Traditional heritage and trends of modernization

• Main Author: Milivojević Snežana M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Faculty of Philosophy, Kosovska Mitrovica 2013-01-01
• Series: Zbornik Radova Filozofskog Fakulteta u Prištini
• Subjects: traditional heritage; traditionalism; modernization; globalization; democratization; individualism; cultural forms
• Online Access: http://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0354-3293/2013/0354-32931302261M.pdf

The main thesis of contemporary sociological theory and liberal-democratic political doctrine of the 'end of history', 'open society', globalization as a world-historical process is also the thesis about finally liberated the individual and autonomous personality 'of our time'. Modernization theorists from Marx argued that economic development brings changes. Actually, economic development is connected with breakthrough from absolute norms and values towards rationality, tolerance, trust, and participation, so transition from traditionalism to modernism according to theory affects forms of value. This paper examines relationship between values and social (political, economic, cultural) transformation as well as the extent to which the validity transformation threatened severe and dramatic social events during last decade. There still remains a dilemma for modern scientific and philosophic thought: is the individual truly free of the pressure of belonging to various types of group compounds like class, ethno-cultural background, family background, gender etc, or have individualization and reflexivity led to an increase in isolation, narcissism, apathy, cynicism, exclusion, marginal position in society, emphasizing materialistic goals and inability to control their own lives.