Social science is a traditional society. What does it mean? Social relationships and hierarchy

The development of society is a stepwise process, which is a movement upward from the simplest economy to a more efficient, advanced one. In the XX century, well-known political scientists and sociologists put forward a theory according to which society overcomes three stages of its development: agrarian, industrial and post-industrial. Let us dwell in more detail on the agrarian society.

Agrarian society by types, traits, signs, characteristics

Agrarian, traditional or pre-industrial society is based on the traditional values ​​of humanity. This type of society sees the main goal as preserving the traditional way of life, does not accept any changes and does not strive for development.

Agrarian society is characterized by a traditional economy, which is characterized by redistribution, and the manifestation of market relations and exchange is rigidly suppressed. In a traditional society, the priority of the attention of the state and the ruling elite over the individual's own interests is observed. All politics is based on an authoritarian type of government.

A person's status in society is determined by his birth. The whole society is divided into classes, movement between which is impossible. The estate hierarchy is again based on the traditional way of life.

The agrarian society is characterized by high mortality and birth rates. And at the same time, a low life expectancy. Very strong family ties.

The preindustrial type of society persisted for a long time in many countries of the East.

Economic features of agrarian civilization and culture

The foundation traditional society - Agriculture, the main components of which are agriculture, cattle breeding or fishing in coastal areas. The priority of a particular type of farm depends on climatic conditions and geographic location place of settlement. The agrarian society itself is completely dependent on nature and its conditions, while a person does not make changes to these forces, in no way trying to tame them. Long time in before industrial society subsistence farming predominated.

The industry is either absent or negligible. Handicraft work is poorly developed. All work is aimed at satisfying basic human needs; society does not even try to strive for more. Extra hours of work are recognized by society as a punishment.

A person inherits a profession and occupation from their parents. The lower classes are overly devoted to the higher ones, hence such a system state power like a monarchy.

All values ​​and culture in general are dominated by tradition.

Traditional agrarian society

As already mentioned, an agrarian society is based on the simplest handicrafts and agriculture. The time frame for the existence of this society is Ancient world and the Middle Ages.

At that time, the economy was based on the use of natural resources without any changes of the latter. Hence the small development of tools of labor, which are very long time remain tame.

In the economic sphere of the life of society prevails:

• construction;
• extractive industries;
• natural economy.

There is trade, but it is insignificantly developed, and the development of the market is not encouraged by the authorities.

Traditions give a person an already established system of values, the main role in which is played by religion and the undeniable authority of the head of state. Culture is based on the traditional reverence for its own history.

The process of transforming traditional agrarian civilization

Agrarian society is quite resistant to any changes, since it is based on traditions and a well-established way of life. The transformations are so slow that they are invisible to a single person. Transformations are much easier for states that are not fully traditional. As a rule, this is a society with developed market relations - Greek policies, trading cities of England and Holland, Ancient Rome.

The impetus for the irreversible transformation of the agrarian civilization was the industrial revolution of the 18th century.

Any transformation in such a society is very painful for a person, especially if religion was the foundation for a traditional society. A person loses reference points and values. At this time, there is a strengthening of the authoritarian regime. All changes in society are completed by the demographic transition, in which the psychology of the younger generation is changing.

Industrial and post-industrial agrarian society

Industrial society is characterized by a sharp leap in the development of industry. A sharp increase in the rate of economic growth. This society is characterized by the "optimism of modernizers" - an unshakable confidence in science, with the help of which it is possible to solve any problems that have arisen, including social ones.

In this society, a purely consumer attitude towards nature is the maximum development of available resources, pollution of nature. Industrial society lives in one day, striving to meet social and domestic needs in full here and now.

Postindustrial society is just beginning its development path.

In a postindustrial society, the following come out on top:

• high tech;
• information;
• knowledge.

Industry is giving way to the service sector. Knowledge and information have become the main commodity in the market. Science is no longer recognized as omnipotent. Humanity is finally beginning to realize all the negative consequences that have befallen nature after the development of the industry. Social values ​​are changing. Environmental preservation and nature protection come to the fore.

