Developmental Communication Typology Revisited:
Modernization " Tout Azimut1"
Dr. Abderrahmane Azzi2
United Arab Emirates University
Introduction
"Development3" has been a major theme in communication literature since the
1950s. Many theories emerged in this context. These formulations are synthesized
into four: Modernization Theory of the 1950s, Anti-Modernization (or Radical
Theory) of the 1960s, Post-Modernization Theory of the 1970s and Neo-
Modernization Theory of 1980s and the 1990s4. Early developmental theory,
influenced by Lerner's The Passing of Traditional Society5, postulated that 'traditions
and religious frame of reference' with particular reference to Muslim society can be
'obstacles' to development. The non-Western contributions did not evolve into a
distinctive theoretical framework, even though many scholars in the developing world
subscribe to the Dependency Theory of Development6. There are some exceptions to
this trend one of which is the distinctive perspective developed by Malek Bennaki7, an
eminent Muslim scholar of Algeria who, in his Conditions of Civilization and other
reputed publications attributed the state of under-development in the Muslim world to
the decline of the moral basis of the Ummah. Lately, Post-Modernization and Neo-
Modernization theories presented a novel outlook of development and called for
adaptation of communication technologies in different social-cultural contexts. I
argue in this paper that theoretically, infusion of culture and technology is a
necessary condition for meaningful development as postulated by Bennabi.
However, the current state of objective development in the Muslim context shows
that development and thus modernization is moving in all directions (tout azimut)
regardless of the existing traditions or religion. That is, traditions and religion are
neither obstacles for development as early developmental theories argued for many
years nor are they currently engines for generating energy required for
meaningful development and civilization. That is, traditions and religion are in
current reality neutral factors. This does not exclude the fact that they may become
major agents of change and civilizational development as Bennabi advocated in
his numerous writings8.
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