1. Despotism and tyranny
2. The Church has a significant focus on the life of society
3. High status of values, traditions and customs
4. Rise of popular culture
5. Agriculture
6. Manual labor
7. Factor of production - land
8. Non-economic forms of forced labor
9. Collectivism prevailed (the influence of society, a person is a social being)
10. Low social mobility
Examples from history can serve as an example of a traditional society: for example, the history of Ancient Egypt, Rome, Kievan Rus, etc. . But even in the modern world, one can meet countries with some principles of a traditional society, for example, Saudi Arabia, a state with an absolute monarchy, division into classes and low social mobility (practically impossible). A country in North Africa (Algeria) cultivates mainly cereals, grapes, vegetables, fruits. A country in northeast Africa (Ethiopia), which has a share in GDP (%): industry - 12, agriculture - 54. The main branch of agriculture is crop production.
Principles of an industrial society:
1. development of democratic values
2. Factor of production - capital
3. industrialization
4. The transformation of science into a separate productive force
5. application of science in manufacturing
6. Changing society's relationship with nature
7. the growth of the working class
8. Various forms of public
9. High social mobility
10. Urbanization
11. Mass culture
An industrial society is the leading factor of production - capital, so England in the 19th century can serve as an example. it was in it that this type of society first developed, and in the twentieth century, in its second half, almost all European countries (including Russia) entered this stage of social development.
In Russia, the formation of an industrial society begins in the second half of the 19th century, when industry is rapidly developing in the country and urbanization is taking place. It was necessary to carry out industrialization as soon as possible (together with collectivization), and literally by force to introduce Soviet society into the industrial era. And yet, finally, an industrial society took shape only in the 60-70s. And already in the 80s of the twentieth century, when a teacher in a city school class asked: “Whose parents work at a factory?” then 70% (or even more) raised their hands. And even kindergartens and hospitals were factory-made, and, consequently, people of creative and intellectual professions also served mainly the industrial sector.
Traditional (agrarian) society
Traditional (agrarian) society represented the pre-industrial stage of civilizational development. All societies of antiquity and the Middle Ages were traditional. Their economy was dominated by subsistence agriculture and primitive handicrafts. Extensive technology and hand tools predominated, initially providing economic progress. In his production activities, man sought to adapt to the environment as much as possible, obeyed the rhythms of nature. Property relations were characterized by the dominance of communal, corporate, conditional, state forms of ownership. Private property was neither sacred nor inviolable. The distribution of material wealth, the product produced depended on the position of a person in the social hierarchy.
The social structure of a traditional society is corporate by class, stable and immovable.
There was virtually no social mobility: a person was born and died, remaining in the same social group.
The main social units were the community and the family. Human behavior in society was regulated by corporate norms and principles, customs, beliefs, unwritten laws.
In the public consciousness, social reality, human life were perceived as the implementation of divine providence.
The spiritual world of a person of a traditional society, his system of value orientations, way of thinking is special and noticeably different from the modern one. Individuality, independence in this society are not encouraged: the social group dictates the individual's norms of behavior. One can even speak of a "group man" who did not analyze his position in the world, and indeed rarely analyzed the phenomena of the surrounding reality. Rather, he moralizes, evaluates life situations from the standpoint of his social group.
The political sphere of traditional society is dominated by the church and the army. The person is completely alienated from politics. Power seems to him of greater value than law and law. In general, this society is extremely conservative, stable, immune to innovations and impulses. from the outside. Changes in it occur spontaneously, slowly, without the conscious intervention of people. The spiritual sphere of human existence is a priority over the economic one.
Traditional societies have survived to this day mainly in the countries of the so-called "third world" (Asia, Africa) (therefore, the concept of "non-Western civilizations" is often synonymous with "traditional society"). From a Eurocentric point of view, traditional societies are backward, primitive, closed, unfree social organisms, to which Western sociology opposes industrial and post-industrial civilizations.
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 rate of 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. In many traditional societies, commodity relations are either not characteristic at all, or are so poorly developed that they are focused only on meeting the needs of small members of the social elite.
Traditional society has the following features. It is characterized by the total dominance of religion in the spiritual sphere. Human life is considered 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 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 for them was more significant than material 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 a high birth rate, a high mortality rate and a fairly low life expectancy. Examples of this type today are the ways of many countries of Northeast and North Africa (Algeria, Ethiopia), 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, it was one of the most influential and largest countries in the world, possessing the status of a great power.
The main spiritual values that distinguish the traditional society are the culture and customs 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), orientation to 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. Therefore, the world around us seems understandable to a person, not causing 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 striking example is the changes in the territory of Eurasia in the 1st millennium BC), but even during such periods, changes were carried out slowly by modern standards, and after their completion, the society 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. Standing apart is 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: Characteristics 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 of "sustainable development" // Social sciences and modernity. 1996. No. 2. S. 145-152.
mythological | religious | mystical | philosophical | scientific | artistic | political | archaic | traditional | modern | postmodern | contemporary
Traditional society is a kind of society, which has its own characteristics. What are the characteristics of a traditional society?
