The debate of Seymour Martin Lipset's modernization theory with its involved main claim of a strong correlation between democratization and socio-economic modernization is discussed on a deepened level by the pioneers of transformation studies. Tatu Vanhanen appositely
clarified that - at the best case - developing countries are passing through a political modernization process by achieving the final stage of democracy at the same extent as their socio-economic development (Vanhanen 2003). Based on this thought the transformation scientists do widely agree: by all means, there has to be an evident interdependence between the level of socio-economic development and the ability for democracy. But is this causality a
necessary or even a sufficient condition? If we want to go further into this question, Latin America might be a fruitful area. Especially in the presently proclaimed “century of globalization and power shift” there is a considerable research interest on developing global areas such as Latin America1. According to the assignment's title my research question is: how meaningful is the impact of socio-economic parameters for the democratization of postauthoritarian countries of the “Third Wave” in Latin America?
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Conceptualization
- Definition of the relevant terms
- Theoretical basis: main theories, corresponding hypotheses and additional concepts
- Research design
- Operationalization
- Independent variables
- Existence of market economy
- Democracy of the “Third Wave”
- Status of transformation: “institutionalized democracy”
- Cultural and religious component: Roman-Catholic affected civilization as the dominating tradition within Latin America and an indicator for democracy and freedom
- Confounding variable: Social disparity
- Explanatory variable: socio-economic development
- Dependent variable: democratization
- Independent variables
- Case selection
- Analyses of the country-specific dates
- Analysis of country 1: Brazil
- Analysis of country 2: Uruguay
- Analysis of country 3: Peru
- Comparison and typologization
- Conclusion
- Annotations
- Literature
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This work examines the impact of socio-economic development on democratization in Latin American countries that experienced the "Third Wave" of democratization. The study aims to determine the significance of socio-economic factors in the democratization process of post-authoritarian nations in this region. Key themes and objectives include:- Assessing the relationship between socio-economic development and democratization.
- Analyzing the impact of socio-economic factors on the stability and consolidation of democracy in Latin America.
- Exploring the role of cultural and religious factors in the democratization process.
- Utilizing a comparative approach to analyze the experiences of Brazil, Uruguay, and Peru.
- Applying theoretical frameworks, including modernization theory and embedded democracy, to understand the complexities of democratization.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the research question, which examines the significance of socio-economic parameters for the democratization of post-authoritarian countries within the “Third Wave” in Latin America. It outlines the key concepts and theories underpinning the research, including modernization theory and transformation studies.
- Conceptualization: This chapter provides definitions of key terms relevant to the study, including socio-economic development, social disparity, transformation, embedded democracy, defect democracy, modernization theory, democracy, democratization, “Third Wave” of democratization, and authoritarianism.
- Operationalization: This chapter details the research design, including the selection of independent and dependent variables. The independent variables encompass socio-economic development, the existence of a market economy, the status of democracy, cultural and religious influences, and social disparity. The dependent variable is democratization. The chapter also describes the operationalization process, which relies on the Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI) and other indicators like the GINI Index and reports from Freedom House and Fischer Weltalmanach.
- Case selection: This chapter discusses the selection of Brazil, Uruguay, and Peru as case studies for the research. The choice of these countries is based on the most similar systems design (MSSD), which seeks to compare countries with similar characteristics while accounting for variations in specific variables.
- Analyses of the country-specific dates: This chapter delves into the analyses of each chosen country. It explores the specific historical contexts, political processes, and socio-economic developments in Brazil, Uruguay, and Peru, highlighting their individual pathways to democratization.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This research explores the complex relationship between socio-economic development, democratization, and the “Third Wave” of democratization in Latin America. Key concepts include modernization theory, transformation studies, embedded democracy, defect democracy, cultural and religious influences, social disparity, and the Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI). The study utilizes a comparative approach to analyze the experiences of Brazil, Uruguay, and Peru, drawing on various indicators and reports to assess the impact of socio-economic factors on the consolidation of democracy in these countries.- Quote paper
- Benjamin Weiser (Author), 2013, "Third Wave"-Democracies in Latin America. The impact of socio-economic development on democratization, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/273456
