What is the difference between an industrial society and a post-industrial one? Post-industrial society: signs

General concept of the economy

For every person, the mention of the economy is absolutely normal. But not always an ordinary person can accurately define this concept. The fact is that this term has several interpretations and a number of derivative terms and concepts.

Initially, the economy was called the ability to manage (manage a household, house). Later, this concept was extended to the management of the estate. In many rich houses, the position of housekeeper or housekeeper has been preserved up to the present day. These people were responsible for the provision and maintenance of the residents of the house or estate.

But already in the early stages of the formation of a market economy, a scientific substantiation of the processes taking place in the economy was required. Therefore, the economy has received a new definition (and more than one).

The economy is called the whole set of enterprises and organizations that carry out the production, distribution, sale, exchange and consumption of various goods, regulate and service these processes.

In this context, along with this term, it is appropriate to use the term "economy" or "economic complex" as a synonym. The economy has its own sectoral and territorial structure. The division into branches is largely conditional. And the distribution of enterprises across the territory is subject to the main economic laws.

Economics is also called the branch of science that studies the patterns of formation and development of production, exchange, distribution and consumption of material and spiritual goods, the regulation of these processes, their theoretical justification and forecasting the further development of the economy.

Types of economic systems

The economy, as a type of economic activity, is the basis for the development of society. The joint and interconnected formation of production, social, social and political ties leads to the formation of one or another economic system. There are several criteria for identifying and classifying these systems: the form of ownership of the means of production, the role of the state in managing the economy, etc.

Remark 1

An economic system is a set of relationships in society on the issues of production, distribution and consumption of material and spiritual goods and the management of production and distribution.

Throughout the history of human development, economists distinguish four types of economic systems:

• traditional;
• market;
• planned (or command and administrative);
• mixed (but this system has several models).

Depending on the level of economic development of society, another variant of the classification of socio-economic formations is used. In one of his works, the outstanding scientist-economist E. Toffler identified three types of society. But since he considered the development of the community of people and production in dynamics, then we are talking about the stages of development of society (socio-economic formations or economies). According to his doctrine, every society goes through the following stages: agrarian, industrial, post-industrial.

Later, scientists identified more intermediate options - the agrarian-industrial and industrial-agrarian stages of the development of society. Sometimes these stages are simply called economies, so terminological confusion sometimes arises.

The essence of the agricultural, industrial and post-industrial economy

The term "agricultural economy" is used in different contexts. This is a science, and a branch of the economy, and a type of economic system (or a stage in the development of society).

Agrarian economics is a section of economic theory that studies the features and patterns of production, distribution and consumption of agricultural products.

The agricultural economy (agrarian sector of the economy) is a set of enterprises and industries that are responsible for the cultivation and production of agricultural products, their processing and sale.

Definition 1

An agrarian economy or an agrarian civilization is a form of organization of a traditional economic system with a dominant position in the economy of the agrarian sector.

The features of an agrarian civilization (agricultural economy) are:

• production is regulated on the basis of established traditions and customs;
• the basis of the economy is agriculture;
• the industry is absent or is at the initial stages of formation;
• the social structure is characterized by a rigid hierarchy;
• in the early stages, the communal form of ownership prevailed, and in the later stages, the state form of land ownership;
• production serves to satisfy immediate needs (and not for sale);
• low rates of economic development.

Agricultural production and crafts meet the emerging needs of the population. All the peoples of our planet passed through this stage of development. But in some peoples this stage exists to this day. Separate centers of agrarian civilizations have survived in some parts of the globe (Equatorial Africa, South India, among the natives of Australia).

With the emergence and development of industrial production, certain processes in society are also accelerated. Then comes the agrarian-industrial and industrial-agrarian stages. The share of industry in the economy is gradually growing.

Definition 2

An industrial economy (industrial society) is a stage in the economic development of a society in which the production of material goods is dominated by the extraction of natural resources and industry.

This category includes today most of the developed countries of the world. The share of agricultural production does not exceed 15% of the total gross domestic product. The growth of the urban population is increasing, entrepreneurship is developing.

Definition 3

A post-industrial economy is a stage in the development of society in which, as a result of the scientific and technological revolution, there was a transition of priorities from the production of goods to the production of services.

