Literature Review on the Transformation of Values and Modernization Theories

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive literature review of modernization and value transformation theories that explain the connections between economic development, changing cultural values, and the democratic transformation of political regimes. The «Human Development Sequence» theory by R. Inglehart and C. Welzel, along with S. Schwartz's paradigm of universal values, are analyzed as the main theoretical framework. Institutionalist critiques directed at these theories (S. Dahlum, C. Knutsen, A. Hadenius, J. Teorell) and non-linear dynamic models (W. Spicer) are also examined. Furthermore, the study explores the hybrid value profile in transitional societies, including among the youth in Kazakhstan, where traditional family norms and personal ambitions coexist.