Compare traditional industrial and post-industrial society table. What is characteristic of a traditional society? Features of traditional society

Traditional society

Traditional society- a society that is regulated by tradition. Preservation of traditions is a higher value in it than development. The social structure in it is characterized by a rigid class hierarchy, the existence of stable social communities (especially in Eastern countries), and a special way of regulating the life of society, 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.

general characteristics

For traditional society, as a rule, are characteristic:

the predominance of the agricultural way of life;
structural stability;
class organization;
low mobility;
high mortality;
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 and social origin.

In a traditional society, collectivist attitudes predominate, individualism is not encouraged (since freedom of individual action can lead to a violation of the established order, time-tested). In general, traditional societies are characterized by the predominance of collective interests over private ones, including the primacy of the interests of existing hierarchical structures (states, 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 markets 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 economic benefit in traditional society it 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. Wherein family ties, on the contrary, are very strong.

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

Transformation of traditional society

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.”

In ancient times, changes in traditional society occurred extremely slowly - over generations, almost imperceptibly for an individual. Periods of accelerated development also took place in traditional societies (a striking example is the changes in the territory of Eurasia in the 1st millennium BC), but even in such periods changes were carried out slowly according to modern standards, and upon their completion, society again returned to a relatively static state with a predominance of cyclical dynamics.

At the same time, since ancient times there have been societies that cannot be called completely traditional. The departure from traditional society was associated, as a rule, with the development of trade. This category includes Greek city-states, medieval self-governing trading cities, England and Holland of the 16th-17th centuries. Ancient Rome (before the 3rd century AD) with its civil society stands apart.

The rapid and irreversible transformation of traditional society began to occur only in the 18th century as a result of the industrial revolution. By now, this process has captured almost the entire world.

Rapid changes and departure from traditions can be experienced by a traditional person as a collapse of guidelines and values, loss of the meaning of life, etc. Since adaptation to new conditions and a change in the nature of activity are not included in the strategy of a traditional person, the transformation of society often leads to the marginalization of part of the population.

The most painful transformation of traditional society occurs in cases where the dismantled traditions have a religious justification. At the same time, resistance to change can take the form of religious fundamentalism.

During the period of transformation of a traditional society, authoritarianism may increase in it (either in order to preserve traditions, or in order to overcome resistance to change).

The transformation of traditional society ends with the demographic transition. The generation that grew up in small families has a psychology that differs from the psychology of a traditional person.

Opinions about the need (and extent) of transformation of traditional society differ significantly. For example, the philosopher A. Dugin considers it necessary to abandon the principles of modern society and return to the “golden age” of traditionalism. Sociologist and demographer A. Vishnevsky argues that traditional society “has no chance,” although it “fiercely resists.” According to the calculations of Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, Professor A. Nazaretyan, in order to completely abandon development and return society to a static state, the number of humanity must be reduced by several hundred times.

Literature

Textbook “Sociology of Culture” (chapter “Historical dynamics of culture: features of the culture of traditional and modern societies. Modernization")
Book by A. G. Vishnevsky “Sickle and Ruble. Conservative modernization in the USSR"
Nazaretyan A.P. Demographic utopia of “sustainable development” // Social sciences and modernity. 1996. No. 2. P. 145-152.

Definition

A traditional society is a community in which everything is regulated by values. Much more attention is paid to the preservation of numerous traditions in this class than to the development of the partnership itself. Characteristic feature traditional society is the presence of a rigid hierarchy and the existence of a clear division into classes.

The traditional society is agrarian. This can be explained by the fact that work on the land is part of the long-term values that are characteristic of this type social order. The traditional caste has been preserved in its original form in some countries of Africa, Asia and the East.