The main factor and sphere of production of an agrarian society

The main factor of production for an agrarian society is land. That is why the agrarian society practically excludes mobility, since it completely depends on the place of its residence.

The main sphere of production is agriculture. All production is based on the procurement of raw materials and food. All members of society, first of all, strive to satisfy everyday needs. The economy is based on the family economy. Such a sphere may not always satisfy all human needs, but most of them for sure.

Agrarian state and agrarian fund

The Agrarian Fund is a state apparatus that provides the country with proper food. Its main task is to support the development of agricultural business in the country. The fund is responsible for the import and export of agricultural products, and distributes products within the country.

Human civilization needs high-quality food products that can only be provided by developed agriculture. At the same time, it is important to take into account that agriculture has never been a highly profitable production. Entrepreneurs abandon this type of business as soon as they face difficulties and lose profits. In this case, the state's agricultural policy helps agricultural production by allocating the necessary funds to compensate for possible losses.

In developed countries, the rural way of life and family farming are gaining more and more popularity.

Agricultural modernization

Agrarian modernization is based on an increase in the rate of development of agricultural production and sets itself the following tasks:

• creation of a new model of economic growth in agriculture;


• creation of favorable economic trends for agricultural business;


• improving rural infrastructure;


• attracting the young generation to the village for life and work;


• assistance in solving land problems;


• security the environment.

The main assistant of the state in modernization is private business... Therefore, the state is obliged to accommodate agricultural business and help its development in every possible way.

Modernization will allow to bring agricultural and agricultural production to the proper level in the country, improve the quality of food, create additional jobs in the countryside and increase the standard of living of the population of the entire country as a whole.

not industrial, mainly rural society, which seems to be static and opposite to the modern, changing industrial society. The concept has been widely used in the social sciences, but in the past few decades has become highly controversial and shunned by many sociologists. Cm. Agrarian civilization

Excellent definition

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TRADITIONAL SOCIETY

pre-industrial society, primitive society) - a concept that focuses in its content a set of ideas about the pre-industrial stage of human development, characteristic of traditional sociology and cultural studies. Unified theory T.O. does not exist. Ideas about T.O. are based, rather, on his understanding as a socio-cultural model asymmetric to modern society, rather than on the generalization of the real facts of the life of peoples not engaged in industrial production. Typical for the economy, T.O. the dominance of natural economy is considered. At the same time, commodity relations are either absent altogether, or are focused on meeting the needs of a small stratum of the social elite. The basic principle of the organization of social relations is a rigid hierarchical stratification of society, as a rule, manifested in the division into endogamous castes. At the same time, the main form of organizing social relations for the overwhelming majority of the population is a relatively closed, isolated community. The latter circumstance dictated the domination of collectivist social representations, focused on strict adherence to traditional norms of behavior and excluding individual freedom of the individual, as well as the understanding of its value. Together with caste division, this feature almost completely excludes the possibility of social mobility. Political power monopolizes within a separate group (caste, clan, family) and exists mainly in authoritarian forms. Characteristic feature THEN. it is considered either the complete absence of writing, or its existence in the form of a privilege individual groups(officials, priests). At the same time, writing often enough develops in a language other than spoken language the overwhelming majority of the population (Latin in medieval Europe, Arabic in the Middle East, Chinese writing in the Far East). Therefore, the intergenerational transmission of culture is carried out in a verbal, folklore form, and the family and community are the main institutions of socialization. The consequence of this was the extreme variability of the culture of one and the same ethnic group, manifested in local and dialectal differences. Unlike traditional sociology, modern socio-cultural anthropology does not operate with the concept of T.O. From her point of view, this concept does not reflect real story pre-industrial stage of human development, but characterizes only its final stage... Thus, the socio-cultural differences between peoples at the stage of development of the "appropriating" economy (hunting and gathering) and those that have passed the stage of the "Neolithic revolution" can be no less and even more significant than between "pre-industrial" and "industrial" societies. ... It is characteristic that in modern theory nation (E. Gelner, B. Anderson, K. Deutsch) to characterize the pre-industrial stage of development is used more adequate than the concept of "TO", terminology - "agrarian", "agrarian-written society", etc.

