Describe traditional and industrial society. Pre-industrial society

Sociology distinguishes several types of society: traditional, industrial and post-industrial. The difference between the formations is colossal. Moreover, each type of device has unique characteristics and features.

The difference lies in the attitude towards the person, the methods of organization economic activity. The transition from traditional to industrial and post-industrial (information) society is extremely difficult.

Traditional

The presented type of social system was formed first. In this case, the basis for regulating relationships between people is tradition. Agrarian or traditional society differs from industrial and post-industrial society primarily by low mobility in the social sphere. In this way of life, there is a clear distribution of roles, and the transition from one class to another is practically impossible. An example is the caste system in India. The structure of this society is characterized by stability and a low level of development. The future role of a person is based primarily on his origin. There are no social elevators in principle; in some ways they are even undesirable. The transition of individuals from one layer to another in the hierarchy can provoke the process of destruction of the entire habitual way of life.

In an agrarian society, individualism is not encouraged. All human actions are aimed at maintaining the life of the community. Freedom of choice in this case can lead to a change in formation or cause the destruction of the entire structure. Economic relations between people are strictly regulated. Under normal market relations, citizens increase, that is, processes that are undesirable for the entire traditional society are initiated.

Basis of the economy

The economy of this type of formation is agricultural. That is, the basis of wealth is the land. The more plots an individual owns, the higher his social status. The tools of production are archaic and practically not developed. This also applies to other areas of life. In the early stages of the formation of a traditional society, natural exchange predominates. Money as a universal commodity and a measure of the value of other items is absent in principle.

There is no industrial production as such. With development, the handicraft production of necessary tools and other household products arises. This process is long, since most citizens living in a traditional society prefer to produce everything themselves. Subsistence farming predominates.

Demographics and life

In an agrarian system, most people live in local communities. At the same time, changing the place of activity occurs extremely slowly and painfully. It is also important to take into account that in a new place of residence problems often arise with the allocation of land. Own land with the opportunity to grow various crops is the basis of life in a traditional society. Food is also obtained through livestock breeding, gathering and hunting.

In a traditional society, the birth rate is high. This is caused primarily by the need for the survival of the community itself. There is no medicine, so often simple diseases and the injuries become fatal. The average life expectancy is low.

Life is organized taking into account the principles. It is also not subject to any changes. At the same time, the life of all members of society depends on religion. All canons and principles in the community are regulated by faith. Changes and attempts to escape from the usual existence are suppressed by religious dogmas.

Change of formation

The transition from a traditional society to an industrial and post-industrial one is only possible with a sharp development of technology. This became possible in the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the development of progress occurred due to the plague epidemic that swept through Europe. A sharp decline in population provoked the development of technology and the emergence of mechanized production tools.

Industrial formation

Sociologists associate the transition from a traditional type of society to an industrial and post-industrial one with a change in the economic component of people’s way of life. The growth of production capacity led to urbanization, that is, the outflow of part of the population from the village to the city. Large settlements, in which the mobility of citizens increased significantly.

The structure of the formation is flexible and dynamic. Machine production is actively developing, and labor is becoming more automated. The use of new (at that time) technologies is typical not only for industry, but also for agriculture. The total share of employment in the agricultural sector does not exceed 10%.

The main factor of development in an industrial society becomes entrepreneurial activity. Therefore, the position of an individual is determined by his skills, desire for development and education. Origin also remains important, but its influence is gradually decreasing.

Form of government

Gradually, with the growth of production and the increase in capital in an industrial society, a conflict is brewing between the generation of entrepreneurs and representatives of the old aristocracy. In many countries, this process culminated in a change in the very structure of the state. Typical examples can be called the French Revolution or the emergence of a constitutional monarchy in England. After these changes, the archaic aristocracy lost its former opportunities to influence the life of the state (although in general their opinion continued to be listened to).

Economics of an industrial society

The basis of the economy of such a formation is the extensive exploitation of natural resources and labor. According to Marx, in a capitalist industrial society the main roles are assigned directly to those who own the tools of labor. Resources are often produced to the detriment of the environment, and the condition of environment.

At the same time, production is growing at an accelerated pace. The quality of the staff comes to the fore. Manual labor also remains, but to minimize costs, industrialists and entrepreneurs are beginning to invest money in the development of technology.

A characteristic feature of the industrial formation is the merging of banking and industrial capital. In an agrarian society, especially in its initial stages development, usury was persecuted. With the development of progress, loan interest became the basis for economic development.

Post-industrial

Post-industrial society began to take shape in the middle of the last century. Countries have become the locomotive of development Western Europe, USA and Japan. Features of the formation are to increase the share in the gross domestic product information technologies. The transformations also affected industry and agriculture. Productivity has increased and manual labor has decreased.

The driving force for further development was the formation of a consumer society. An increase in the share of quality services and goods has led to the development of technology and increased investment in science.

The concept of a post-industrial society was formed by a teacher at Harvard University. After his works, some sociologists also came up with the concept of an information society, although in many ways these concepts are synonymous.