Signs

The characteristic features of a traditional society are:

The basis of existence is agricultural activity. This way of life is characteristic of the Middle Ages. Today it is preserved in some countries of Africa, Asia and the East.
Estate-corporate social system. This means that the public is clearly divided into several classes, which do not overlap in any way in the course of their activities. This system originated many thousands of years ago.
Traditional society is characterized by the value of the human person, since man is a continuation of God. For this reason, spiritual life is placed higher than material wealth. A person also feels a close relationship with the land on which he was born and his class.
Established traditions that clearly regulate human behavior from birth, family relationships and values. The ruler has undeniable power.
Low life expectancy, which is associated with high fertility and equally high mortality.
Two features characteristic of a traditional society are reverence for one’s own culture and ancient customs.

Today, researchers agree that traditional society is deprived of choice in terms of spiritual and cultural development. This significantly slows down his progress.

Traits

What features are characteristic of the traditional type of society? Let's list them in order:

Patriarchal way of life in which the man plays main role, and the woman is a secondary member of society.
A sense of community and belonging to a specific community.
Since traditional society is built on agriculture and primitive crafts, it is characterized by complete dependence on the forces of nature.
A person’s desire to earn no more than is necessary to satisfy basic needs.
The goal of this type of state is not development, but the maintenance of the human population. That is why countries with such lifestyles have no desire to produce goods.

The traditional type is the earliest, as it arose along with the public. At first glance it may seem that there is no development taking place in it. However, it is not. It’s just that this type of community develops in a slightly different way than other varieties.

Development

Economically, a traditional society is characterized by development based on agriculture. At the same time, material benefits are distributed depending on a person’s social status.

A traditional type of society is characterized by the value of redistributive relations, when rights and responsibilities are distributed depending on a person’s social status. At the same time, a person has no chance to improve his social status, since it is inherited, as is the choice of activity. For example, the son of a blacksmith will also be a blacksmith. In addition, marriages between people from different social strata of society are strictly prohibited.

Traditional society is characterized by division into communities. For example, it could be a merchant guild, knightly order or thieves' corporations. A person outside the community is considered an outcast, so expulsion from it has always been one of the most terrible punishments. A person is born, lives and dies on the same earth.

Culture

A traditional society is characterized by a culture built entirely on the observance of legacies that have been laid down over many decades. Traditions are an intangible part of the culture of society, which is passed on from generation to generation. The task of a traditional community is to preserve and honor its own culture.

Religion plays a very important role in this type of society. A person is a servant of God or gods and is therefore obliged to perform certain religious rituals.

Traditional culture tends to develop over many centuries, such as Chinese or Indian.

Values of traditional society

In this type of state, labor is considered as a duty. Among the least prestigious and difficult ones are agriculture, trade and handicrafts. The most respected are the clergy and military affairs.

Which values are characteristic of a traditional society?

The distribution of material benefits does not depend on whether a person works for the benefit of the state or the city. It depends on the person's position. For example, a citizen from a higher class has an order of magnitude more privileges.
The desire to obtain material benefits that are not due to a given class causes misunderstanding among the public.
The mechanisms of traditional society are aimed at maintaining stability, not development.
The government belongs to rich people who do not need to worry about feeding their families, which means they have free time. Whereas people from the lower classes were constantly occupied with the question of how to satisfy basic needs.

The basis of traditional society is middle class- people who have private property, but do not seek excessive enrichment.

Division of society into classes

Class division is the basis of traditional society. An estate is a group of people that has certain rights and responsibilities. Belonging to a certain class is passed on from generation to generation. Among the classes of traditional medieval society, the following can be distinguished:

Noble people, clergy, warriors - the highest class of people. They do not need to work on the earth to meet their needs. They have property by birthright, as well as servants.
Independent entrepreneurs - merchants, millers, artisans, blacksmiths. They need to work to maintain their material wealth, but they are not in anyone’s service.
Serfs are completely subordinate to the master, who regulates their lives. The duties of the peasant have always included cultivating the land, maintaining order on the estates, and carrying out the orders of the master. The owner had the opportunity to punish the peasant for offenses and monitor all aspects of his life, including personal and family relationships.

Such foundations of traditional society have not changed for centuries.

