traditional society. Types of society, their characteristics

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Do your homework carefully:
1. Kravchenko A.I. Social science. Grade 8 - §3.
2. Bogolyubova L.N. Introduction to Social Studies: Grades 8-9 - §17
3. Table "Types of companies".
4. Concepts: traditional, industrial, post-industrial society.

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traditional society a society governed by tradition. The 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 the countries of the East), a special way of regulating the life of society, based on traditions and customs. This organization of society seeks to preserve the socio-cultural foundations of life unchanged. The traditional society is an agrarian society.
General characteristics:
For traditional society are usually characterized by:
traditional economy
the predominance of the agrarian way;
structure stability;
estate organization;
low mobility;
high mortality;
low life expectancy.
The traditional person perceives the world and the established order of life as something inseparably integral, holistic, sacred and not subject to change. A person's place in society and his status are determined by tradition (as a rule, by birthright).
In a traditional society, collectivist attitudes prevail, individualism is not welcome (because the freedom of individual actions 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 (state, clan, etc.). It is not so much individual capacity that is valued, but the place in the hierarchy (bureaucratic, class, clan, etc.) that a person occupies.
Traditional societies tend to be authoritarian and not pluralistic. Authoritarianism is necessary, in particular, to stop attempts to violate traditions or change them.
In a traditional society, as a rule, relations of redistribution rather than market exchange prevail, and elements of a market economy are tightly 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 estates); the system of redistribution can be regulated by tradition, but market prices are not; forced redistribution prevents "unauthorized" enrichment/impoverishment of both individuals and classes. The pursuit of economic gain in a traditional society is often morally condemned, opposed to selfless help.
In a traditional society, most people live all their lives in a local community (for example, a village), ties with the "big society" are rather weak. Wherein family ties on the contrary, are very strong.
The worldview (ideology) of a traditional society is conditioned by tradition and authority.

industrial society(German Industriegesellschaft) - a type of society that has reached a level of socio-economic development in which largest contribution extraction and processing contributes to the cost of material goods natural resources as well as industry.
An industrial society is a society based on industry with flexible dynamic structures, which is characterized by: division of labor, wide development of means mass communication and high level urbanization.
The industrial society emerges as a result of the industrial revolution. There is a redistribution work force: employment in agriculture falls from 70-80% to 10-15%, the share of employment in industry increases to 80-85%, and the urban population is also growing. The dominant factor of production is entrepreneurial activity. As a result scientific and technological revolution industrial society is being transformed into a post-industrial society.
Features of an industrial society:
1. History moves unevenly, in “leaps”, gaps between eras are obvious, often these are revolutions of different types.
2. Socio-historical progress is quite obvious and can be "measured" by various criteria.
3. Society seeks to dominate nature, subordinating it and extracting the maximum possible from it.
4. The basis of the economy is a highly developed institution private property. The right to property is seen as natural and inalienable.
5. Social mobility of the population is high, the possibilities of social movements are practically unlimited.
6. Society is autonomous from the state; a developed civil society has developed.
7. Autonomy, freedoms and rights of the individual are constitutionally enshrined as inalienable and innate. Relationships between the individual and society are built on the basis of mutual responsibility.
8. Critical social values the ability and readiness for changes and innovations are recognized.
An industrial society is characterized by a sharp increase in industrial and agricultural production, unimaginable in previous eras; the rapid development of science and technology, means of communication, the invention of newspapers, radio and television; a sharp expansion of propaganda opportunities; a sharp increase in the population, an increase in its life expectancy; a significant increase in the standard of living in comparison with previous eras; a sharp increase in the mobility of the population; complex division of labor not only within selected countries but also on an international scale; centralized state; smoothing of the horizontal differentiation of the population (its division into castes, estates, classes) and the growth of vertical differentiation (the division of society into nations, "worlds", regions).