Traditional society - a sociological concept

The study of various forms of human activity determines the fact that some of them are defined as the most significant and basic for the characteristics of different types of society. Quite often, social production is such a fundamental concept. Since the 19th century, many philosophers and then sociologists have put forward the idea that different types this activity is conditioned by ideology, mass psychology and social institutions.

If, according to Marx, production relations are such a basis, then the supporters of the theories of industrial and post-industrial society considered productive forces to be a more fundamental concept. However, they called the traditional society the first stage in the development of society.

What does it mean?

There is no special literature precise definition this concept. It is known that, for convenience, this was the stage that precedes the industrial society, which began to develop in the 19th century, and the post-industrial society in which we live now. What is this type of society? Traditional society is a kind of relationship between people, which has a weak or undeveloped statehood, or even is completely characterized by the absence of the latter. This term is also used when characterizing

the nature of rural, agrarian structures that are in a situation of isolation or stagnation. The economies of such societies are described as extensive, completely dependent on the vagaries of nature and based on livestock raising and cultivation.

Traditional society - signs

First of all, this is the almost complete absence of industry, stable ties between various sectors, a patriarchal culture based on the predominance of religious dogmas and traditions, as well as established values. One of the main cementing aspects of such a society is called the dictate of collective aspirations over individual ones, a rigid hierarchical structure, as well as the immutability of the way of life, raised to the absolute. It is governed by unwritten laws, for violation of which very severe punishments are imposed, and family ties and customs are the most powerful lever for regulating the behavior of its members.

Traditional society and historians

This theory has not gained popularity among historians, who reproached sociologists for the fact that such a social structure is "a figment of the scientific imagination" or exists in marginal systems, such as tribes of Aboriginal Australia or provincial villages in African or Middle Eastern states. Sociologists represent traditional society as a stage in the development of mankind that prevailed until the 19th century. However, neither Ancient Egypt or China, nor ancient Rome and Greece, nor medieval Europe or Byzantium cannot be imagined as fully meeting this definition. Moreover, many signs of an industrial or even post-industrial society, such as written law, the predominance of relationships between people over the relationship "man-nature", a complex system governance and social structures were present in the early period. How can this be explained? The fact is that the concept of traditional society is used by sociologists for convenience, in order to be able to characterize the changes that have occurred in the industrial era.

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

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

The basis typologization of society it is supposed Marxism distinction between societies type of industrial relations in various socio-economic formations: primitive communal society (primitive appropriating mode of production); societies with an Asian mode of production (the presence of a special type of collective land ownership); slave societies (ownership of people and the use of slave labor); feudal (exploitation of peasants attached to the land); communist or socialist societies (equal attitude of all to ownership of the means of production through the elimination of private ownership relations).

Traditional, industrial and post-industrial societies

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

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

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

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

These include industrial and post-industrial society.

Industrial Society Is a type of organization of social life that combines the freedom and interests of the individual with general principles regulating them joint activities... It is characterized by the flexibility of social structures, social mobility, and a developed communication system.

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

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

Life world human society getting stronger obeys the logic of efficiency and instrumentalism. Culture, including traditional values, is destroyed under the influence administrative control, tending to standardization and unification of social relations, social behavior. Society is increasingly subject to the logic of economic life and bureaucratic thinking.

Distinctive features of a post-industrial society:

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

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

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

Basic typologies of society

Several typologies of society have been proposed in the history of social thought.

Typologies of society during the formation of sociological science

Founder of Sociology French Scientist O. Comte proposed a three-term stadial typology, which included:

• the stage of military domination;
• the stage of feudal rule;
• stage of industrial civilization.