Opinions

There are two opinions in the theory of the emergence of post-industrial society. From a classical point of view, the transition was made possible thanks to:

Automation of production.
Needs for a high educational level of personnel.
Increasing demand for quality services.
Increasing incomes of the majority of the population of developed countries.

Marxists have put forward their own theory on this matter. According to it, the transition to a post-industrial (information) society from industrial and traditional became possible thanks to the global division of labor. There has been a concentration of industries in different regions of the planet, as a result of which the qualifications of service personnel have increased.

Deindustrialization

The information society has given rise to another socio-economic process: deindustrialization. In developed countries, the share of workers involved in industry is declining. At the same time, the influence of direct production on the state’s economy also decreases. According to statistics, from 1970 to 2015, the share of industry in the United States and Western Europe in the gross domestic product decreased from 40 to 28%. Part of the production was transferred to other regions of the planet. This process gave rise to a sharp increase development in countries, accelerated the pace of transition from agrarian (traditional) and industrial types of society to post-industrial.

Risks

The intensive path of development and the formation of an economy based on scientific knowledge is fraught with various risks. The migration process has increased sharply. At the same time, some countries lagging behind in development are beginning to experience a shortage of qualified personnel who are moving to regions with an information-based economy. The effect provokes the development of crisis phenomena characteristic of to a greater extent for an industrial social formation.

Experts are also concerned about skewed demographics. Three stages of development of society (traditional, industrial and post-industrial) have different relationships to family and fertility. For an agrarian society, a large family is the basis of survival. Approximately the same opinion exists in industrial society. The transition to a new formation was marked by a sharp decline in the birth rate and an aging population. Therefore, countries with an information economy actively attract qualified, educated youth from other regions of the planet, thereby widening the development gap.

Experts are also concerned about the decline in the growth rate of post-industrial society. Traditional (agricultural) and industrial still have room to develop, increase production and change the format of the economy. Information formation is the crown of the evolutionary process. New technologies are constantly being developed, but breakthrough solutions (for example, the transition to nuclear energy, space exploration) appear less and less often. Therefore, sociologists predict an increase in crisis phenomena.

Coexistence

Now a paradoxical situation has arisen: industrial, post-industrial and traditional societies coexist quite peacefully in different regions of the planet. The agricultural formation with the corresponding way of life is more typical for some countries in Africa and Asia. Industrial with gradual evolutionary processes towards information is observed in Eastern Europe and CIS.

Industrial, post-industrial and traditional society are different primarily in relation to human personality. In the first two cases, development is based on individualism, while in the second, collective principles predominate. Any display of willfulness or attempt to stand out is condemned.

Social elevators

Social elevators characterize the mobility of segments of the population within society. In traditional, industrial and post-industrial formations they are expressed differentially. For an agrarian society, only the displacement of an entire segment of the population is possible, for example, through a riot or revolution. In other cases, mobility is possible for one individual. The final position depends on the knowledge, acquired skills and activity of the person.

In fact, the differences between traditional, industrial and post-industrial types of society are enormous. Sociologists and philosophers study their formation and stages of development.

The theory of stages of economic growth is the concept of W. Rostow, according to which history is divided into five stages:

1- “traditional society” - all societies before capitalism, characterized by a low level of labor productivity, domination of the agricultural economy;

2- “transitional society”, coinciding with the transition to pre-monopoly capitalism;

3- “shift period”, characterized by industrial revolutions and the beginning of industrialization;

4- “period of maturity”, characterized by the completion of industrialization and the emergence of industrially highly developed countries;

5- "the era of high levels of mass consumption."

Traditional society is a society that is regulated by tradition. Preservation of traditions is a higher value in it than development. Its social structure is characterized (especially in Eastern countries) by a rigid class hierarchy and the existence of stable social communities, in a special way regulation of social life based on traditions and customs. This organization of society strives to preserve the socio-cultural foundations of life unchanged. Traditional society is an agrarian society.

A traditional society is usually characterized by:

· traditional economy

· predominance of the agricultural way of life;

· structural stability;

· class organization;

· low mobility;

· high mortality rate;

· high birth rate;

· low life expectancy.

A traditional person perceives the world and the established order of life as something inextricably integral, holistic, sacred and not subject to change. A person’s place in society and his status are determined by tradition (usually by birthright).

In a traditional society, collectivist attitudes prevail, individualism is not welcomed (since freedom of individual action can lead to a violation of the established order, which ensures the survival of society as a whole and is time-tested). In general, traditional societies are characterized by the primacy of collective interests over private ones, including the primacy of the interests of existing hierarchical structures (state, clan, etc.). What is valued is not so much individual capacity as the place in the hierarchy (official, class, clan, etc.) that a person occupies.

In a traditional society, as a rule, relations of redistribution rather than market exchange predominate, and elements of a market economy are strictly regulated. This is due to the fact that free market relations increase social mobility and change the social structure of society (in particular, they destroy class); the redistribution system can be regulated by tradition, but market prices cannot; forced redistribution prevents “unauthorized” enrichment/impoverishment of both individuals and classes. The pursuit of economic gain in traditional society is often morally condemned and opposed to selfless help.