Life in a traditional society

As already noted, each layer of traditional society had its own rights and responsibilities. Thus, the upper classes had access to any benefits of civilization that society provided. They were able to display their wealth through the presence of luxurious housing and clothing. In addition, the nobility often brought gifts to the clergy, the military, and donated funds to the needs of the city.

The middle class had Fixed salary, which was enough for a comfortable life. However, no one had the right or opportunity to boast of wealth. The lower strata of society were forced to be content with only small benefits, which were barely enough to satisfy basic needs. At the same time, their rights were often regulated by the upper classes. For example, there could be a ban on the use of any household items for the poor or the use specific product. In this way, the social gap between layers of society was emphasized.

Traditional societies of the East

Some signs of the traditional type of society have been preserved in eastern countries ah until today. Despite the industrialization and economic development of the countries, they retained the following features:

religiosity - most states in the East are Muslim, which means that religion plays a very important role both in the life of society and in the life of an individual;
veneration of old traditions is strong in the powers not only of the East, but also in Asian ones (China, Japan);

the possession of material assets depends on class affiliation.

IN modern world There are practically no traditional societies left in the classical sense. States evolve and develop in economic, spiritual, political directions, thereby gradually displacing the values inherent in traditional society.

Man in a traditional community

A traditional type of society is characterized by the perception of a person as part of the public, in which everyone has a certain role, personal connections predominate, since family, neighborly, and clan relationships can be observed within society. This is especially noticeable in the example of noble strata of society, where everyone knew everyone personally.

Moreover, everyone has a social role that he adheres to throughout his life. For example, a landowner is a patron, a warrior is a protector, a peasant is a farmer.

In a traditional society it is impossible to obtain wealth through honest work. Here it is inherited along with position in society and private property. It is assumed that power brings wealth, not the other way around.

a brief description of

A traditional society is characterized by the following features:

Dependencies of private and social life from the religious ideas of society.
Cyclicity of development.
Lack of personality, predominantly collectivist nature of society.
Undeniable recognition of any power, patriarchy.
The predominance of traditions rather than innovations.

In traditional society, special attention is paid to the family, as it is aimed at procreation. It is for this reason that families in traditional societies have many children. In addition, society is characterized by conservatism, which significantly slows down its development.

Society is a complex natural-historical structure, the elements of which are people. Their connections and relationships are determined by a certain social status, the functions and roles they perform, the norms and values generally accepted in a given system, as well as their individual qualities. Society is usually divided into three types: traditional, industrial and post-industrial. Each of them has its own distinctive features and functions.

This article will look at traditional society (definition, characteristics, basics, examples, etc.).

What it is?

A modern industrialist, new to history and social science, may not understand what a “traditional society” is. We will consider the definition of this concept further.

Operates on the basis of traditional values. It is often perceived as tribal, primitive and backward feudal. It is a society with an agrarian structure, with sedentary structures and with methods of social and cultural regulation based on traditions. It is believed that for most of its history, humanity was at this stage.

Traditional society, the definition of which is discussed in this article, is a collection of groups of people at different stages of development and without a mature industrial complex. The determining factor in the development of such social units is agriculture.

Characteristics of a traditional society

Traditional society is characterized by following features:

1. Low production rates, satisfying people's needs at a minimum level.
2. High energy intensity.
3. Failure to accept innovations.
4. Strict regulation and control of the behavior of people, social structures, institutions, and customs.
5. As a rule, in a traditional society any manifestation of personal freedom is prohibited.
6. Social formations, sanctified by traditions, are considered unshakable - even the thought of their possible changes is perceived as criminal.

Traditional society is considered agrarian, as it is based on agriculture. Its functioning depends on the cultivation of crops using a plow and draft animals. Thus, the same piece of land could be cultivated several times, resulting in permanent settlements.

Traditional society is also characterized by the predominant use of manual labor and the extensive absence of market forms of trade (the predominance of exchange and redistribution). This led to enrichment individuals or classes.