post-industrial society is a society in whose economy, as a result of the scientific and technological revolution and a significant increase in the income of the population, priority has shifted from the predominant production of goods to the production of services. Information and knowledge become a production resource. Scientific developments become the main driving force economy. The most valuable qualities are the level of education, professionalism, learning ability and creativity of the employee.
As a rule, post-industrial countries are those in which the service sector accounts for significantly more than half of GDP. This criterion includes, in particular, the United States (services account for 80% of US GDP, 2002), EU countries (services — 69.4% of GDP, 2004), Australia (69% of GDP, 2003), Japan (67.7% of GDP, 2001), Canada (70% of GDP, 2004), Russia (58% of GDP, 2007). However, some economists point out that the share of services in Russia is overstated.
The relative predominance of the share of services over material production does not necessarily mean a decrease in output. It's just that these volumes in the post-industrial society increase more slowly than the volume of services rendered increases.
Services should be understood not only as trade, utilities and consumer services: any infrastructure is created and maintained by society to provide services: the state, the army, law, finance, transport, communications, healthcare, education, science, culture, the Internet - these are all services. The service sector includes the production and sale software. The buyer does not own all rights to the program. He uses its copy on certain conditions, that is, he receives a service.
The term "post-industrialism" was introduced into scientific circulation at the beginning of the 20th century by the scientist A. Kumaraswamy, who specialized in the pre-industrial development of Asian countries. V modern meaning the term was first used in the late 1950s, and the concept of a post-industrial society gained wide recognition as a result of the work of Harvard University professor Daniel Bell, in particular, after the publication of his book The Coming Post-Industrial Society in 1973.
The concept of post-industrial society is based on the division of everything community development into three stages:
Agrarian (pre-industrial) - the agricultural sector was decisive, the main structures were the church, the army
Industrial - industry was the determining factor, the main structures were corporations, firms
Post-industrial - theoretical knowledge is decisive, the main structure is the university, as a place of their production and accumulation
Similarly, E. Toffler identifies three "waves" in the development of society:
agrarian in the transition to agriculture,
industrial during the industrial revolution
informational in the transition to a society based on knowledge (post-industrial).
D. Bell identifies three technological revolutions:
invention of the steam engine in the 18th century
scientific and technological advances in electricity and chemistry in the 19th century
creation of computers in the 20th century
Bell argued that, just as the industrial revolution brought about the assembly line, which increased productivity and prepared the mass consumer society, so now there should be a mass production of information that provides the appropriate information. social development in all directions.
Post-industrial theory, in many ways, has been confirmed by practice. As predicted by its creators, the mass consumer society gave rise to a service economy, and within its framework, the information sector of the economy began to develop at the fastest pace.

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 consider a traditional society (definition, characteristics, foundations, examples, etc.).

What it is?

To the modern man of the industrial age, new to history and social sciences, it may not be clear what a "traditional society" is. The definition of this concept will be discussed below.

Operates on the basis of traditional values. Often it is 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 most of its history, mankind was at this stage.

The traditional society, the definition of which is considered in this article, is a collection of groups of people who are at different stages of development and do not have 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 the following features:

1. Low production rates that meet the needs of people at a minimum level.
2. Large energy intensity.
3. Non-acceptance of innovations.
4. Strict regulation and control of people's behavior, social structures, institutions, customs.
5. As a rule, in a traditional society, any manifestation of individual freedom is prohibited.
6. social formations, consecrated by traditions, are considered unshakable - even the thought of their possible changes is perceived as criminal.

The traditional society is considered agrarian, as it is based on agriculture. Its functioning depends on growing crops with a plow and draft animals. Thus, the same plot of land could be cultivated several times, resulting in permanent settlements.

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

Forms of ownership in such structures, as a rule, are collective. Any manifestations of individualism are not perceived and denied by society, and are also considered dangerous, as they violate the established order and traditional balance. There are no impetuses to 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 due to the fact that only in this way can traditions be maintained. long time. The system of government in such a society was quite primitive (the hereditary power was in the hands of the elders). The people had virtually 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 in fact completely subordinated to religion and is carried out only according to sacred prescriptions. The combination of secular and spiritual power made possible the ever greater subordination of people to the state. This, in turn, strengthened the stability of the traditional type of society.

social relations

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

1. Patriarchal device.
2. main goal 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 estates. Each of them played a different social role.