The characteristic features of the post-industrial economy are:

• the driving role of science in the economy;
• information and knowledge are a production resource;
• expansion of communication opportunities of society and economy;
• increasing the role of intellectual labor resources;
• strengthening of urbanization processes.

Report on the discipline "Social Science" on the topic:

"Industrial and post-industrial society"

Introduction

In the second half of the XX century. in Western sociology, the works of D. Bell, R. Aron, J. Fourastier, A. Touraine, J. Galbraith, Z. Brzezinski, O. Toffler, and others created a three-stage typology of societies.

“In it, the evolution of society, based on anthropological data, is presented as having passed through three stages. The first stage is a hunting-gathering economy, when men were mainly engaged in hunting, and women - in gathering. Ethnographers have called this stage of development savagery. During the Neolithic Revolution, approximately 10 thousand years. ago there was a transition from a hunting-gathering to an agricultural-pastoral economy, when the gathering was replaced by the cultivation of plants, and the hunting was the breeding of animals. This period has been called barbarism. With the advent of cities and writing, early civilizations were formed. Such a society was called agrarian, or traditional. It existed until the industrial revolution of the late 18th - early 19th centuries, when, as a result of the use of the power of a couple and the use of machines, the formation of an industrial society took place.

1. Industrial society

The transition to an industrial society occurs as a result of the industrial revolution. Consequently, the industrial society was formed as a result and in the process of the development of machine production, the emergence of adequate forms of organization of human labor and the use of the achievements of technological progress. There is a kind of redistribution of the labor force: a drop in employment in the agricultural sector from 74-80% to 12-15%, an increase in the share of employment in industry up to 85%, as well as a significant increase in the urban population. If we talk about the signs and main features of an industrial society, then it is characterized by in-line, mass production, automation and mechanization of labor, the development of markets for services and goods, the humanization of all economic relations, the formation of an integral civil society, and a general increase in the role of management. The formation of an industrial society was due to profound changes in the political, economic and cultural life of the people of the late Middle Ages.

The main features of an industrial society

.a sharp increase in agricultural and industrial production;

.accelerated development of means of communication;

.the invention of the printed press, radio and TV;

.expansion of opportunities for educational and outreach activities;

.mass urbanization;

.increasing the average life expectancy of people;

.the formation of monopolies, the merging of banking and industrial capital;

.increasing upward mobility of the population;

.division of labor on an international scale;

.a significant increase in the vertical differentiation of the population (the division of society into regions and "worlds").

Features of an industrial society

1.The emergence of a creative class - entrepreneurs (capitalists) and hired workers.

.Transition to machine production.

.Movement of population to cities - urbanization.

.Uneven economic growth and development - stable growth alternates with recessions and crises.

.Socio-historical progress.

.Exploitation of natural resources, often to the detriment of the environment.

.The basis of the economy is competitive markets and private property. The right to own the means of production is seen as natural and inalienable.

.The labor mobility of the population is high, the possibilities of social movements are practically unlimited.

.Entrepreneurship, diligence, honesty and decency, education, health, ability and willingness to innovate are recognized as the most important values ​​in an industrial society.

"Founded in the middle of the 20th century. The scientific and technological revolution gave humanity the atomic bomb, the computer, the spaceship and the ability to destroy itself and all life on Earth. A fundamentally new situation had social consequences, reflected in the fact that the theory of industrial society was supplemented by the theory of post-industrial society (R. Aron and others). Another name is the information society.

post-industrial society

The post-industrial (information) society is the next stage in the development of the economy and society, replacing the industrial society. Unlike the industrial society, whose symbols were the factory chimney and the steam engine, the computer becomes the symbol of the post-industrial society.

Mass production of goods is replaced by demassified products, produced quickly, on order, according to the interests and needs of certain groups or buyers, and even individuals. New types of industrial production are emerging: the radio-electronic industry, petrochemistry, semiconductors, biotechnology, space stations; a water economy focused on breeding and fattening fish, followed by factory “harvesting”. The role of knowledge increases sharply, as a result of which the “cognitariat” comes to replace the proletariat of industrial society, i.e. workers who are able to work efficiently with a deep knowledge of increasingly complex and diverse information. Computer and communication means are being widely used, which are not only the personification of the new economy, but also a universal productive force. In a post-industrial society, scientific knowledge becomes not only the most important resource for new, high technologies and the new economy associated with them, but also for all other spheres of human activity, including the emergence of new power opportunities.