In a traditional society, most people live their entire lives in a local community (for example, a village), and connections with the “big society” are rather weak. At the same time, family ties, on the contrary, are very strong.

The worldview (ideology) of a traditional society is determined by tradition and authority.

Traditional society is extremely stable. As the famous demographer and sociologist Anatoly Vishnevsky writes, “everything in it is interconnected and it is very difficult to remove or change any one element.”

Industrial society is a type of economically developed society in which the predominant sector of the national economy is industry.

Industrial society is characterized by the development of the division of labor, mass production of goods, mechanization and automation of production, and the development of means mass communication, service sector, high mobility and urbanization, the increasing role of the state in regulating the socio-economic sphere.

· Establishment of the industrial technological structure as dominant in all public spheres(from economic to cultural)

· Change in the proportions of employment by industry: a significant reduction in the share of people employed in agriculture (up to 3-5%) and an increase in the share of people employed in industry (up to 50-60%) and the service sector (up to 40-45%)

· Intensive urbanization

· The emergence of a nation-state organized around a common language and culture

· Educational (cultural) revolution. The transition to universal literacy and the formation of national education systems

· Political revolution leading to the establishment of political rights and freedoms (including all suffrage)

· Growth in the level of consumption ("consumption revolution", formation of the "welfare state")

· Changing the structure of working and free time (formation of a “consumer society”)

· Changes in the demographic type of development (low birth rate, mortality rate, increase in life expectancy, aging of the population, i.e. increase in the proportion of older age groups).

Post-industrial society is a society in which the service sector has priority development and prevails over volume industrial production and agricultural production. In the social structure of post-industrial society, the number of people employed in the service sector is increasing and new elites are being formed: technocrats, scientists.

This concept was first proposed by D. Bell in 1962. It recorded its entry in the late 50s and early 60s. developed Western countries, which have exhausted the potential of industrial production, into a qualitatively new stage of development.

It is characterized by a decrease in the share and importance of industrial production due to the growth of the services and information sectors. The production of services is becoming the main area of economic activity. Thus, in the United States, about 90% of the employed population now works in the information and services sector. Based on these changes, there is a rethinking of all the basic characteristics of industrial society, a fundamental change in theoretical guidelines.

The first “phenomenon” of such a person is considered to be the youth rebellion of the late 60s, which meant the end of the Protestant work ethic as the moral basis of Western industrial civilization. Economic growth ceases to act as the main, much less the only guideline, goal of social development. The emphasis is shifting to social and humanitarian problems. The priority issues are the quality and safety of life, and the self-realization of the individual. New criteria for welfare and social well-being are being formed. Post-industrial society is also defined as a “post-class” society, which reflects the collapse of stable social structures and identities characteristic of industrial society. If previously the status of an individual in society was determined by his place in the economic structure, i.e. class affiliation, to which all other social characteristics were subordinated, now the status characteristics of an individual are determined by many factors, among which education and level of culture play an increasing role (what P. Bourdieu called “cultural capital”). On this basis, D. Bell and a number of other Western sociologists put forward the idea of a new “service” class. Its essence is that in a post-industrial society it is not the economic and political elite, but the intellectuals and professionals who make up new class, belongs to the power. In reality, there was no fundamental change in the distribution of economic and political power. Claims about the “death of class” also seem clearly exaggerated and premature. However, significant changes in the structure of society, associated primarily with the change in the role of knowledge and its carriers in society, are undoubtedly occurring (see information society). Thus, we can agree with D. Bell’s statement that “the changes that are recorded by the term post-industrial society, may signify the historical metamorphosis of Western society."

The information society is a society in which the majority of workers are engaged in the production, storage, processing and sale of information, especially its highest form - knowledge.

Scientists believe that in the information society, the computerization process will give people access to reliable sources of information, relieve them of routine work, and ensure a high level of automation of information processing in the industrial and social spheres. The driving force behind the development of society should be the production of informational, rather than material, products. The material product will become more information-intensive, which means an increase in the share of innovation, design and marketing in its value.

In the information society, not only production will change, but also the entire way of life, the value system, and the importance of cultural leisure in relation to material values will increase. Compared to an industrial society, where everything is aimed at the production and consumption of goods, in the information society intelligence and knowledge are produced and consumed, which leads to an increase in the share of mental labor. A person will need the ability to be creative, and the demand for knowledge will increase.

The material and technological base of the information society will be various kinds systems based on computer equipment and computer networks, information technology, telecommunications.

SIGNS OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY

· Society's awareness of the priority of information over other products of human activity.

· The fundamental basis of all areas of human activity (economic, industrial, political, educational, scientific, creative, cultural, etc.) is information.

· Information is a product of the activity of modern man.

· Information in pure form(in itself) is the subject of purchase and sale.

· Equal opportunities in access to information for all segments of the population.

· Security of the information society, information.

· Protection of intellectual property.

· Interaction of all state structures and states among themselves on the basis of ICT.

· Management of the information society by the state and public organizations.