The basis of the typology G. Spencer the principle of evolutionary development of societies from simple to complex is laid down, i.e. from an elementary society to an increasingly differentiated one. Spencer presented the development of societies as an integral part of an evolutionary process that is unified for the entire nature. The lower pole of the evolution of society is formed by the so-called military societies, characterized by high homogeneity, the subordinate position of the individual and the domination of coercion as a factor of integration. From this phase, through a series of intermediates, society develops to the highest pole - an industrial society dominated by democracy, voluntary integration, spiritual pluralism and diversity.

Typologies of society in the classical period of development of sociology

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

German classic of sociology M. Weber considered the social as a system of domination and subordination. His approach was based on the idea of ​​society as the result of a struggle for power and for retention of domination. Societies are classified according to the type of dominance that has developed in them. The charismatic type of domination arises on the basis of a personal special power - charisma - of the ruler. Charisma is usually possessed by priests or leaders, and such domination is irrational and does not require a special system of government. Modern society, according to Weber, is characterized by a legal type of domination based on law, characterized by the presence of a bureaucratic management system and the operation of the principle of rationality.

The typology of the French sociologist J. Gurvich difficult multilevel system... He identifies four types of archaic societies that had a primary global structure:

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

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

V modern world Gurvich singles out: a technical and bureaucratic society; a liberal democratic society built on the principles of collectivist statism; a society of pluralist collectivism, etc.

Society typologies of modern sociology

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

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

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

Another very important feature of an industrial society is the so-called "modernizing optimism", i.e. absolute confidence that any problem, including a social one, can be solved by relying on scientific knowledge and technology.

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

In a postindustrial society, there is no belief in the omnipotence of science. This is partly due to the fact that humanity has faced the negative consequences of its own activities. For this reason, "environmental values" come to the fore, and this does not only mean respectful attitude to nature, but also an attentive attitude to balance and harmony necessary for the adequate development of society.

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

The people who offer the services either provide information or use it. For example, teachers pass on knowledge to students, repairmen use their knowledge to maintain equipment, lawyers, doctors, bankers, pilots, designers sell clients their specialized knowledge of laws, anatomy, finance, aerodynamics and colors... They don't produce anything like factory workers in an industrial society. Instead, they transfer or use knowledge to provide services that others are willing to pay for.

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

Postindustrial society is also defined as a society " post-economic "," post-labor", I.e. a society in which the economic subsystem loses its decisive importance, and labor ceases to be the basis of all social relations. In a postindustrial society, a person loses his economic essence and is no longer regarded as an "economic man"; he is guided by new, "post-materialistic" values. The emphasis is shifted to social, humanitarian problems, and the issues of quality and safety of life, self-realization of the individual in various social spheres, in connection with which new criteria of welfare and social well-being are being formed.

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

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

] The social order in it is characterized by a rigid class hierarchy, the existence of stable social communities (especially in the countries of the East), in a special way regulation of the life of society based on traditions and customs. This organization of society actually seeks to preserve the socio-cultural foundations of life that have developed in it.

general characteristics

The traditional society is characterized by:

• traditional economy, or the predominance of the agrarian structure (agrarian society),
• stability of the structure,
• estate organization,
• low mobility,

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 and social origin.

According to formulated in 1910-1920. L. Levy-Bruhl's concept, people of traditional societies are characterized by prelogical thinking, incapable of perceiving the inconsistency of phenomena and processes and controlled by mystical experiences of participation ("participation").

In traditional society, collectivist attitudes prevail, individualism is not welcomed (since the freedom of individual actions can lead to a violation of the routine, 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 (the state, etc.). It is not so much individual capacity that is valued, but the place in the hierarchy (bureaucratic, estate, clan, etc.) that a person occupies. As noted, Emile Durkheim in his work "On the division of social labor" showed that in societies of mechanical solidarity (primitive, traditional), the individual consciousness is entirely outside the "I".

In traditional society, as a rule, redistribution relations prevail, rather than market exchange, but elements market economy are tightly regulated. This is due to the fact that free market relations increase social mobility and change social structure societies (in particular, they destroy the estate); the redistribution system can be governed by tradition, but market prices cannot; forced redistribution prevents "unauthorized" enrichment / impoverishment of both individuals and classes. The pursuit economic benefits in traditional society, it is often morally condemned, opposed to disinterested assistance.

