Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

Grand Theories Of Comparative Politics Versus The Frameworks Of Analysis

 

Structural functionalism is based on the idea that there are demands placed on the government, and there are certain functions in place to deal with these demands. This list of "functions" all must be filled in order to operate as a country. These functions are divided into three parts: process functions, policy functions, and system functions. Process functions outline the important issues within a country, create policies from these issues, and then enforce these policies after they are created. Policy functions create ways in which policies can be enacted, limit the actions of the people, and create ways to distribute goods and services. System functions create individual ideology, recruit leaders, and communicate government actions to the citizens. The major critique of structural functionalism arises from the question as to whether these functions are present before the development of the country and therefore are factors in initial development, or if they are produce during the development of a country.
             The next of these grand theories is the theory of modernization. Modernization argues that there is a linear process that replaces traditional values and systems with modern Western ones and that all societies are ultimately headed toward democracy and free-market economies. There is first an economic change, then a political change, and finally a cultural change. However, many comparative political scientists will argue that modernization contains several faults. First, modernization does not explain how societies move from one stage to another. It also overlooks the extent to which the traditional and modern coexist in many poorer countries - according to modernization there is a complete transformation from the traditional to the modern. Modernization assumes that capitalism and the "age of mass consumption" are the goals of all economic development. It is often looked upon as an economic theory, not as a political theory.


Essays Related to Grand Theories Of Comparative Politics Versus The Frameworks Of Analysis