Traditional society (pre-industrial) is the longest of the three stages, its history goes back thousands of years. Humanity spent most of its history in a traditional society. This is a society with an agrarian structure, little dynamic social structures and a tradition-based method of sociocultural regulation. In a traditional society, the main producer is not man, but nature. Subsistence farming predominates - the absolute majority of the population (more than 90%) is employed in agriculture; simple technologies are used, and therefore the division of labor is simple. This society is characterized by inertia and low perception of innovation. If we use Marxist terminology, traditional society is a primitive communal, slave-owning, feudal society.

Industrial society

An industrial society is characterized by machine production, a national economic system, and a free market. This type of society arose relatively recently - starting from the 18th century, as a result of the industrial revolution, which first swept England and Holland, and then the rest of the world. In Ukraine, the industrial revolution began around the middle of the 19th century. The essence of the industrial revolution is the transition from manual production to machine production, from manufactory to factory. New energy sources are being mastered: if earlier humanity used mainly muscle energy, less often water and wind, then with the beginning of the industrial revolution they began to use steam energy, and later diesel engines, internal combustion engines, and electricity. In an industrial society, the task that was the main thing for a traditional society - feeding people and providing them with the things necessary for life - has faded into the background. Now only 5-10% of people involved in agriculture produce enough food for the entire society.

Industrialization leads to increased urban growth, the national liberal-democratic state is strengthened, industry, education, and the service sector are developing. New specialized social statuses appear ("worker", "engineer", "railroad worker", etc.), class barriers disappear - it is no longer noble origin or family connections that are the basis for defining a person in the social hierarchy, but her personal actions. In a traditional society, a nobleman who became impoverished remained a nobleman, and a rich merchant was still a person of "ignobility." In an industrial society, everyone wins their status through personal merit - a capitalist who goes bankrupt is no longer a capitalist, and yesterday's shoe shiner can become the owner of a large company and occupy a high position in society. Social mobility is growing, leveling off is taking place human capabilities, due to the universal availability of education.

In an industrial society, the complication of the system of social connections leads to formalization human relations, which in most cases become depersonalized. A modern city dweller communicates with more people in a week than his distant rural ancestor did in his entire life. Therefore, people communicate through their role and status “masks”: not as a specific individual with a specific individual, each of whom is endowed with certain individual human qualities, but as a Teacher and a student, or a Policeman and a Pedestrian, or a Director and an Employee (“I’m telling you as a specialist.. . ", "It's not customary here...", "the professor said...").

Post-industrial society

Post-industrial society (the term was proposed by Daniell and Bell in 1962). At one time, D. Bell headed the “2000 Commission,” created by a decision of the US Congress. The task of this commission was to develop forecasts for the socio-economic development of the United States in the third millennium. Based on the research carried out by the commission, Daniel Bell, together with other authors, wrote the book “America in 2000.” In this book, in particular, it was stated that after industrial society a new stage of human history is coming, which will be based on the achievements of scientific and technological progress. Daniel Bell called this stage “post-industrial”.

In the second half of the 20th century. In the most developed countries of the world, such as the USA, Western European countries, and Japan, the importance of knowledge and information is sharply increasing. The dynamics of updating information became so high that already in the 70s. XX century sociologists concluded (as time has shown - correctly) that in the 21st century. Illiterate can be considered not those who cannot read and write, but those who do not know how to study, forget unnecessary things, and learn again.

Due to the growing weight of knowledge and information, science is turning into a direct productive force of society - advanced countries receive an ever-increasing part of their income not from the sale of industrial products, but from trade in new technologies and knowledge-intensive and information products (for example: films, television programs, computer programs etc.). In a post-industrial society, the entire spiritual superstructure is integrated into the production system and - thereby - the dualism of the material and the ideal is overcome. If industrial society was economically centric, then post-industrial society is characterized by cultural centricity: the role of the “human factor” and the entire system of socio-humanitarian knowledge aimed at it is growing. This, of course, does not mean that post-industrial society denies the basic components of the industrial (highly developed industry, labor discipline, highly qualified personnel). As Daniel Bell noted, “post-industrial society does not replace industrial society, just as industrial society does not eliminate the agricultural sector of the economy.” But a person in a post-industrial society ceases to be an “economic person”. New, “post-materialistic” values become dominant for it (Table 4.1).

The first “entry into the public arena” of a person for whom “post-materialistic values” are a priority is considered (G. Marcuse, S. Eyerman) to be a youth revolt in the late 60s of the 20th century, which declared the death of the Protestant work ethic as a moral foundations of Western industrial civilization.

Table 4.1. Comparison of industrial and post-industrial society

Scientists worked fruitfully on developing the concept of post-industrial society: Zbigniew Brzezinski, Alvin Toffler, Aron, Kenneth Boulding, Walt Rostow and others. True, some of them used their own terms to name the new type of society that is replacing the industrial one. Kenneth Boulding calls it "post-civilization." Zbigniew Brzezinski prefers the term “technotronic society”, thereby emphasizing crucial in the new society of electronics and communications. Alvin Toffler calls it a "super-industrial society", designating a complex mobile society based on highly advanced technology and a post-materialistic value system.