The forms of ownership in such structures are, as a rule, collective. Any manifestations of individualism are not accepted and rejected by society, and are also considered dangerous, as they violate the established order and traditional balance. There is no impetus for the development of science and culture, so extensive technologies are used in all areas.

Political structure

The political sphere in such a society is characterized by authoritarian power, which is inherited. This is explained by the fact that only in this way can traditions be maintained for a long time. The management system in such a society was quite primitive (hereditary power was in the hands of the elders). The people actually had no influence on politics.

Often there is an idea about the divine origin of the person in whose hands the power was. In this regard, politics is actually completely subordinated to religion and is carried out only according to sacred instructions. The combination of secular and spiritual power made possible the increasing subordination of people to the state. This, in turn, strengthened the stability of a traditional type of society.

Social relations

In the field social relations The following features of traditional society can be distinguished:

1. Patriarchal structure.
2. The main purpose of the functioning of such a society is to maintain human life and avoid its extinction as a species.
3. Low level
4. Traditional society is characterized by division into classes. Each of them played a different social role.

5. Personality assessment in terms of the place that people occupy in the hierarchical structure.
6. A person does not feel like an individual; he considers only his belonging to a certain group or community.

Spiritual realm

In the spiritual sphere, traditional society is characterized by deep religiosity and moral principles instilled from childhood. Certain rituals and dogmas were an integral part of human life. Writing as such did not exist in traditional society. That is why all legends and traditions were transmitted orally.

Relationships with nature and the environment

The influence of traditional society on nature was primitive and insignificant. This was explained by low-waste production represented by cattle breeding and agriculture. Also in some societies there were certain religious rules decrying the pollution of nature.

It was closed in relation to the outside world. Traditional society did its best to protect itself from outside invasions and any external influence. As a result, man perceived life as static and unchanging. Qualitative changes in such societies occurred very slowly, and revolutionary changes were perceived extremely painfully.

Traditional and industrial society: differences

Industrial society arose in the 18th century, primarily in England and France.

Some of its distinctive features should be highlighted.
1. Creation of large machine production.
2. Standardization of parts and assemblies of various mechanisms. This made mass production possible.
3. Another important one distinguishing feature- urbanization (the growth of cities and the resettlement of a significant part of the population on their territory).
4. Division of labor and its specialization.

Traditional and industrial societies have significant differences. The first is characterized by a natural division of labor. Traditional values and patriarchal structure prevail here, and there is no mass production.

It should also be highlighted post-industrial society. Traditional, in contrast, aims to extract natural resources, rather than collect information and store it.

Examples of Traditional Society: China

Vivid examples of a traditional type of society can be found in the East in the Middle Ages and modern times. Among them, India, China, Japan, and the Ottoman Empire should be highlighted.

Since ancient times, China has been distinguished by its strong state power. By the nature of evolution, this society is cyclical. China is characterized by a constant alternation of several eras (development, crisis, social explosion). It should also be noted the unity of spiritual and religious authorities in this country. According to tradition, the emperor received the so-called “Mandate of Heaven” - divine permission to rule.

Japan

The development of Japan in the Middle Ages also suggests that there was a traditional society here, the definition of which is discussed in this article. The entire population of the Land of the Rising Sun was divided into 4 estates. The first is the samurai, daimyo and shogun (personified the highest secular power). They occupied a privileged position and had the right to bear arms. The second estate were peasants who owned land as a hereditary holding. The third is artisans and the fourth is merchants. It should be noted that trade in Japan was considered an unworthy activity. It is also worth highlighting the strict regulation of each class.

Unlike other traditional eastern countries, in Japan there was no unity of supreme secular and spiritual authority. The first was personified by the shogun. In his hands was most of the lands and enormous power. There was also an emperor (tenno) in Japan. He was the personification of spiritual power.

India

Vivid examples of a traditional type of society can be found in India throughout the country's history. The Mughal Empire, located on the Hindustan Peninsula, was based on a military fief and caste system. The supreme ruler - the padishah - was the main owner of all the land in the state. Indian society was strictly divided into castes, whose lives were strictly regulated by laws and sacred regulations.

