Alex Inkeles

In One World Emerging? Alex Inkeles clarifies the meaning of convergence in the social organization of modern societies, shows how it can be measured, and illustrates in detail the manner and degree of convergence across national boundaries. Inkeles assesses the extent to which convergence in institutional patterns is reflected in the emergence of more common attitudes, values, and daily behaviors in different national populations as individuals and communities engage with and respond to the standardizing pressures of national development and global modernization. One popular image of the probable condition of humanity in the twenty-first century anticipates a new Armageddon with all the great civilizations at war with each other. This model neglects a less dramatic but deeper-seated process of worldwide change in which national economic and political systems become more alike and populations worldwide come to adopt similar lifestyles and develop similar attitudes and values for daily living. Alex Inkeles penetrating analysis focuses on this process of convergence.

In One World Emerging? Alex Inkeles clarifies the meaning of convergence in the social organization of modern societies, shows how it can be measured, and illustrates in detail the manner and degree of convergence across national boundaries. Inkeles assesses the extent to which convergence in institutional patterns is reflected in the emergence of more common attitudes, values, and daily behaviors in different national populations as individuals and communities engage with and respond to the standardizing pressures of national development and global modernization. One popular image of the probable condition of humanity in the twenty-first century anticipates a new Armageddon with all the great civilizations at war with each other. This model neglects a less dramatic but deeper-seated process of worldwide change in which national economic and political systems become more alike and populations worldwide come to adopt similar lifestyles and develop similar attitudes and values for daily living. Alex Inkeles penetrating analysis focuses on this process of convergence.

This book focuses on measuring democratic political systems as such, and is concerned more with the consequences and concomitants of political democracy in cross-national research. It examines the sequences and dynamics of political change between 1800 and 1986.

Seen in modern perspective, the concept of national character poses fundamental problems for social science theory and research: To what extent do conditions of life in a particular society give rise to certain patterns in the personalities of its members? What are the consequences?Alex Inkeles surveys various definitions of national character, tracing developments through the twentieth century. His approach is to examine the regularity of specific personality patterns among individuals in a society. He argues that modal personality may be extremely important in determining which new cultural elements are accepted and which institutional forms persist in a society. Reviewing previous studies, Inkeles canvasses the attitudes and psychological states of different nations in an effort to discover a set of values in the United States. He concludes that, despite recent advances in the field, there is much to be done before we can have a clear picture of the degree of differentiation in the personality structure of modern nations.Until now, there were few formal definitions and discussions on national character and the limits of this field of study. This book will be of great interest to psychologists, sociologists, philosophers, and political theorists.

The Sociology of Economic Life, written by Neil Joseph Smelser, is a comprehensive study of the relationship between sociology and economics. The book explores the ways in which economic systems are shaped by social structures and cultural values, and how these systems in turn shape social structures and cultural values. The book is divided into three main sections, each of which examines a different aspect of the sociology of economic life. The first section focuses on the relationship between economic systems and social structures, exploring topics such as the role of institutions in shaping economic behavior, the impact of social inequality on economic outcomes, and the ways in which economic systems are embedded in broader social and cultural contexts. The second section of the book focuses on the cultural dimensions of economic life, exploring topics such as the role of values and beliefs in shaping economic behavior, the impact of cultural differences on economic outcomes, and the ways in which economic systems both reflect and shape cultural values. The final section of the book examines the relationship between economic systems and individual behavior, exploring topics such as the psychology of economic decision-making, the impact of economic incentives on individual behavior, and the ways in which economic systems influence the development of individual identity and self-concept. Overall, The Sociology of Economic Life offers a comprehensive and insightful analysis of the complex interplay between social structures, cultural values, and economic systems. It is an essential resource for anyone interested in understanding the social and cultural dimensions of economic life.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Seen in modern perspective, the concept of national character poses fundamental problems for social science theory and research: To what extent do conditions of life in a particular society give rise to certain patterns in the personalities of its members? What are the consequences?Alex Inkeles surveys various definitions of national character, tracing developments through the twentieth century. His approach is to examine the regularity of specific personality patterns among individuals in a society. He argues that modal personality may be extremely important in determining which new cultural elements are accepted and which institutional forms persist in a society. Reviewing previous studies, Inkeles canvasses the attitudes and psychological states of different nations in an effort to discover a set of values in the United States. He concludes that, despite recent advances in the field, there is much to be done before we can have a clear picture of the degree of differentiation in the personality structure of modern nations.Until now, there were few formal definitions and discussions on national character and the limits of this field of study. This book will be of great interest to psychologists, sociologists, philosophers, and political theorists.

This book focuses on measuring democratic political systems as such, and is concerned more with the consequences and concomitants of political democracy in cross-national research. It examines the sequences and dynamics of political change between 1800 and 1986.

The culmination of more than ten years of research carried out in over 50 countries around the world, this volume shows how the forces of modernization on the developing countries change the attitudes and behavior of men acting in their roles as husbands and fathers, as members of ethnic communities, and as citizens of emerging nation-states. The research gathered here demonstrates that the impact of modern institutions on individual psychic adjustment is much less severe than is often imagined and the book explores the meaning of modernization in human terms. In addition, for the first time the theory and method for studying individual modernity are applied to the so-called socialist countries. Inkeles et al. highlight the implications of individual modernity for understanding contemporary and future social change in both developing and advanced countries. "Exploring Individual Modernity" completes the portrait of "modern man" first sketched in "Becoming Modern", the first book to report on the findings on Social and cultural Aspects of Modernization.