Alvin Toffler in 1970 He wrote: “The inhabitants of the Earth are divided not only along racial, ideological or religious lines, but also, in a certain sense, in time. Studying the modern population of the planet, we find a small group of people who still live by hunting and fishing. Others, their majority , rely on agriculture. They live much the same as their ancestors lived hundreds of years ago. These two groups together make up about 70% of the world's population. These are the people of the past.

More than 25% of the population globe live in industrialized countries. They live a modern life. They are a product of the first half of the 20th century. formed by mechanization and mass education, brought up on memories of the agrarian-industrial past of their country. They are modern people.

The remaining 2-3% of the planet's population cannot be called either people of the past or people of the present. Because in the main centers of technological and cultural change, in New York, London, Tokyo, millions of people can be said to live in the future. These pioneers, without realizing it, live the way others will live tomorrow. They are the scouts of humanity, the first citizens of a super-industrial society."

We can complement Toffler in only one thing: today, almost 40 years later, more than 40% of humanity already lives in a society that he called super-industrial.

The transition from industrial to post-industrial society is determined by the following factors:

changes in the economic sphere: the transition from an economy focused on commodity production to an economy focused on the services and information sector. Moreover, we are talking primarily about highly qualified services, such as the development and general availability of banking services, the development of mass communications and the general availability of information, healthcare, education, social care, and only secondarily - services provided to individual clients. In the mid-90s. XX century in the production sector and in the service sector and the provision of information services, respectively, the following were employed: in the USA - 25% and 70% of the working population; in Germany - 40% and 55%; in Japan - 36% and 60%); what is more - even in the production sector in countries with post-industrial economies, representatives of intellectual labor, production organizers, technical intelligentsia and administrative personnel make up about 60% of all employees;

changes in the social structure of society (division along professional lines replaces class division). For example, Daniel Bell believes that in a post-industrial society the capitalist class disappears, and its place is taken by a new ruling elite, which has high level education and knowledge;

central place theoretical knowledge in determining the main vectors of development of society. The main conflict, therefore, in this society lies not between labor and capital, but between knowledge and incompetence. The importance of higher education institutions is increasing: the university has entered industrial enterprise, the premier institution of the industrial age. In the new conditions, higher education has at least two main tasks: to create theories and knowledge that become the main factor of social change, as well as to educate advisers and experts;

the creation of new intelligent technologies (among other things, for example, genetic engineering, cloning, new agricultural technologies, etc.).

Test questions and tasks

1. Define the term “society” and describe its main features.

2. Why is society considered a self-reproducing system?

3. How does the system-mechanical approach to understanding society differ from the system-organic approach?

4. Describe the essence of the synthetic approach to understanding society.

5. What is the difference between a traditional community and a modern society (terms of F. Tjönnis)?

6. Describe the main theories of the origin of society.

7. What is "anomie"? Describe the main features of this state of society.

8. How does R. Merton’s theory of anomie differ from E. Durkheim’s theory of anomie?

9. Explain the difference between the concepts of “social progress” and “social evolution”.

10. What is the difference between social reform and revolution? Do you know the types of social revolutions?

11. Name the criteria for the typology of societies that you know.

12. Describe the Marxist concept of the typology of societies.

13. Compare traditional and industrial societies.

14. Describe post-industrial society.

15. Compare post-industrial and industrial societies.

Modern societies differ in many ways, but they also have the same parameters according to which they can be typologized.

One of the main directions in the typology is choice of political relations, forms state power as grounds for distinguishing different types of society. For example, U and I societies differ in type of government: monarchy, tyranny, aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy. Modern versions of this approach highlight totalitarian(the state determines all the main directions of social life); democratic(the population can influence government structures) and authoritarian(combining elements of totalitarianism and democracy) societies.

The basis typology of society it's supposed to Marxism difference between societies type of industrial relations in various socio-economic formations: primitive communal society (primitively appropriating mode of production); societies with the Asian mode of production (presence special type collective ownership of land); slave societies (ownership of people and use of slave labor); feudal (exploitation of peasants attached to the land); communist or socialist societies (equal treatment of all towards ownership of the means of production through the elimination of private property relations).

Traditional, industrial and post-industrial societies

Most stable in modern sociology is considered a typology based on the selection traditional, industrial and post-industrial society

Traditional society(it is also called simple and agrarian) is a society with an agricultural structure, sedentary structures and a method of sociocultural regulation based on traditions (traditional society). The behavior of individuals in it is strictly controlled, regulated by customs and norms of traditional behavior, established social institutions, among which the most important will be the family. Attempts at any social transformations and innovations are rejected. For him characterized by low rates of development, production. Important for this type of society is an established social solidarity, which Durkheim established while studying the society of the Australian aborigines.

Traditional society characterized by the natural division and specialization of labor (mainly by gender and age), personalization of interpersonal communication (directly of individuals, and not officials or persons of status), informal regulation of interactions (norms of unwritten laws of religion and morality), connection of members by kinship relations (family type of community organization) , a primitive system of community management (hereditary power, rule of elders).

