The document discusses Karl Polanyi's concept of the "Great Transformation" through a comparative perspective of Japan and Mexico. It describes the Great Transformation as the transition from a traditional agrarian economy to an industrial economy. For Japan, this occurred during the Meiji Revolution from 1868-1912 under Emperor Meiji and involved modernizing agriculture, adopting Western technology like railroads, and an authoritarian system dominated by modernizing elites like the samurai. In Mexico, the Great Transformation took place during the Porfiriato from 1876-1910 led by General Porfirio Diaz and cientificos elites. Both experiences resulted in social costs like exploitative labor systems but had different outcomes, with Japan avoiding conflict through populism and

1. The Great
Transformation
A Comparative
Perspective
Mexico
Japan
The United States

2. The Great
Transformation
A Comparative
Perspective
Karl Polanyi
The Political and Economic
Origins of Our Times (1944)

3. The Great Transformation
• What Is It?

4. The Great Transformation
• 1.0 England 1600s
• 1.5 Europe 1700s
• 2.0 United States 1800s
• 2.5 Mexico, Brazil, Japan 1870s
• 3.0 China I 1980s
• BRICS
• 3.5 China II 2015
• MINT

5. The Great Transformation
• What Is It?
• The transition from a
– Traditional Agrarian Economy

6. The Great Transformation
• What Is It?
• The transition from a
– Traditional Agrarian Economy
to an
– Industrial Economy

7. The Great Transformation
A Comparative Perspective
– Japan
– The Meiji Revolution 1868-1912
• Emperor Meiji
– Mexico
– The Porfiriato 1876-1910
• General Porfirio Diaz

8. The Great Transformation
• What Is It?
–Economic “Modernization”

9. The Great Transformation
• What Is It?
–Economic “Modernization”
• Modernization of Agriculture
– Transfer of Labor force from
countryside to the factories
and cities

10. The Great Transformation
• Economic “Modernization”
• Modernization of Agriculture
– Transfer of Labor force from
countryside to the factories
and cities
• Western Technology
– Railroads as symbols of Modernity

11. The Great Transformation
• Economic “Modernization”
• Role of Oligarchies
– “Modernizing Elites”
– Progressives

12. The Great Transformation
• Japan
– Samurai
• Mexico
– Científicos

13. The Great Transformation
• Common Features
– Authoritarian systems

14. The Great Transformation
Social Costs of Modernization
Japan
•“Battleship Island”
•Mining
•A new form of
slavery
Mexico
•Plantation system
•Peonage
•Suppression
of Indians

15. The Great Transformation
Social Costs of Modernization
Japan
• Populist reform
• Agrarian
participation
• Conflict
avoided
Mexico
• Failure of Populist
reform
• Revolution 1910-
1920
• Emiliano Zapata
• Pancho Villa
• Alvaro Obregon

16. The Great Transformation
Policy Choices
Japan
• Native and
autonomous
economic development
Mexico
• Foreign direction of
the economy

17. The Great Transformation
Summary of Themes
Japan
• Meiji Era
• 1868-1912
• Samurai &
The Emperor
• Fukuzawa Yukichi
• Ito Hirobumi
• Zaibatsu
• Gunkan Jima
• Natsume Soseki
Mexico
• Porfiriato
• 1876-1910
• Porfirio Diaz
• Cientificos
• Revolution 1910-1920
•Zapata
•Villa
•Obregon
•PRI 1930-2000

18. The Great Transformation
Imperialism
Japan
• Meiji Era
• New member of the
Club
• Korea
• Formosa/Taiwan
Mexico
• Victim of the Great
Powers
• Great Britain
• France
• Germany
• Spain
• United States
• Investments

19. The Great Transformation
Effects in 20th Century
Japan
• Industrial Power
Mexico
• Economic colony

20. The Pacific Century
Series
The Meiji Revolution

22. The “Opening” of Japan
Arrival
of the
Americans
1853-54

23. The Modernization of Japan
Arrival
of the
Americans
1853-54
Commodore Matthew Perry

24. The Modernization of Japan
Wheels

25. The Modernization of Japan
Trains

26. The Modernization of Japan
Civil War
1868

27. The Modernization of Japan
Modern
Japanese
Man

28. The Modernization of Japan
1894 – War with China

29. The Modernization of Japan
• Some Key Terms and Names
– Progressives
• Who will control change?
– Populists
• What is the role of the people?
– Imperialism
• Who benefits?
– The Corporation
• The relationship between the State and
Private Enterprise?

30. The Modernization of Japan
• Some Key Terms and Names
– Fukuzawa Yukichi
• Promoter of change
– Ito Hirobumi
• 1st Prime Minister
– Zaibatsu
• Industrial monopoly

31. The Modernization of Japan
• Some Key Terms and Names
– Gunkan Jima
• Battleship Island
• the social costs of modernization
– Natsume Soseki
• Writer, author of Kokoro
• the psychological toll of modern times

32. The Great
Transformation