5. The concept and essence of post-industrial society

industrial post-industrial society

If we talk about the main characteristic, distinctive and fundamental features of the post-industrial society, then one cannot fail to note the very high labor productivity, high standard of living, the predominance of the innovative economy sector with venture business and high-tech. The essence of this society lies in the constant development of an innovative economy (including the knowledge industry) and the continuous growth of the quality of life of the population.

The concept of the development of the information and post-industrial society is reduced to increasing the competitiveness and quality of the innovative economy, the priority of investment in human capital. Such signs and features of a post-industrial society as the efficiency of management systems, human capital, innovation system and economy, as well as high labor productivity and good competition in all types of activities, saturate the markets with products, satisfy the demand of any consumers, including the population and economic agents.

The post-industrial society is characterized by a decrease in the growth rate of industrial production and an increase in the share of the service sector in GDP compared to industry. The last sign does not at all mean a decrease in overall production volumes. It’s just that a post-industrial society is characterized by a slower increase in these volumes compared to the growth in the volume of services rendered, which is directly related to innovative development, an increase in the quality of life and an outstripping offer to consumers of a wide variety of innovative services.

A clear example of this endless process of development of the culture of the modern and future post-industrial society is the latest means of communication and the Internet.

Bibliography

1.#"justify">. #"justify">. Dictionary of Sociology #"justify">. A.A. Gorelov., Sociology, lecture notes, Moscow, 2013, 185 pp., pp. 24-28, -26 pp., -27 pp.

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

An industrial society is characterized by the development of the division of labor, mass production of goods, mechanization and automation of production, the development of mass media, the service sector, high mobility and urbanization, and the growing role of the state in regulating the socio-economic sphere.

1. Approval of the industrial technological order as dominant in all social spheres (from economic to cultural)

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

3. Intensive urbanization

4. Emergence of the nation-state, organized on the basis of a common language and culture

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

6. Political revolution leading to the establishment of political rights and freedoms (ex. all suffrage)

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

8. Changing the structure of working and free time (the formation of a "consumer society")

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

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

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

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

Thus, a post-industrial society is defined as a "post economic", "post labor" society, i.e. a society in which the economic subsystem loses its defining significance, and labor ceases to be the basis of all social relations. A person in a post-industrial society is no longer considered as an "economic person" par excellence.

The first "phenomenon" of such a person is considered the youth riot of the late 60s, which meant the end of the Protestant work ethic as the moral basis of Western industrial civilization. Economic growth ceases to act as the main, much less the only guideline, goal of social development. The emphasis is shifting to social and humanitarian problems. The priority issues are the quality and safety of life, self-realization of the individual. New criteria for well-being and social well-being are being formed.

A post-industrial society is also defined as a "post-class" society, which reflects the disintegration of the stable social structures and identities characteristic of an industrial society. If before the status of an individual in society was determined by his place in the economic structure, i.e. class belonging to which all other social characteristics were subordinated, now the status characteristic of an individual is determined by many factors, among which an increasing role is played by education, the level of culture (what P. Bourdieu called "cultural capital").

On this basis, D. Bell and a number of other Western sociologists put forward the idea of ​​a new "service" class. Its essence lies in the fact that in a post-industrial society, not the economic and political elite, but the intellectuals and professionals who make up the new class, have power. In reality, there was no fundamental change in the distribution of economic and political power. Claims about the "death of the class" also seem clearly exaggerated and premature.

However, significant changes in the structure of society, associated primarily with a change in the role of knowledge and its carriers in society, are undoubtedly taking place (see information society). Thus, we can agree with D. Bell's statement that "the changes that are fixed by the term post-industrial society may mean the historical metamorphosis of Western society."

