ABSTRACT
Working theories of modernization are consistently macrosociological in conception; they are intended as universal, and implicitly claim to grasp, both conceptually and substantively, the specific character of social change as it unfolds worldwide in the twentieth century. In attempting to trace the process and consequences of modernization from the perspective of sociology of everyday life, an approach using role theory seems particularly apt. The process of modernization has brought Ego a great many new benefits—that much is certain. Schools, occupational centers, hospitals are autonomous entities that have developed in the way and that today represent the accepted points of orientation of Ego's everyday life. The significance and influence of relevant reference groups, too, have meaning for Ego's pattern of activity and expectations in his everyday orientations. One may surmise that the "remainder" of undifferentiated concerns in everyday life is more extensive and significant than it is often perceived to be.