Instructions

The life activity of a traditional society is based on subsistence (agriculture) farming with the use of extensive technologies, as well as primitive crafts. This social structure is typical for the period of antiquity and the Middle Ages. It is believed that any that existed in the period from primitive community up to the beginning of the industrial revolution, refers to the traditional form.

During this period, hand tools were used. Their improvement and modernization occurred at an extremely slow, almost imperceptible pace of natural evolution. Economic system was based on the use of natural resources, it was dominated by mining, trade, and construction. People led a mostly sedentary lifestyle.

Social system traditional society - estate-corporate. It is characterized by stability, preserved for centuries. There are several different classes that do not change over time, maintaining an unchanged and static nature of life. To many societies traditional look commodity relations are either not characteristic at all, or are so poorly developed that they are focused only on meeting the needs of small representatives of the social elite.

Traditional society has following signs. It is characterized by the total dominance of religion in the spiritual sphere. Human life is considered to be the fulfillment of God's providence. The most important quality of a member of such a society is the spirit of collectivism, a sense of belonging to his family and class, as well as a close connection with the land where he was born. Individualism was not typical for people during this period. Spiritual life was more significant for them than material wealth.

The rules of coexistence with neighbors, life in, and attitude towards were determined by established traditions. A person has already acquired his status. Social structure was interpreted only from the point of view of religion, and therefore the role of government in society was explained to the people as a divine purpose. The head of state enjoyed unquestioned authority and played vital role in the life of society.

Traditional society is demographically characterized by high, high mortality and a fairly low life expectancy. Examples of this type today are the way of life of many countries in North-East and North Africa (Algeria, Ethiopia), and Southeast Asia (in particular, Vietnam). In Russia, a society of this type existed until the middle of the 19th century. Despite this, by the beginning of the new century she was one of the most influential and large countries world, enjoyed the status of a great power.

The main spiritual values that are distinguished are the culture of our ancestors. Cultural life was predominantly focused on the past: respect for one’s ancestors, admiration for the works and monuments of previous eras. Culture is characterized by homogeneity (homogeneity), its own traditions and a fairly categorical rejection of the cultures of other peoples.

According to many researchers, traditional society is characterized by a lack of choice in spiritual and cultural terms. The worldview and stable traditions that dominate in such a society provide a person with a ready-made and clear system of spiritual guidelines and values. And therefore the world seems understandable to a person, not raising unnecessary questions.

It has been proven that society is continuously evolving. The development of society can proceed in two directions and take three specific forms.

Directions for the development of society

It is customary to distinguish between social progress (the tendency of development from a lower level of the material state of society and the spiritual evolution of the individual to a higher one) and regression (the opposite of progress: the transition from a more developed state to a less developed one).

If you demonstrate the development of society graphically, you will get a broken line (where ups and downs will be displayed, for example, the period of fascism - the stage of social regression).

Society is a complex and multifaceted mechanism, and therefore progress can be traced in one area, while regression in another.

So, if we turn to historical facts, then you can clearly see technical progress(the transition from primitive tools to the most complex CNC machines, from pack animals to trains, cars, airplanes, etc.). However back side medals (regression) - destruction of natural resources, undermining the natural human habitat, etc.

Criteria for social progress

There are six of them:

assertion of democracy;
growth in the well-being of the population and its social security;
improving interpersonal relationships;
growth of spirituality and ethical component of society;
weakening of interpersonal confrontation;
the measure of freedom provided to an individual by society (the degree of individual freedom guaranteed by society).

Forms of social development

The most common is evolution (smooth, gradual changes in the life of society that occur naturally). Features of its character: gradualism, continuity, ascension (for example, scientific and technical evolution).

The second form of social development is revolution (rapid, profound changes; a radical revolution in social life). The nature of revolutionary changes has radical and fundamental features.

Revolutions can be:

short-term or long-term;
within one or more states;
within one or more areas.

