The modernization losers thesis, or modernization losers theory, is a theory associated with the academic
Hans-Georg Betz
Hans-Georg Betz is an academic at the University of Zurich. He is the author of several books on right-wing populism
Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group agai ...
that posits that individuals support
far-right
Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...
political parties because they wish to undo changes associated with
modernization
Modernization theory is used to explain the process of modernization within societies. The "classical" theories of modernization of the 1950s and 1960s drew on sociological analyses of Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and a partial reading of Max Weber, ...
.
The modernization losers theory has been seen as a combination of two theories (a) the
relative deprivation theory
Relative deprivation is the lack of resources to sustain the diet, lifestyle, activities and amenities that an individual or group are accustomed to or that are widely encouraged or approved in the society to which they belong. Peter Townsend, ''Po ...
and (b) the
social breakdown theory.
Betz suggests that the move from an industrial to
post-industrial economy
A post-industrial economy is a period of growth within an industrialized economy or nation in which the relative importance of manufacturing reduces and that of services, information, and research grows.
Such economies are often marked by a declin ...
is one aspect of this 'modernization'. The academic Jens Rydgren describes the thesis as 'one of the central tenets in the literature on the new radical right-wing parties'.
See also
*
Ethnic competition thesis The ethnic competition thesis, also known as ethnic competition theory or ethnic competition hypothesis, is an academic theory that posits that individuals support far-right political parties because they wish to reduce competition from immigrants o ...
*
Linked fate Linked fate is a concept in political science which describes the mechanism by which group consciousness leads to political cohesion among members of a social identity group. It originated in African-American studies, as individuals who perceived ...
References
Far-right politics
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Theories of political behavior