Uneven Modernization in the Muslim World
基于全球移民模式构建现代化指数，发现穆斯林世界现代化水平落后但仍在推进，并区分了持续、间断和潜在三种现代化轨迹，从集体主义态度、伊斯兰教义、法律制度和殖民遗产四个角度解释发展滞后。
Modernization is a multidimensional process that enhances human welfare. The relative modernity levels of geographic units can be inferred from global migration patterns, which favor destinations offering opportunities deemed superior. On this basis, we introduce a migration-based modernity index and show that the Muslim World currently lags behind major recipient countries. The gap does not indicate stagnation. The Muslim World has been modernizing, although unevenly across time, regions, and sectors. Although existing research documents these variations, systematic analyses of differing paces and patterns of selective convergence remain scarce. This article fills that gap by distinguishing among continuous, punctuated, and latent modernization trajectories and organizing the literature around four leading explanations for persistent developmental lags: collectivist attitudes, Islamic religious tenets, Islamic legal institutions, and colonial institutional legacies. The resulting framework highlights various sectoral contrasts, such as rapid progress in health and basic education alongside persistent deficits in political and religious liberties.