Why were modernization theories criticized for treating Western development as a model for all countries?

Modernization theories were widely criticized for being Eurocentric and for imposing a rigid, linear model of development that assumed all societies must follow the path taken by Western Europe and the United States.12

Critics argued that these theories were fundamentally flawed for several reasons:

• Eurocentrism and Bias: By equating development with Western industrialization, capitalism, and standards of living, the theories implicitly labeled non-Western cultures as "primitive" or "backward" if they did not conform to Western norms. This approach was often viewed as racist, as it presumed some peoples were more "evolved" than others.1345
• Simplistic Generalizations: Scholars pointed out that modernization theory ignored the unique historical, cultural, and social contexts of individual nations. It failed to account for the persistence or rejuvenation of traditional social features, such as religious fundamentalism, which did not disappear as the theory predicted.25
• Imperialist Implications: Postcolonial theorists argued that these models served to justify Western imperialism by framing Western dominance as a natural or beneficial outcome for the rest of the world.23
• Methodological Flaws: Critics challenged the "unilinear" assumption that there is only one universal trajectory for human progress, advocating instead for a "multilinear" understanding that recognizes diverse paths of development.56