5. Evaluation of the individual 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 attitudes instilled from childhood. Certain rituals and dogmas were integral part human life. Writing in traditional society as such did not exist. That is why all legends and traditions were transmitted orally.

Relationship with nature and the environment

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

In relation to the outside world, it was closed. The traditional society by all means protected itself from intrusions from the outside and any external influence. As a result, man perceived life as static and unchanging. Qualitative changes in such societies took place very slowly, and revolutionary changes were perceived extremely painfully.

Traditional and industrial society: differences

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

Some of its distinguishing features should be highlighted.
1. Creation of a large machine production.
2. Standardization of parts and assemblies of different mechanisms. This made mass production possible.
3. Another important 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 society have significant differences. The first is characterized by a natural division of labor. Here prevail traditional values and patriarchal structure, there is no mass production.

It is also necessary to highlight the post-industrial society. The traditional, in contrast, aims to extract natural resources, and not to 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, the Ottoman Empire should be singled out.

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 the 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 and in also allows us to say that there was a traditional society, the definition of which is considered in this article. All population of the country rising sun was divided into 4 divisions. 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 - the peasants who owned the land as a hereditary holding. The third is artisans and the fourth is merchants. It should be noted that trading in Japan was considered an unworthy business. It is also worth highlighting the strict regulation of each of the estates.

India

Vivid examples of a traditional type of society can be found in India throughout the history of the country. At the heart of the Mughal Empire, located on the Hindustan Peninsula, lay the military 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 life was strictly regulated by laws and sacred regulations.

Traditional, industrial and post-industrial. The traditional society is the first in time historical development form of organization human relations. This social structure is at the first stage of development and is characterized by a number of the following features.

First of all, a traditional society is a society whose life is based on an agricultural (subsistence) economy using extensive technologies and primitive crafts. characteristic of the period ancient world and the Middle Ages. It is believed that almost any society that existed in the period from the primitive community to the beginning is traditional.

The tools used during this period are manual. Their improvement and modernization took place at a very slow, almost imperceptible rate of natural forced evolution. economic system was based on the use of subsistence farming, mining, construction, and trade.

social system society of this type is class-corporate, it is stable and immobile for centuries. There are several estates that do not change for a long time, maintaining the static and unchanging nature of life. Many traditional societies do not have commodity relations at all or are so poorly developed that they are oriented only to satisfy the needs of a small stratum of the social elite.

The traditional society has the following features. It is characterized by the complete dominance of religion in human life is considered the implementation of divine providence. The most important quality of a person is collectivism, a sense of belonging to his class, a close connection with the land where he was born. Individualism is not yet characteristic of people. At this time, the spiritual life was more significant for a person compared to the material.

The rules of life in a team, coexistence with neighbors, attitude to power were determined by tradition. A person acquired status at birth. was interpreted solely from the point of view of religion, therefore, the attitude to power was provided by an explanation of the divine purpose of the government to fulfill its role in society. enjoyed indisputable authority and played a paramount role in the life of society. Such a society is not characterized by mobility.

Examples of traditional societies today are the ways of life in most countries of North and Northeast Africa (Ethiopia, Algeria), South-East Asia(Vietnam).

In Russia, a society of this type existed until the middle of the 19th century. Despite this, by the beginning of the century it was one of the largest and most influential countries in the world, had the status great power.

The main spiritual values ​​that a traditional society has are traditions, the culture of ancestors. Cultural life was focused mainly on the past: respect for ancestors, admiration for cultural monuments and works of previous eras. Culture is characterized by homogeneity, orientation to its own traditions and rather categorical rejection of alternative cultures of other peoples.

Many researchers believe that traditional society is characterized by a culture of lack of choice. The dominant worldview in society and stable traditions provide a person with a ready-made clear and spiritual guide. So the world understandable to a person and does not cause unnecessary questions.