Modern societies differ in the following features: the role-based nature of interaction (people’s expectations and behavior are determined by social status and social functions individuals); developing deep division of labor (on a professional qualification basis related to education and work experience); a formal system for regulating relations (based on written law: laws, regulations, contracts, etc.); complex system social management(separation of the institute of management, special governing bodies: political, economic, territorial and self-government); secularization of religion (its separation from the system of government); highlighting a variety of social institutions (self-reproducing systems special relationship allowing to ensure social control, inequality, protection of its members, distribution of goods, production, communication).

These include industrial and post-industrial societies.

Industrial society- this is a type of organization of social life that combines the freedom and interests of the individual with general principles governing their joint activities. It is characterized by flexibility of social structures, social mobility, and a developed system of communications.

In the 1960s concepts appear post-industrial (informational) societies (D. Bell, A. Touraine, J. Habermas), caused by drastic changes in the economy and culture of the most developed countries. The leading role in society is recognized as the role of knowledge and information, computer and automatic devices. An individual who has received the necessary education and has access to the latest information has an advantageous chance of moving up the social hierarchy. The main goal of a person in society becomes creative work.

The negative side of post-industrial society is the danger of strengthening on the part of the state, the ruling elite through access to information and electronic media and communication over people and society as a whole.

Lifeworld human society is becoming stronger is subject to the logic of efficiency and instrumentalism. Culture, including traditional values, is being destroyed under the influence administrative control gravitating towards standardization and unification social relations, social behavior. Society is increasingly subject to the logic of economic life and bureaucratic thinking.

Distinctive features of post-industrial society:

transition from the production of goods to a service economy;
the rise and dominance of highly educated technical vocational specialists;
the main role of theoretical knowledge as a source of discoveries and political decisions in society;
control over technology and the ability to assess the consequences of scientific and technical innovations;
decision-making based on the creation of intellectual technology, as well as using the so-called information technology.

The latter is brought to life by the needs of the beginning to form information society. The emergence of such a phenomenon is by no means accidental. The basis of social dynamics in the information society is not traditional material resources, which are also largely exhausted, but information (intellectual): knowledge, scientific, organizational factors, intellectual abilities of people, their initiative, creativity.

The concept of post-industrialism today has been developed in detail, has a lot of supporters and an ever-increasing number of opponents. The world has formed two main directions assessments of the future development of human society: eco-pessimism and techno-optimism. Ecopessimism predicts total global catastrophe due to increasing environmental pollution; destruction of the Earth's biosphere. Techno-optimism draws a rosier picture, assuming that scientific and technological progress will cope with all the difficulties on the path to the development of society.

Basic typologies of society

In the history of social thought, several typologies of society have been proposed.

Typologies of society during the formation of sociological science

Founder of sociology, French scientist O. Comte proposed a three-member stage typology, which included:

stage of military dominance;
stage of feudal rule;
stage of industrial civilization.

The basis of the typology G. Spencer the principle of evolutionary development of societies from simple to complex is established, i.e. from an elementary society to an increasingly differentiated one. Spencer envisioned the development of societies as component a single evolutionary process for all nature. The lowest pole of the evolution of society is formed by the so-called military societies, characterized by high homogeneity, the subordinate position of the individual and the dominance of coercion as a factor of integration. From this phase, through a series of intermediate ones, society develops to the highest pole - industrial society, in which democracy, the voluntary nature of integration, spiritual pluralism and diversity dominate.

Typologies of society in the classical period of development of sociology

These typologies differ from those described above. Sociologists of this period saw their task as explaining it based not on general order nature and the laws of its development, and from it itself and its internal laws. So, E. Durkheim sought to find the “original cell” of the social as such and for this purpose looked for the “simplest”, most elementary society, the most simple form organization of “collective consciousness”. Therefore, his typology of societies is built from simple to complex, and is based on the principle of complicating the form of social solidarity, i.e. consciousness by individuals of their unity. In simple societies, mechanical solidarity operates because the individuals composing them are very similar in consciousness and life situation- as particles of a mechanical whole. In complex societies, there is a complex system of division of labor, differentiated functions of individuals, therefore the individuals themselves differ from each other in their way of life and consciousness. They are united by functional connections, and their solidarity is “organic”, functional. Both types of solidarity are represented in any society, but in archaic societies mechanical solidarity predominates, and in modern societies organic solidarity predominates.

German classic of sociology M. Weber viewed the social as a system of domination and subordination. His approach was based on the idea of society as the result of a struggle for power and to maintain dominance. Societies are classified according to the type of dominance that prevails in them. The charismatic type of dominance arises on the basis of the personal special power - charisma - of the ruler. Priests or leaders usually possess charisma, and such dominance is non-rational and does not require a special system of management. Modern society, according to Weber, there is a legal type of domination based on law, characterized by the presence of a bureaucratic management system and the operation of the principle of rationality.

