Industrial Society: Background and Appearance, Characteristics, Social Classes, Types and Examples

The industrial society is a term used to describe the type of society that emerged after the Industrial Revolution and that involved the transition from premodern to modern society. The concept is widely used in historiography and sociology, also calling it the latter as a mass society.

The appearance of this type of society was not homogeneous. The first countries in which it emerged were Great Britain, part of Western Europe and the United States. In other parts of the world the process was much slower, and even according to many specialists there are currently many countries that still live in a pre-industrial social structure.

The main change generated by this society was that productivity became the main thing. Agriculture lost importance and technical advances made the economic weight go to the factories. This is why new social classes were born, especially the industrial bourgeoisie, owner of the means of production; and the working class or proletariat.

Background and appearance of industrial society

The industrial society is closely related to the Industrial Revolution that made it possible. This includes a very broad period, since it did not occur at the same time in all countries. Most historians place their beginning in the last decades of the eighteenth century.

The change that affected all social aspects: from the economy to the relations between the different social classes.

Background

The pre-industrial era had agriculture, livestock, crafts and other similar sectors as axes of society. This supposed that great part of the production was dedicated to the self-consumption, with very little presence of the commerce.

The passage of feudal society, with the emergence of the bourgeoisie and the technical advances that began to appear, made these characteristics change little by little.

Changes in agriculture

Although industrial society has as its main differentiating element the promotion of industry, the change in economic relations could not be understood without also mentioning advances in agriculture.

In this sector new techniques began to be used, such as irrigation, fertilizers or machinery. This caused that the production increased, with the consequent appearance of surpluses that allowed the commerce. In addition, part of the agricultural workers become unnecessary, having to migrate to the cities and to work in the factories.

Economic liberalism

On the ideological-economic level, the appearance of liberalism is one of the most important elements that contributed to the birth of industrial society and, in turn, explains part of its characteristics.

The appearance of trade implied that the economic mentality changed. Production ceased to be only for self-consumption and commerce or mercantilism, and became an important aspect for the wealth of nations and individuals.

This process, which began timidly in the seventeenth century, was consolidated. He argued that the State should stop intervening in the market, letting it regulate itself.

The importance that began to give to the production is one of the elements that impelled the Industrial Revolution. Science and technology were put to the service of the increase of this production, and the factories -much more profitable- replaced the agricultural sector.

Technological advances

Without the advance of technology, it would never have reached the Industrial Revolution or the society that is born of it. The growing population and the pursuit of wealth advocated by liberalism forced production to increase rapidly.

This was achieved by introducing new machinery. Both in the field and, above all, in factories, more and more machines are being used to increase productivity. For example, in sectors such as textiles or metallurgy, these innovations totally changed the way of working.

Characteristics of industrial societies

The changes that occurred when passing to the industrial society affected all its structures. Socioeconomic, cultural, power and technological changes were generated.

Technological and energy

Although what is most often called attention in the changes produced in the industrial society are the technical advances applied to production, there was also a transformation in the energy aspect.

Fossil fuels, such as coal or oil, began to be used much more. Whether in the field or in the industry, they were fundamental to maintain the productive rhythm.

As the population increased, so did mechanization, until the replacement of many workers by machines.

Cultural

Research in all areas led to a great increase in knowledge, although at first they were reserved for the small part of society that could be formed.

On the other hand, there was a transfer of population from the countryside to the city, together with the increase in the birth rate. Medical advances translated into a decline in mortality, with which demography experienced great growth.

Socioeconomic

One of the most important characteristics of the industrial society is the transformation of the economic and social structures that it entailed.

The bourgeoisie, which had appeared with the craft guilds and the accumulation of wealth, now became the owner of the factories. They became one of the most economically favored layers of the population, which also led them to occupy political power.

At the same time, the former peasants who migrated to the city ended up working in the factories, most of the time in deplorable conditions. This led them to organize, with which the first labor movements appeared.

Social classes

As indicated above, during the birth of industrial society there was a change in social relations: new classes appeared, often confronting each other. Economic and rights inequality was one of the characteristics of that period.

Industrial bourgeoisie

The bourgeoisie had been rising economically and socially since the High Middle Ages, when guilds appeared and cities began to be important. With the industrial society reached its highest point.

It was not a compact class, since there were several types of bourgeois. On the one hand, there were the bankers and the owners of the big factories who, obviously, had great economic and political power.

On the other hand, the experts talk about a middle bourgeoisie. This was composed of liberal professionals, as well as merchants. The owners of the small shops and the non-workers were the last layer, the petty bourgeoisie.

In a way, they replaced the old aristocracy as a leading element in industrial society.

Working class

The working class is another of those that appeared when the industrial society was created. Part of it was formed by the old peasants who, either by the mechanization of the countryside or by other circumstances, had to look for work in the factories. The same happened to artisans with small production.

From the moment in which the industry became the basis of the economy and of society, it needed a mass of workers to work in it. The working class is defined as those who do not own the means of production and sell their labor power for a salary.

During the first stage, the conditions in which these workers lived were very bad. They had no labor rights and salaries only arrived to allow a precarious survival. This caused the emergence of ideologies such as communism, driven by the writings of Karl Marx.

This type of ideology sought the change in ownership of the means of production. These would become the State, ending the exploitation of man by man.

Types of industrial society

You can find three different types of industrial society depending on the time. The first is that born immediately after the Industrial Revolution, in the second half of the eighteenth century. The textile industry, the revolution in transport and steam energy are its main characteristic points

The second type began at the end of the 19th century. Oil became the basis of the economy and electricity expanded everywhere. The most important industries were metallurgical, automotive and chemical industries.

The last one is the one that is currently being produced, the post-industrial call. Computer science and robotics, as well as new information technologies, are its main characteristics.

Concept of industrial society according to Herbert Marcuse

Herbert Marcuse was a German philosopher and sociologist born in 1898 who became a reference for the new left and the demonstration of the French May 1968.

With a great influence of Marxism and the theories of Sigmund Freud, he approached critically the industrial society of his time, especially in regard to social relations. For him, this society was oppressive and produced the alienation of the working class.

In his thinking, the more advanced a civilization was, the more it forced the human being to suppress his natural instincts.

Conditioning of the human being

Likewise, he thought that the technique, far from freeing man, had enslaved him more. Marcuse considered that the pursuit of profit at all costs and the glorification of consumption ended up conditioning the human being to such an extent that he ends up living happily in his oppression.

Because of this, I only relied on the marginal elements of society, underdeveloped peoples, intellectuals and students to change the situation. For him, the working class was too compromised and alienated by the system and only those outside it could rebel.

Its solution was the liberation from the technological system and using that technology to create a more equitable, healthy and humane society.

Examples of industrial societies

Japan

After the Second World War the Japanese undertook a total industrialization of their society. With scarce natural resources, they had to focus on the final product.

U.S

It is the clearest example of the transition from industrial to post-industrial society. It evolved from the primacy of agriculture to that of the industry and now sells more knowledge and technology than traditional products.

China

The great weight of agriculture in China does not yet allow it to be considered as fully industrial, although some characteristics are being imposed. It is considered in full transition.

Latin America

Although it depends on the country, experts do not consider them to be industrial societies, perhaps with the exception of Argentina.

Refere ncias

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