If these changes affect all existing public spheres (politics, daily life, economics, culture, public organization), then the revolution is called social. This kind of change causes strong emotionality and mass activity of the entire population (for example, such Russian revolutions as the October and February revolutions).

The third form of social development is reforms (a set of measures aimed at transforming specific parties life of society, for example, economic reform or reform in the field of education).

Systematic model of typologies of social development by D. Bell

This American sociologist distinguished world history at stages (types) regarding the development of society:

industrial;
post-industrial.

The transition from one stage to another is accompanied by a change in technology, form of ownership, political regime, lifestyle, social structure of society, method of production, social institutions, culture, population.

Pre-industrial society: characteristic features

Here we distinguish between simple and complex societies. Pre-industrial society (simple) is a society without social inequality and division into strata or classes, as well as without commodity-money relations and a state apparatus.

In primitive times, gatherers, hunters, then early pastoralists and farmers lived in a simple society.

The social structure of pre-industrial society (simple) has the following features:

small size of the association;
primitive level of development of technology and division of labor;
egalitarianism (economic, political, social equality);
priority of blood relationships.

Stages of evolution of simple societies

groups (local);
communities (primitive).

The second stage has two periods:

tribal community;
neighbor's

Transfer from tribal communities to neighbors became possible thanks to a sedentary lifestyle: groups of blood relatives settled close to each other and were united both by marriage and mutual assistance regarding joint territories, by a labor corporation.

Thus, pre-industrial society is characterized by the gradual emergence of the family, the emergence of the division of labor (between genders, between ages), the emergence social norms, representing taboos (absolute prohibitions).

Transitional form from simple to complex society

Chiefdom - hierarchical structure a system of people that does not have an extensive administrative apparatus, which is an integral part of a mature state.

In terms of numbers, this is a large association (larger than a tribe). It already contains gardening without arable farming and a surplus product without surplus. Gradually, a stratification arises into rich and poor, noble and simple. The number of management levels is 2-10 or more. A modern example chiefdoms are: New Guinea, Tropical Africa and Polynesia.

Complex pre-industrial societies

The final stage in the evolution of simple societies, as well as the prologue to complex ones, was the Neolithic Revolution. A complex (pre-industrial) society is characterized by the emergence of a surplus product, social inequality and stratification (castes, classes, slavery, estates), commodity-money relations, and an extensive, specialized management apparatus.

It is usually numerous (hundreds of thousands - hundreds of millions of people). Within a complex society, consanguineous, personal relationships are replaced by unrelated, impersonal ones (this is especially true in cities, when even cohabitants may be strangers).

Social ranks are replaced by social stratification. As a rule, a pre-industrial (complex) society is referred to as stratified due to the fact that the strata are numerous, and the groups include exclusively those who are not related family relations with the ruling class.

Signs of a complex society by W. Child

There are at least eight of them. The signs of a pre-industrial society (complex) are as follows:

People are settled in cities.
Non-agricultural specialization of labor is developing.
A surplus product appears and accumulates.
Clear class distances emerge.
Customary law is replaced by legal law.
Large-scale public works such as irrigation emerge, and pyramids also emerge.
Overseas trade appears.
Writing, mathematics and an elite culture emerge.

Although agricultural society(pre-industrial) is characterized by the emergence of a large number of cities, most of the population lived in the village (a closed territorial peasant community leading natural economy, which is weakly related to the market). The village is focused on religious values and traditional way of life.

Characteristic features of pre-industrial society

The following features of traditional society are distinguished:

Agriculture occupies a dominant position, in which manual technologies predominate (using animal and human energy).
A significant proportion of the population is rural.
Production is focused on personal consumption, and therefore market relations are underdeveloped.
Caste or class system of population classification.
Low level of social mobility.
Large patriarchal families.
Social change is proceeding at a slow pace.
Priority is given to the religious and mythological worldview.
Homogeneity of values and norms.
Sacralized, authoritarian political power.

These are schematic and simplified features of traditional society.