INFORMATION SOCIETY - a concept that actually replaced at the end of the 20th century. interesting radio-controlled helicopter at a low price order the term "post-industrial society". For the first time the phrase "I.O." was used by the American economist F. Mashlup ("Production and dissemination of knowledge in the United States", 1962). Mashloop was one of the first to study the information sector of the economy on the example of the United States. In modern philosophy and other social sciences, the concept of "I.O." is rapidly developing as a concept of a new social order, significantly different in its characteristics from the previous one. Initially, the concept of "post-capitalist" - "post-industrial society" is postulated (Dahrendorf, 1958), within which the production and dissemination of knowledge begins to dominate in the sectors of the economy, and, accordingly, a new industry appears - the information economy. The rapid development of the latter determines its control over the sphere of business and the state (Galbraith, 1967). The organizational bases of this control are highlighted (Baldwin, 1953; White, 1956), which, when applied to the social structure, signifies the emergence of a new class, the so-called meritocracy (Young, 1958; Gouldner, 1979). Information production and communication become a centralized process (the "global village" theory of McLuen, 1964). Ultimately, the main resource of the new post-industrial order is information (Bell, 1973). One of the most interesting and developed philosophical concepts of I.O. belongs to the famous Japanese scientist E. Masuda, who seeks to comprehend the future evolution of society. The main principles of the composition of the future society, presented in his book "The Information Society as a Post-Industrial Society" (1983), are as follows: "the basis of the new society will be computer technology, with its fundamental function to replace or enhance human mental labor; the information revolution will quickly turn into a new productive force and will make possible the mass production of cognitive, systematized information, technology and knowledge; the potential market will be the "frontier of the known", the possibility of solving problems and developing cooperation will increase; the leading branch of the economy will be intellectual production, the products of which will be accumulated, and the accumulated information will become spread through synergistic production and share use"; in the new information society, the "free community" will become the main subject of social activity, and the "participatory democracy" will be the political system; the main goal in the new society will be the realization of the "value of time". Masuda offers a new, integral and humane utopia of the 21st century, which he himself called "Computopia", which includes the following parameters: (1) the pursuit and realization of the values ​​of the time; (2) freedom of decision and equality of opportunity; (3) the rise of various free communities; (4) synergetic relationship in society; (5) functional associations free from overriding authority. The new society will potentially have the ability to achieve an ideal form of social relations, since it will function on the basis of synergetic rationality, which will replace the principle of free competition of an industrial society. From the point of view of understanding the processes that actually take place in modern post-industrial society, the works of J. Beninger, T. Stoner, J. Nisbet are also significant. Scientists suggest that the most likely result of the development of society in the near future is the integration of the existing system with the latest mass media. The development of a new information order does not mean the immediate disappearance of industrial society. Moreover, there is a possibility of establishing total control over the banks of information, its production and distribution. Information, having become the main product of production, accordingly, becomes a powerful power resource, the concentration of which in one source can potentially lead to the emergence of a new version of a totalitarian state. . This possibility is not ruled out even by those Western futurists (E. Masuda, O. Toffler), who are optimistic about the future transformations of the social order.

It is proved that society is constantly evolving. The development of society can proceed in two directions and take three specific forms.

Directions of development of society

It is customary to single out social progress (the trend of development from the lowest level of the material state of the 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 we demonstrate the development of society graphically, we will get a broken line (where ups and downs will be displayed, for example, the period of fascism is a stage of social regression).

Society is a complex and multifaceted mechanism, in connection with which progress can be traced in one of its areas, while regression can be observed in another.

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

Criteria of social progress

There are six of them:

• affirmation of democracy;
• the growth of the welfare of the population and its social security;
• improving interpersonal relationships;
• the growth of spirituality and the ethical component of society;
• weakening interpersonal confrontation;
• a measure of freedom granted 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 her character: gradualness, continuity, ascent (for example, scientific and technical evolution).

The second form of social development is revolution (quick, deep changes; a radical upheaval of social life). The nature of revolutionary change 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 social spheres (politics, everyday life, economy, culture, social organization), then the revolution is called social. Such changes cause strong emotionality, mass activity of the entire population (for example, such Russian revolutions as the October, February).

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

Systematic model of typologies of social development D. Bell

This American sociologist delimited world history into 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, mode of production, social institutions, culture, and population.

Pre-industrial society: characteristics

There are simple and complex societies. A pre-industrial society (simple) is a society without social inequality and division into strata or classes, as well as without commodity-money relations and the state apparatus.

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

The social structure of a 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 ties.

Stages in the evolution of simple societies

• groups (local);
• communities (primitive).