Typology of the French sociologist Zh. Gurvich features a complex multi-level system. He identifies four types of archaic societies that had a primary global structure:

tribal (Australia, American Indians);
tribal, which included heterogeneous and weakly hierarchized groups united around the endowed magical power leader (Polynesia, Melanesia);
tribal with a military organization, consisting of family groups and clans (North America);
tribal tribes united into monarchical states (“black” Africa).

charismatic societies (Egypt, Ancient China, Persia, Japan);
patriarchal societies (Homeric Greeks, Jews of the Old Testament era, Romans, Slavs, Franks);
city-states (Greek city-states, Roman cities, Italian cities of the Renaissance);
feudal hierarchical societies (European Middle Ages);
societies that gave rise to enlightened absolutism and capitalism (Europe only).

In the modern world, Gurvich identifies: technical-bureaucratic society; a liberal democratic society built on the principles of collectivist statism; society of pluralistic collectivism, etc.

Typologies of society in modern sociology

The postclassical stage of development of sociology is characterized by typologies based on the principle of technical and technological development of societies. Nowadays, the most popular typology is one that distinguishes between traditional, industrial and post-industrial societies.

Traditional societies characterized by high development of agricultural labor. The main sector of production is the procurement of raw materials, which is carried out within peasant families; members of society strive to satisfy mainly domestic needs. The basis of the economy is the family farm, which is able to satisfy, if not all of its needs, then a significant part of them. Technical development is extremely weak. The main method in decision making is the “trial and error” method. Social relations are extremely poorly developed, as are social differentiation. Such societies are tradition-oriented, therefore, oriented towards the past.

Industrial society - a society characterized by high industrial development and rapid economic growth. Economic development is carried out mainly due to an extensive, consumer attitude towards nature: in order to satisfy its current needs, such a society strives for the most complete development of the natural resources at its disposal. The main sector of production is the processing and processing of materials, carried out by teams of workers in factories and factories. Such a society and its members strive for maximum adaptation to the present moment and satisfaction of social needs. The main method of decision-making is empirical research.

Another very important feature of industrial society is the so-called “modernization optimism”, i.e. absolute confidence that any problem, including social, can be solved based on scientific knowledge and technology.

Post-industrial society- this is a society that is emerging at the moment and has a number of significant differences from industrial society. If an industrial society is characterized by a desire for maximum industrial development, then in a post-industrial society a much more noticeable (and ideally primary) role is played by knowledge, technology and information. In addition, the service sector is developing rapidly, overtaking industry.

In post-industrial society there is no faith in the omnipotence of science. This is partly due to the fact that humanity is faced with the negative consequences of its own activities. For this reason, “environmental values” come to the fore, and this means not only a careful attitude towards nature, but also an attentive attitude to the balance and harmony necessary for the adequate development of society.

The basis of post-industrial society is information, which in turn gave rise to another type of society - informational. According to supporters of the theory of the information society, a completely new society is emerging, characterized by processes that are opposite to those that took place in the previous phases of the development of societies even in the 20th century. For example, instead of centralization there is regionalization, instead of hierarchization and bureaucratization - democratization, instead of concentration - disaggregation, instead of standardization - individualization. All these processes are driven by information technology.

People offering services either provide information or use it. For example, teachers transfer knowledge to students, repairmen use their knowledge to maintain equipment, lawyers, doctors, bankers, pilots, designers sell their specialized knowledge of laws, anatomy, finance, aerodynamics and color schemes to clients. They do not produce anything, unlike factory workers in an industrial society. Instead, they transfer or use knowledge to provide services for which others are willing to pay.

Researchers are already using the term " virtual society" for description modern type a society formed and developing under the influence of information technologies, especially Internet technologies. The virtual, or possible, world has become a new reality due to the computer boom that has swept society. Virtualization (replacement of reality with a se simulation/image) of society, researchers note, is total, since all the elements that make up society are virtualized, significantly changing their appearance, their status and role.

Post-industrial society is also defined as a society " post-economic", "post-labor", i.e. a society in which the economic subsystem loses its decisive significance, and labor ceases to be the basis of all social relations. In a post-industrial society, a person loses his economic essence and is no longer considered an “economic man”; he focuses on new, “postmaterialist” values. The emphasis is shifting to social and humanitarian problems, and the priority issues are the quality and safety of life, the self-realization of the individual in various social spheres, in connection with which new criteria for welfare and social well-being are being formed.

According to the concept of post-economic society, developed by the Russian scientist V.L. Inozemtsev, in a post-economic society, in contrast to an economic one, focused on material enrichment, main goal For most people it becomes the development of their own personality.

The theory of post-economic society is associated with a new periodization of human history, in which three large-scale eras can be distinguished - pre-economic, economic and post-economic. This periodization is based on two criteria: the type of human activity and the nature of the relationship between the interests of the individual and society. The post-economic type of society is defined as this type social structure, Where economic activity man’s life is becoming more intense and complex, but is no longer determined by his material interests, and is not set by traditionally understood economic feasibility. The economic basis of such a society is formed by the destruction of private property and a return to personal property, to the state of non-alienation of the worker from the tools of production. Post-economic society is characterized by a new type of social confrontation - the confrontation between the information-intellectual elite and all people who are not included in it, engaged in the sphere of mass production and, as a result, pushed out to the periphery of society. However, each member of such a society has the opportunity to enter the elite himself, since membership in the elite is determined by abilities and knowledge.