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

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

"For tens of thousands of years, the life of the overwhelming majority of adults was subordinated to the tasks of survival and therefore left for creativity and non-utilitarian cognition more less space than for the game. Life was based on a tradition hostile to any innovations, any serious deviation from the set norms of behavior posed a threat to the entire team ", writes L. Ya. Zhmud.

Transformation of traditional society

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

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

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

The rapid and irreversible transformation of traditional society began to take place 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 orientations 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 traditional person, then the transformation of society often leads to the marginalization of part of the population.

The transformation of traditional society is most painful when the dismantled traditions have a religious basis. At the same time, resistance to change can take the form of religious fundamentalism.

In the period of transformation of traditional society, authoritarianism can grow 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 families with few children has a psychology that differs from the psychology of a traditional person.

Opinions about the necessity (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 traditional society “has no chance”, although it “fiercely resists”. According to the calculations of Professor A. Nazaretyan, in order to completely abandon development and return society to a static state, the number of humanity must be reduced by several hundred times.

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Literature

• (chapter "Historical dynamics of culture: features of the culture of traditional and modern societies... Modernization")
• A.P. Nazaretyan // Social sciences and modernity. 1996. No. 2. S. 145-152.

Historical periods History of the regions Economic organization

Excerpt from Traditional Society

“It was a terrible sight, the children were abandoned, some of them were on fire… In my presence, they pulled out a child… women, from whom they pulled things, pulled out earrings….
Pierre blushed and hesitated.
- Then a patrol arrived, and all those who did not rob, all the men were taken away. And me.
- You probably do not tell everything; You must have done something ... "said Natasha, and she was silent," good.
Pierre went on with his story. When he talked about the execution, he wanted to get around the terrible details; but Natasha demanded that he did not miss anything.
Pierre started to talk about Karataev (he had already got up from the table and was walking, Natasha was following him with her eyes) and stopped.
- No, you cannot understand what I learned from this illiterate man - a fool.
“No, no, talk,” Natasha said. - Where is he?
- He was killed almost in my presence. - And Pierre began to tell recent times their retreats, Karataev's illness (his voice trembled incessantly) and his death.
Pierre recounted his adventures in a way he had never told anyone before, as he himself had never remembered them with himself. He now saw as if a new meaning in everything that he had experienced. Now, when he was telling all this to Natasha, he experienced that rare pleasure that women give when listening to a man - not smart women who, listening, try or remember what they are told in order to enrich their mind and, on occasion, retell that or adapt what is being told to his own and communicate as soon as possible his clever speeches, developed in his small mental economy; but the pleasure that real women, gifted with the ability to choose and absorb all the best that are only in the manifestations of a man, give. Natasha, herself not knowing this, was full of attention: she did not miss a word, not a hesitation of her voice, not a look, not a startle of a muscle in her face, not a gesture of Pierre. She caught a word that had not yet been spoken on the fly and directly brought it into her open heart, guessing the secret meaning of Pierre's entire spiritual work.
Princess Marya understood the story, sympathized with it, but now she saw something else that absorbed all her attention; she saw the possibility of love and happiness between Natasha and Pierre. And for the first time this thought came to her filled her soul with joy.
It was three in the morning. Waiters with sad and stern faces came to change candles, but no one noticed them.
Pierre finished his story. Natasha, with brilliant, lively eyes, continued to stubbornly and attentively look at Pierre, as if wishing to understand the rest that he had not said, perhaps. Pierre, in bashful and happy embarrassment, occasionally glanced at her and thought of what to say now in order to turn the conversation to another subject. Princess Marya was silent. It never occurred to anyone that it was three in the morning and that it was time to sleep.
“They say: misery, suffering,” said Pierre. - Yes, if only now, this very minute they told me: do you want to remain what you were before captivity, or first survive all this? For God's sake, once again captivity and horse meat. We think how we will be thrown out of our usual path, that everything is lost; and here is just the beginning of a new, good. As long as there is life, there is happiness. There are many, many ahead. I'm telling you this, ”he said, addressing Natasha.
“Yes, yes,” she said, answering something completely different, “and I would not want anything but to go through all over again.
Pierre looked at her attentively.
“Yes, and nothing else,” Natasha confirmed.
“Not true, not true,” Pierre shouted. - It is not my fault that I am alive and want to live; and you too.
Suddenly Natasha dropped her head in her hands and began to cry.
- What are you, Natasha? - said Princess Marya.
- Nothing, nothing. - She smiled through tears to Pierre. - Goodbye, it's time to sleep.
Pierre got up and said goodbye.