The second stage has two periods:

• tribal community;
• neighborly.

The transition from tribal communities to neighboring communities became possible due to a sedentary lifestyle: groups of blood relatives settled close to each other and were united both by marriages and by 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 a division of labor (inter-gender, inter-age), the emergence of social norms that are taboos (absolute prohibitions).

Transitional form from a simple society to a complex one

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

According to the size criterion, this is a large association (more than a tribe). There is already horticulture without arable farming and a surplus product without surplus. Gradually, there is a stratification into rich and poor, noble and simple. The number of management levels - 2-10 and more. Modern examples of 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, an extensive, specialized management apparatus.

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

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

Signs of a complex society by V. Child

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

1. People are settled in cities.
2. Non-agricultural specialization of labor is developing.
3. A surplus product appears and accumulates.
4. There are clear class divisions.
5. Customary law is replaced by legal law.
6. Large-scale public works such as irrigation are born, and pyramids are also emerging.
7. Overseas trade appears.
8. There is writing, mathematics and elite culture.

Despite the fact that the agrarian society (pre-industrial) is characterized by the emergence of a large number of cities, most of the population lived in the countryside (a closed territorial peasant community, leading a subsistence economy, which is poorly connected with the market). The village is oriented towards religious values ​​and traditional way of life.

Characteristic features of pre-industrial society

The following features of a traditional society are distinguished:

1. Agriculture occupies a dominant position, which is dominated by manual technologies (the energy of animals and people is used).
2. A significant proportion of the population is in rural areas.
3. Production is focused on personal consumption, and therefore market relations are underdeveloped.
4. Caste or estate classification system of the population.
5. Low level of social mobility.
6. Large patriarchal families.
7. Social change is proceeding at a slow pace.
8. Priority is given to the religious and mythological worldview.
9. Homogeneity of values ​​and norms.
10. Sacralized, authoritarian political power.

These are schematic and simplified features of a 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 (resettlement of people from villages to cities, as well as the promotion of urban life values ​​in all segments of the population).

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

Feudalism has been replaced by capitalism. In everyday life, the concept of "industrialization" has become stronger. 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 energy sources that 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 the procedure for cultivating the land.

Compared with 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;
• the division of society into classes;
• transfer of power to the owners;
• little social mobility.

Thus, we can say that pre-industrial and industrial societies are actually different social worlds. This transition obviously could not be either 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 the post-industrial society is shifting in favor of those employed in the aforementioned area, and new elites are also emerging: scientist and technocrats.

This type of society is characterized as "post-class" in view of the fact that it shows the collapse of entrenched social structures, identities that are so characteristic of an industrial society.

Industrial and post-industrial society: distinctive features

The main characteristics of modern and postmodern society are shown in the table below.

Thus, both industrial and post-industrial society are modern types. The main distinguishing feature of the latter is that a person is not considered primarily as an “economic person”. A post-industrial society is a “post-labor”, “post-economic” society (the economic subsystem loses its decisive importance; labor is not the basis of social relations).

Comparative characteristics of the considered types of development of society

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

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

Humanity is in constant and dynamic development. Once it was based on primitive communal foundations, and now it is based on the latest technologies and information. At the end of the last century, the so-called era of post-industrial society began. Just about the features of this type and will be discussed in this article.

Main types of society

One of the key tasks of a science called sociology is to identify the main types of society. This typology is based on the views of Karl Marx and Hegel. According to these prominent thinkers and economists, human civilization develops along an ascending line, passing through a series of certain historical stages that follow each other.

So, humanity has already overcome several such steps. We are talking about a primitive, slave-owning, feudal and communist society (the latter type, however, is still preserved in some countries of the world). To date, sociologists distinguish the following types of society: industrial, post-industrial and traditional (or agrarian).

For the traditional type, a characteristic feature is that the main part of all material goods and resources is produced at the expense of the agricultural sector. At the same time, industrial sectors are underdeveloped or insufficiently developed. It is worth noting that at the beginning of the 21st century there were practically no purely agrarian countries left. All of them, one way or another, were transformed into industrial ones (as a result of the industrial revolution). Sometimes economists also distinguish an industrial-agrarian type of society. It acts as an intermediate.