Today, industrial society is a concept familiar in all developed and even many developing countries of the world. The process of transition to mechanical production, the decline in the profitability of agriculture, the growth of cities and a clear division of labor - all these are the main features of the process that is changing the socio-economic structure of the state.

What is an industrial society?

In addition to production characteristics, this society is distinguished by a high standard of living, the development of civil rights and freedoms, the emergence of service activities, accessible information and humane economic relations. Previous traditional socio-economic models were characterized by a relatively low average standard of living of the population.

Industrial society is considered modern; both technical and social components are developing very quickly in it, affecting the improvement of the quality of life in general.

Main differences

The main difference between a traditional agrarian society and a modern one is the growth of industry, the need for modernized, accelerated and efficient production and the division of labor.

The main reasons for the division of labor and mass production can be considered both economic - the financial benefits of mechanization, and social - population growth and increased demand for goods.

Industrial society is characterized not only by the growth of industrial production, but also by the systematization and flow of agricultural activities. Moreover, in any country and in any society, the process of industrial reconstruction is accompanied by the development of science, technology, media and civic responsibility.

Changing the structure of society

Today, many developing countries are characterized by a particularly accelerated process of transition from a traditional society to an industrial one. The process of globalization and free information space play a significant role in changing socio-economic structures. New technologies and scientific advances make it possible to improve production processes, which makes a number of industries especially efficient.

Processes of globalization and international cooperation and regulation are also influencing changes in social charters. Industrial society is characterized by a completely different worldview, when the expansion of rights and freedoms is perceived not as a concession, but as something for granted. In combination, such changes allow the state to become part of the world market both from an economic and socio-political point of view.

Main features and characteristics of industrial society

The main characteristics can be divided into three groups: production, economic and social.

The main production features and characteristics of an industrial society are as follows:

mechanization of production;
labor reorganization;
division of labor;
productivity increase.

Among the economic characteristics it is necessary to highlight:

growing influence of private production;
emergence of a market for competitive goods;
expansion of sales markets.

The main economic feature of an industrial society is uneven economic development. Crisis, inflation, decline in production - all these are frequent phenomena in the economy of an industrial state. The Industrial Revolution does not guarantee stability.

The main feature of industrial society in terms of its social development- change in values and worldview, which is affected by:

development and accessibility of education;
improving quality of life;
popularization of culture and art;
urbanization;
expansion of human rights and freedoms.

It is worth noting that industrial society is also characterized by reckless exploitation of natural resources, including irreplaceable ones, and almost complete disregard for the environment.

Historical background

In addition to economic benefits and population growth, the industrial development of society was due to a number of other reasons. In traditional states, most people were able to provide themselves with a means of subsistence, and that’s all. Only a few could afford comfort, education and pleasure. Agrarian society was forced to move to agrarian-industrial society. This transition allowed for increased production. However, the agrarian-industrial society was characterized by an inhumane attitude of owners towards workers and a low level of mechanization of production.

Pre-industrial socio-economic models were based on one form or another of the slave system, which indicated the absence of universal freedoms and a low average standard of living of the population.

Industrial Revolution

The transition to an industrial society began during the Industrial Revolution. It was this period, the 18th-19th centuries, that was responsible for the transition from manual labor to mechanized labor. The beginning and middle of the 19th century became the apogee of industrialization in a number of leading world powers.

During the industrial revolution, the main features of the modern state took shape, such as production growth, urbanization, economic growth and the capitalist model of social development.

The industrial revolution is usually associated with the growth of machine production and intensive technological development, but it was during this period that the main socio-political changes took place that influenced the formation of a new society.

Industrialization

There are three main sectors in both the global and national economies:

Primary - resource extraction and agriculture.
Secondary - processing resources and creating food products.
Tertiary - service sector.

Traditional social structures were based on the superiority of the primary sector. Subsequently, during the transition period, the secondary sector began to catch up with the primary sector, and the service sector began to grow. Industrialization consists of expanding the secondary sector of the economy.

This process took place in world history in two stages: the technical revolution, which included the creation of mechanized factories and the abandonment of manufacturing, and the modernization of devices - the invention of the conveyor, electrical appliances and engines.

Urbanization

In the modern understanding, urbanization is the increase in the population of large cities due to migration from rural areas. However, the transition to an industrial society was characterized by a broader interpretation of the concept.

Cities became not only places of work and migration, but also cultural and economic centers. It was the cities that became the boundary of the true division of labor - territorial.

The future of industrial society

Today in developed countries there is a transition from a modern industrial society to a post-industrial one. There is a change in the values and criteria of human capital.

The engine of post-industrial society and its economy should be the knowledge industry. That's why scientific discoveries and new generation technological developments are playing a big role in many countries. Professionals with a high level of education, good learning ability, and creative thinking are considered valuable working capital. The dominant sector of the traditional economy will be the tertiary sector, that is, the service sector.