Exploring Individual Modernity

With contributions by David H. Smith, Karen A. Miller, Amar K. Singh, Vern L. Bengston, and James J. Dowd.

First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

A Stanford University Press classic.

MacNamara reveals how ordinary women and men legitimized birth control through private moral action, as opposed to public advocacy, in the early twentieth century.

What are the psychological problems caused by modernization? How can we minimize its negative effects? Modernization has brought many material benefits to us, yet we are constantly told how unhappy we are: crime, divorce, suicide, depression and anxiety are rampant. How can this contradiction be reconciled? Damaged Life, originally published in 1996, presents a powerful and progressive analysis of modernity’s impact on the psyche. Tod Sloan develops an integrated theory of the self in society by combining perspectives on personality development and socio-historical processes to explore our complex response to modernization. He discusses the implications of postmodern theory for psychology and proposes concrete responses to address the issue of mass emotional suffering. His book should be read not only by those working within psychology and related disciplines such as sociology and social policy, but also by anyone seeking enlightenment about the predicament of the self in contemporary society.

In The Rhythm of Modernization, Raül Tormos studies the pace at which belief systems change across the developed world during the modernization process. Contradicting value theories’ assumptions, citizens adapt their beliefs to new circumstances throughout life and modernization happens faster than predicted.

Modernization has been a profound change of human civilizations — a worldwide phenomenon and trend since the 18th century. It includes not only the great change and transformation from traditional to modern politics, economy, society and culture, but also all human development and the rational protection of the natural environment at present. It has changed not only people's lives in many aspects, but also the strategic pattern of world system.At present, modernization is not only a worldwide phenomenon, but also a development goal of many countries. It is a common responsibility of the world scientific community to study the principles, explain the phenomenon and serve to reach goals of modernization.The Russian-Chinese Scientific Conference on Civilization and Modernization (the first of its kind) was held at the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) from 29 to 30 May 2012. Leading experts from the Institute of Philosophy RAS, the China Centre for Modernization Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Institute of Sociology RAS and the Institute of Social and Economic Problems of Territories RAS, of Kursk and Tyumen state universities, and other research centers took part in the conference.The conference focused on two issues: civilization and modernization, and global and regional modernization, part one and part two respectively of the proceedings. Twenty one papers in total were presented and they are collected here in this volume.