Industrial society arose on the basis of industry, machine production and the corresponding forms of labor organization. It is characterized by such processes as urbanization, the formation of a wage labor market, the development of higher and specialized education, the modernization of transport and infrastructure, and so on.

Industrial society, according to the theory of Marxism, sooner or later must be transformed into a post-industrial society. We will consider the signs and features of this type in more detail. We will also list those countries that are currently at this stage of development.

General characteristics of post-industrial society

The concept of a post-industrial society was developed by scientist Daniel Bell back in 1919. His work was called: "The Coming Post-Industrial Society". Signs of it, according to Bell's theory, are seen primarily in the size and structure of the state's GDP. In his opinion, the stage of post-industrial civilizational development should begin just in the 21st century. As we can see, his prediction turned out to be accurate.

This stage is due to the development of the latest communication technologies and services, the introduction of innovations, the transition to electronics at all levels of production. Another important feature of post-industrial societies is the high level of development of the service sector in the economy.

Changes during the transition from the industrial to the post-industrial stage of development affect all spheres of human life, including cultural, scientific and educational. Thus, the culture of post-industrial society is characterized by the emergence of qualitatively new trends, in particular postmodernism. This cultural phenomenon is based on three main principles: humanism, pluralism and irrationalism. Postmodernism as a new trend manifested itself in many areas of human life: in philosophy, literature, fine arts.

Post-industrial society: signs

This type of society, like any other, has its own characteristics. Among them it is worth highlighting the following:

• the dominance of abstract, theoretical knowledge over practical;
• an increase in the total number of "intellectuals" (representatives of science, researchers);
• rapid development of new technologies and innovations;
• strengthening the importance of information in all spheres of life and activity;
• the dominance of the service sector in the structure of the economy;
• development and implementation of resource-saving, environmentally friendly industries;
• the gradual erasure of class boundaries and differences;
• the formation of an economically stable stratum of society, the so-called middle class;
• the growing role of science and education in the life of society;
• changing the role of women in society (feminization);
• pluralism of opinions and points of view in politics and culture.

The "tertiary sector" in the economy of post-industrial countries

A full-fledged characterization of the post-industrial society is impossible without an analysis of changes in the structure of the economies of these states. After all, it also changes qualitatively.

The economy of a post-industrial society is distinguished primarily by the fact that the so-called tertiary sector dominates in its structure. What is it, what areas does it include?

The "tertiary sector" in the economy is nothing but the service sector. Since the economy of the post-industrial society provides for the active introduction of automated machines and lines into industry that do not require human participation, the living labor force is gradually being forced out into other areas of activity. The tertiary sector of the economy should include transport, communications (communications), tourism and recreation, trade, health care system, and the like.

Very often, sociologists and economists single out the "quaternary market" of the economy. It includes science and education, marketing, financial services, the media, and all those areas that plan and organize production activities.

Examples of countries with a post-industrial development model

To date, there is a discussion in scientific circles: which states can be attributed to one or another type of social development? Thus, it is customary to classify as post-industrial those countries in the structure of whose economy the main share is occupied by enterprises of the "tertiary sector".

In the modern world, the countries of the post-industrial society are the USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Israel, the Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Luxembourg and others.

Creative class and its role in the development of post-industrial society

This term appeared recently in the USA. As a rule, the creative or creative class means that part of the civil society, which is characterized by maximum activity, mobility and, in fact, creativity. It is the representatives of this class who form public opinion and turn the "wheel of progress".

In economically developed countries (such as the USA or Japan), the creative class makes up about 20-30% of all employees. It is concentrated, as a rule, in large cities and metropolitan areas of the country. The creative class includes scientists, journalists, writers, public figures, engineers and artists. In other words, all those who are able to creatively and non-standard approach to solving important problems of society.

Information society and its features

Today, in the 21st century, a post-industrial society is often called an information or virtual society. Its main features are the following:

1. Information is gradually becoming the most important and valuable commodity.

2. One of the key sectors of the economy is the production of the necessary information and data.

3. An appropriate infrastructure for the consumption of information as a product begins to form.

4. There is an active introduction of information technologies in all, without exception, spheres of human life.

Finally...

At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, a new type of social relations began to form - the so-called post-industrial society. Signs of this new type are associated with radical changes in the field of labor communications, in the structure of the economy, culture and science.