Definition
A traditional society is a community in which everything is governed by values. Much more attention is paid to the preservation of numerous traditions in such an estate than to the development of the partnership itself. A characteristic feature of a traditional society is the presence of a rigid hierarchy and the existence of a clear division into classes.
The traditional community is agrarian. This can be explained by the fact that the work on the land is part of the long-term values that are characteristic of this type of social order. In its original form, the traditional caste is preserved in some states of Africa, Asia and the East.
signs
The characteristic features of a traditional society are:
- The basis of life is agricultural activity. This way of life is characteristic of the Middle Ages. To date, it has been preserved in some states of Africa, Asia and the East.
- Class-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. Such a system originated many millennia ago.
- The traditional society is characterized by the value of the human person, since a person is a continuation of God. For this reason, spiritual life is placed higher than material wealth. Also, a person feels a close relationship with the land on which he was born, and his estate.
- Established traditions that clearly regulate human behavior from birth, family relationships and values. The ruler thus has undeniable power.
- Low life expectancy, which is associated with a high birth rate and no less high mortality.
- Two features characteristic of a traditional society are respect for one's own culture and ancient customs.
To date, researchers have agreed that the traditional society is deprived of a choice in terms of spiritual and cultural development. This significantly hinders his progress.
Features
What are the characteristics of a traditional type of society? Let's list them in order:
- A patriarchal way of life, in which the man plays the main role, and the woman is a secondary member of society.
- A sense of collectivism and belonging to a particular community.
- Since the traditional society is built on agriculture and primitive crafts, it is characterized by complete dependence on the forces of nature.
- The desire of a person to earn no more than is necessary to meet basic needs.
- The purpose of this type of state is not the development, but the maintenance of the human population. That is why countries with such a way of life do not have the desire to produce goods.
The traditional type is the earliest, as it arose with the public. At first glance, it may seem that there is no development in it. However, it is not. It's just that this type of community develops in a slightly different way than other varieties.
Development
In economic terms, traditional society is characterized by development based on agriculture. At the same time, material goods are distributed depending on the social status of a person.
For a society of a traditional type, the value of redistributive relations is characteristic, when rights and obligations are distributed depending on the social status of a person. At the same time, a person has no chance to improve his social position, since it is inherited, as well as 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 can be a merchant guild, an order of chivalry, or thieves' corporations. A person outside the community is considered an outcast, so expulsion from it has always been one of the worst punishments. Man 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 down from generation to generation. The task of the traditional community is to preserve and honor their own culture.
Religion plays a very important role in this type of society. A person is a servant of God or gods and therefore is obliged to perform certain religious rituals.
Traditional culture tends to develop over many centuries, like Chinese or Indian culture.
Values of traditional society
In this type of state, labor is regarded as a duty. Among the least prestigious and difficult are agriculture, trade and handicrafts. The most respected are the clergy and military affairs.
What values are characteristic of a traditional society?
- The distribution of material wealth does not depend on whether a person works for the benefit of the state or the city. It depends on the position of the person. 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 this estate causes misunderstanding among the public.
- Traditional social mechanisms are aimed at maintaining stability, not development.
- The administration of the state belongs to rich people who do not need to take care of the food of the family, 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 the traditional society is the middle class - people who have private property, but do not seek excessive enrichment.
The 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 obligations. Belonging to a particular class is passed down from generation to generation. Among the estates 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 land 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 someone's service.
- The 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 fulfilling the instructions of the master. The owner had the opportunity to punish the peasant for wrongdoing and monitor all aspects of his life, down to 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 obligations. Thus, the upper classes had access to any benefits of civilization that society provided. They had the opportunity to show off their wealth through the possession of luxurious housing and clothing. In addition, the nobility often brought gifts to the clergy, the military, donated funds for the needs of the city.
The middle class had a stable income, which was enough for a comfortable life. However, no one had the right and opportunity to boast of wealth. The lower strata of society were forced to be content with only small benefits, which were hardly enough to meet 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 consumption of a certain product. Thus, the social gap between the strata of society was emphasized.
Traditional societies of the East
Some signs of the traditional type of society have been preserved in the eastern countries to this day. Despite the industrialization and development of the economies of countries, they retained the following features:
- religiosity - most of the states of 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;
- reverence for old traditions is strong in the powers not only of the East, but also in Asia (China, Japan);
- the possession of material values depends on class affiliation.
In the modern world, there are practically no traditional societies in the classical sense. States evolve and develop in economic, spiritual, political directions, thereby gradually replacing the values inherent in traditional society.
A person in a traditional community
A traditional society is characterized by the perception of a person as a part of the public, in which everyone has a certain role, personal ties predominate, since family, neighborly, clan relations can be observed within society. This is especially evident in the example of the noble strata of society, where everyone knew everyone personally.
At the same time, 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 gives wealth, and not vice versa.
a brief description of
Traditional society is characterized by the following features:
- Dependences of private and social life on the religious ideas of society.
- Cyclic development.
- The absence of a personal principle, the predominantly collectivist nature of society.
- Undeniable recognition of any power, patriarchy.
- The predominance of tradition, not innovation.
In traditional society, special attention is paid to the family, as it is aimed at procreation. It is for this reason that traditional society families have many children. In addition, society is characterized by conservatism, which significantly slows down its development.
