Are development theories of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s still relevant today? Discuss with reference to modernisation theory.

Are development theories of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s still relevant today? Discuss with reference to modernisation theory. Modernisation theory to dependency theory, Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) to good governance reforms, the field of development is continually changing as ideas are critiqued, adapted and replaced. However, rarely do ideas disappear, rather they are deconstructed and some of their components become part of the next 'big idea'. Therefore, in the 1990s when the SAPs were broadly considered to have failed and 'good governance' quickly rose on the World Bank's agenda, it wasn't the end of 'structural adjustments', interventions were just introduced under a different guise (Smith, 2007). The same is true of Modernisation theory, which, despite its demise in the 1970s is still prevalent today. This essay will introduce Modernisation theory before illustrating its dominance in the Madagascar Action Plan (the Madagascan Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) equivalent). Examples from other PRSPs will also be cited, along with exploring the relevance of Modernisation theory in the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals and in Arjun Appadurai's work on 'The Capacity to Aspire'. After establishing the relevance of Modernisation theory today, some of it criticisms will be considered, because if Modernisation theory is still relevant so are its criticisms. It's possible that revised components of Modernisation theory are now being successfully blended together with other development ideas. However, some consider that past errors are being repeated (e.g. Easterly, 2005). Despite questions regarding its merits, because of its durability, Modernisation theory is certainly relevant today. Modernisation is the transformational process which enables traditional societies to become modern societies. Modernisation theory can be related to the theory of evolution (Harrison, 1988) and because of this, it asserts that progress is unidirectional, fundamentally good and that humanity is moving from a primitive to a more advanced state (So, 1990). Modernisation theory suggested that the modernisation process experienced by the USA and several Western European countries provided a model which could be applied to other countries to enable them to develop through modernisation (Kreutzmann, 1998). This led to a decade characterised by, according to Kreutzmann (1998:. 256), " the unequivocal belief in solving problems of underdevelopment by applying growth-oriented strategies. " Therefore, at the heart of Modernisation theory is the idea that economic growth can be stimulated in any country, by following a US/European model. Are development theories of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s still relevant …