Plan
Introduction
1 General characteristics
2 Transformation of traditional society
and literature

Introduction

A traditional society is a society governed by tradition. The 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 the countries of the East), a special way of regulating the life of society based on traditions and customs. This organization of society seeks to preserve the socio-cultural foundations of life unchanged. The traditional society is an agrarian society.

1. General characteristics

For a traditional society, as a rule, are characterized by:

the traditional economy

the predominance of the agrarian way of life;

the stability of the structure;

class organization;

· low mobility;

· high mortality;

low life expectancy.

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

In a traditional society, collectivist attitudes prevail, individualism is not welcome (because the freedom of individual actions 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 (state, clan, etc.). It is not so much individual capacity that is valued, but the place in the hierarchy (bureaucratic, class, clan, etc.) that a person occupies.

In a traditional society, as a rule, relations of redistribution rather than market exchange prevail, and elements of a market economy are tightly 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 estates); the system of redistribution can be regulated by tradition, but market prices are not; forced redistribution prevents "unauthorized" enrichment/impoverishment of both individuals and classes. The pursuit of economic gain in a traditional society is often morally condemned, opposed to selfless help.

In a traditional society, most people live all their lives in a local community (for example, a village), ties 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 conditioned by tradition and authority.

2. Transformation of traditional society

The traditional society is extremely stable. As the well-known demographer and sociologist Anatoly Vishnevsky writes, “everything is interconnected in it 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 prime example- changes in the territory of Eurasia in the 1st millennium BC. BC), but even during such periods the changes were slow by modern standards, and after their completion the 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 the 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. stands apart Ancient Rome(until the 3rd century AD) with its civil society.

The rapid and irreversible transformation of traditional society began to occur only from the 18th century as a result of the industrial revolution. To date, 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 landmarks and values, a loss of the meaning of life, etc. Since adaptation to new conditions and a change in the nature of activity is 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 a traditional society occurs when 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 a demographic transition. The generation that grew up in small families has a psychology that differs from that of a traditional person.

Opinions on the need (and degree) 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 the traditional society "has no chance", although it "fiercely resists." According to the calculations of the 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 human population must be reduced by several hundred times.

1. Knowledge is Power, No. 9, 2005, "Demographic Oddities"

Textbook "Sociology of Culture" (chapter "Historical dynamics of culture: features of the culture of traditional and modern societies. Modernization")

· A. G. Vishnevsky's book “The Sickle and the Ruble. Conservative Modernization in the USSR"

The book "European Modernization"

Nazaretyan A.P. Demographic utopia " sustainable development» // Social sciences and modernity. 1996. No. 2. S. 145-152.

mythological | religious | mystical | philosophical | scientific | artistic | political | archaic | traditional | modern | postmodern | contemporary

Instruction

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

During this period, hand tools were used. Their improvement and modernization took place at an extremely slow, almost imperceptible pace. natural evolution. The economic system was based on the use of natural resources, it was dominated by mining, trade, construction. The people were mostly sedentary.

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

Traditional society has the following features. It is characterized by the total dominance of religion in the spiritual sphere. Human life considered to be the work 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 one's family and class, as well as a close connection with the land where he was born. Individualism is not characteristic of people in this period. Spiritual life was more important to them than wealth.

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

The traditional society is demographically characterized by high, high mortality and rather low life expectancy. Examples of this type today are the ways of many countries of the North-Eastern and North Africa(Algeria, Ethiopia), Southeast Asia (in particular, Vietnam). In Russia, this type of society existed until mid-nineteenth century. Despite this, by the beginning of the new century, she was one of the most influential and major countries world, had the status of a great power.

The main spiritual values ​​that distinguish - the culture of the ancestors. Cultural life was mainly 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 rather 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 dominant worldview in such a society and stable traditions provide a person with a ready-made and clear system of spiritual guidelines and values. That is why the world seems clear to a person, not causing unnecessary questions.