one area as it was in the years gone by. Before modernization most communities lived within specific localities, however, this has changed and very few communities have maintained that (Ibrahim, Manshoor, Adnan, & Bhatti 2011).
After reading various works of the social theorists, I feel inclined to agreeing with Max Weber. This is due to the way he talked about the need for change, which was to be brought about by the problems and conflicts that were to accompany change. According to Max Weber, for change to be realized a price had to be paid, regardless of the way in which change would manifest itself. Max Weber also understood that it was important to have person(s) in front to champion and campaign for the expected change. He also says that the person needs to know much about the change to be able to communicate it to others. They must also be able to capture the attention of everyone while speaking. Though most of the Weber’s beliefs are appealing, I am not sure am behind them fully. This said, I must admit that Weber is closest to the feeling I harbor about society generalization.
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