IV. The quantitative evaluation of cultural modernization

The quantitative evaluation of cultural modernization is a scientific evaluation of cultural changes in the modernization process, an evaluation of major accomplishments in several aspects of a nation’s cultural modernization that can be international comparison. There’re many types of cultural changes in the course of cultural modernization, some of which can be subjected to quantitative evaluation but some others cannot. The quantitative evaluation of cultural modernization can only be carried out in aspects that can undergo quantitative evaluation and international comparison. In this report, quantitative evaluations of 3 integrated cultural indexes for 131 countries between 1990 and 2005 were accomplished.

1. Index of modernization of cultural life

The principle of evaluating index of modernization of cultural life is: modernization of cultural life means a nation’s ability in meeting current demands of cultural life and the cultural consumption level reaching or maintaining the world advanced level; the index of modernization of cultural life equals to the weighted mean of the relative level of the evaluation indexes for cultural supply ability and cultural consumption level. Index of modernization of cultural life is used to measure the average achievements of a nation in three basic aspects of the cultural life, namely, production, dissemination and consumption of culture. Surely, such an evaluation is relative.

In 2005, the Top 10 Countries in evaluation of the index of modernization of cultural life were: Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Singapore, England, Ireland, Finland and Belgium. China ranked the 57th at that time. The last 10 countries in the list were: Burundi, Papua New Guinea, Congo, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Niger, Ethiopia, Chad, Burma and Rwanda.

Between 1990 and 2005, China’s index of modernization of cultural life rose from 4 to 12, with the world ranking rising from the 77th place to the 57th by 20 places; and China’s ranking in Asia was also elevated from the 16th to the 11th by 5 places. According to the nation-grouping standard for cultural modernization index, in 2005, China’s cultural life modernization achieved the level of primarily developed countries. China performed badly in cultural production index but well in cultural dissemination index.

2. Cultural competitiveness index

The principle of evaluating the cultural competitiveness index is: cultural competitiveness means the market share and international position that a country takes up in the world cultural market, as well as its ability in retaining and enhancing the share and the position; cultural competitiveness index equals the weighted mean of the relative level of cultural market competitiveness, cultural efficiency competitiveness and cultural resource competitiveness, and also equals the weighted mean of a single index in cultural indicators for evaluation. Cultural competitiveness index can be used to measure a nation’s performance in three basic aspects of international cultural competition, namely, cultural market competition, cultural efficiency competition and cultural resource competition. Evaluation of cultural competitiveness is one of the relative level.

In 2005, the Top 10 countries in the evaluation of cultural competitiveness index were: Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, Austria, Singapore, Germany, England and Norway. China ranked the 24th. The last 10 countries in the list were: Eritrea, Mozambique, Burundi, Burma, Malawi, Angola, Congo, Niger, Middle Africa and Chad. And still 11 countries had no complete data.

From 1990 to 2005, China’s cultural competitiveness index slightly fell from 23 to 22, with its world ranking falling from the 22nd to the 24th place by 2 places; but the ranking of this index in Asia rose from the 3rd to the 2nd by 1 place. According to the nation-grouping standard of cultural competitiveness index, since 1990, China’s cultural competitiveness has been in the class of world medium powers.

3. Cultural influence index

The principle of evaluating the cultural influence index is: cultural influence refers to the extent of influence that a country has on the world cultural market and cultural life; cultural influence index equals to the weighted mean of the relative level of cultural market influence, cultural resource influence and cultural environment influence, and also equals the weighted mean of all the influence indexes in cultural evaluation indicators. Such an evaluation is relative. Cultural influence index is used to measure a nation’s influence on three aspects of the world cultural market and cultural life, namely, cultural market, cultural resource and cultural environment.

In 2005, the Top 10 countries in the evaluation of cultural influence index were: the US, Germany, England, France, Italy, Spain, China, Canada, Japan and Belgium. China ranked the 7th. The last 10 countries in the list were: Azerbaijan, Niger, Mauritania, Uzbekistan, Haiti, Ethiopia, Burundi, Rwanda, Eritrea and Chad.The data for Lesotho are not complete.

From 1990 to 2005, China’s cultural influence index rose from the 31 to the 40, with the world ranking rising from the 11th to the 7th by 4 places; and China’s ranking in Asia rose from the 2nd place to the 1st. According to the nation-grouping standard of cultural influence index, China’s cultural influence index in 1990 and 2005 reached the class of world powers.