Cultural modernization is an academic concept and research field analyzing the transformative processes by which societal cultural values, norms, beliefs, and practices evolve, often in tandem with structural changes such as industrialization, urbanization, technological advancement, and increased global interaction. It investigates shifts in areas like religiosity, social trust, individualism, traditionalism, and political culture, examining their drivers and consequences for social cohesion, institutional development, and the divergence or convergence of societies in the context of global change.