The modernization losers thesis, or modernization losers theory, is a theory associated with the academic Hans-Georg Betz that posits that individuals support

far-right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on the far end of the ...

political parties because they wish to undo changes associated with

modernization Modernization theory or modernisation theory holds that as societies become more economically modernized, wealthier and more educated, their political institutions become increasingly liberal democratic and rationalist. The "classical" theories ...

. The modernization losers theory has been seen as a combination of two theories (a) the relative deprivation theory 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 dec ...

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'.

References

Far-right politics {{sociology-stub Theories of political behavior

See also

References