Industrial type of society

The transition to this type was due to two global processes:

industrialization (creation of large-scale machine production);
urbanization (relocation of people from villages to cities, as well as promotion of urban life values in all segments of the population).

Industrial society (which originated in the 18th century) is the child of two revolutions - political (the Great French Revolution) and economic (the English Industrial Revolution). The result of the first is economic freedom, a new social stratification, and the second is new political form(democracy), political freedoms.

Feudalism gave way to capitalism. The concept of “industrialization” has become stronger in everyday life. Its flagship is England. This country is the birthplace of machine production, new legislation and free enterprise.

Industrialization is interpreted as the use of scientific knowledge regarding industrial technology, the discovery of fundamentally new sources of energy, which made it possible to perform all the work previously carried out by people or draft animals.

Thanks to the transition to industry, a small proportion of the population was able to feed a significant number of people without cultivating the land.

Compared to agricultural states and empires, industrial countries are more numerous (tens, hundreds of millions of people). These are the so-called highly urbanized societies (cities began to play a dominant role).

Signs of an industrial society:

industrialization;
class antagonism;
representative democracy;
urbanization;
division of society into classes;
transfer of power to the owners;
little social mobility.

Thus, we can say that pre-industrial and industrial society- these are actually different social worlds. This transition certainly could not be easy or quick. It took Western societies, so to speak, the pioneers of modernization, more than one century to implement this process.

Post-industrial society

It gives priority to the service sector, which prevails over industry and agriculture. The social structure of post-industrial society is shifting in favor of those employed in the above-mentioned sphere, and new elites are also emerging: scientists and technocrats.

This type of society is characterized as “post-class” due to the fact that it shows the disintegration of entrenched social structures and identities that are so characteristic of industrial society.

Industrial and post-industrial society: distinctive features

The main characteristics of modern and post-modern society are indicated in the table below.

Characteristic	Modern society	Post-modern society
1. The basis of social welfare
2. Mass class		Managers, employees
3. Social structure	“Grainy”, status	"Cellular", functional
4. Ideology	Sociocentrism	Humanism
5. Technical basis	Industrial	Information
6. Leading industry	Industry
7. Principle of management and organization	Management	Coordination
8. Political regime		Self-government, direct democracy
9. Religion		Small denominations

Thus, both industrial and post-industrial society are modern types. home distinctive feature The latter is that man is not considered primarily as an “economic man.” Post-industrial society is a “post-labor”, “post-economic” society (the economic subsystem loses its decisive significance; labor is not the basis of social relations).

Comparative characteristics of the considered types of social development

Let us trace the main differences that traditional, industrial and post-industrial societies have. Comparative characteristics presented in the table.

Comparison criterion	Pre-industrial (traditional)	Industrial	Post-industrial
1. Main production factor
2. Main production product	Food	Industrial goods
3. Features of production	Exclusively manual labor	Widespread use of technologies and mechanisms	Computerization of society, automation of production
4. Specifics of work	Individuality	Predominance of standard activities	Encouraging creativity
5. Employment structure of the population	Agricultural - approximately 75%	Agricultural - approximately 10%, industry - 75%	Agricultural - 3%, industry - 33%, service sector - 66%
6. Priority type of export	Mainly raw materials	Manufactured products
7. Social structure	Classes, estates, castes included in the collective, their isolation; little social mobility	Classes, their mobility; simplification of existing social structures	Maintaining existing social differentiation; increase in the size of the middle class; professional differentiation based on qualifications and level of knowledge
8. Average life expectancy	From 40 to 50 years	Up to 70 years and above	Over 70 years
9. The degree of human influence on the environment	Uncontrolled, local	Uncontrollable, global	Controlled, global
10. Relations with other states	Minor	Close relationship	Complete openness of society
11. Political sphere	Most often, monarchical forms of government, lack of political freedoms, power is above the law	Political freedoms, equality before the law, democratic transformations	Political pluralism, strong civil society, emergence of a new democratic form

So, it is worth recalling once again the three types of social development: traditional, industrial and post-industrial society.