Princess Marya and Natasha, as always, met in the bedroom. They talked about what Pierre was saying. Princess Marya did not express her opinion of Pierre. Natasha did not talk about him either.
“Well, goodbye, Marie,” Natasha said. - You know, I am often afraid that we do not talk about him (Prince Andrei), as if we are afraid to humiliate our feelings, and we forget.
Princess Marya sighed heavily and with this sigh recognized the justice of Natasha's words; but in words she did not agree with her.
- How can you forget? - she said.
- It was so good for me to tell everything today; and hard, and painful, and good. Very good, - said Natasha, - I am sure that he definitely loved him. From that I told him ... nothing that I told him? - suddenly blushing, she asked.
- Pierre? Oh no! How beautiful he is, ”said Princess Marya.
“You know, Marie,” Natasha suddenly said with a playful smile that Princess Marya had not seen on her face for a long time. - He has become some kind of clean, smooth, fresh; exactly from the bath, do you understand? - morally from the bath. Truth?
“Yes,” said Princess Marya, “he won a lot.
- And a short coat and short hair; exactly, well, exactly from the bathhouse ... dad, it used to be ...
“I understand that he (Prince Andrew) did not love anyone as much as him,” said Princess Marya.
- Yes, and he is special from him. They say that men are friendly when they are very special. It must be true. Really, he doesn't look like him at all?
- Yes, and wonderful.
- Well, goodbye, - Natasha answered. And the same playful smile, as if forgotten, remained on her face for a long time.

Pierre could not sleep for a long time that day; he paced up and down the room, now frowning, pondering something difficult, suddenly shrugging his shoulders and shuddering, now smiling happily.
He thought about Prince Andrei, about Natasha, about their love, and now he was jealous of her past, then he reproached, then he forgave himself for it. It was already six o'clock in the morning, and he was still walking around the room.
“Well, what can we do. If not without it! What can you do! So this is how it should be, ”he said to himself, and, hastily undressing, went to bed, happy and agitated, but without hesitation and hesitation.
“It is necessary, oddly enough, no matter how impossible this happiness, - we must do everything in order to be with her husband and wife,” - he said to himself.
Pierre had appointed the day of his departure for St. Petersburg on Friday a few days earlier. When he woke up on Thursday, Savelich came to him for orders to pack his things for the journey.
“How to Petersburg? What is Petersburg? Who is in St. Petersburg? He asked involuntarily, albeit to himself. - Yes, something like this long, long ago, even before it happened, for some reason I was going to go to Petersburg, - he recalled. - From what? I'll go, maybe. How kind, attentive he is, as he remembers everything! He thought, looking at Savelich's old face. "And what a pleasant smile!" He thought.
- Well, you don’t want everything, Savelich? Pierre asked.
- Why do I, Your Excellency, will? Under the deceased count, the kingdom of heaven, we lived and we see no offense with you.
- Well, and the children?
- And the children will live, your Excellency: you can live for such gentlemen.
- Well, and my heirs? - said Pierre. “Suddenly I’m getting married… It can happen,” he added with an involuntary smile.
“And I dare to report: good deed, your Excellency.
“How easy he thinks it is,” thought Pierre. “He doesn't know how scary it is, how dangerous. It's too early or too late ... Scary! "
- How do you please order? Will you please go tomorrow? Savelich asked.