Quick poll.
Modernisation Theory proposes that as societies become more affluent, they undergo a fundamental shift in values. Once people’s basic wants are satisfied, they become more secular, scientific and open-minded. Economic development is thought to encourage secularism - as in Latin America.
Louisa Roberts puts this to the test. Combining World Values Surveys and European Values Surveys, she analyses data from 100 countries from 1989 to 2020, examining severalvariables:
'Modern Social Conditions':
GDP per capita
Human Development Index
Average years of schooling
Percentage of urban population
Religiosity:
Importance of God in one's life
Importance of religion in one's life
Frequency of religious service attendance
Self-identification as religious
Using hierarchical models to analyse the data at individual, longitudinal, and cross-national levels, Roberts finds: