Development and formation of traditional society. Traditional Society: Definition

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1. Traditional society

Traditional society is a society that is regulated by tradition. Preservation of traditions is a higher value in it than development. The social structure in it is characterized by a rigid class hierarchy, the existence of stable social communities (especially in Eastern countries), and a special way of regulating the life of society, based on traditions and customs. This organization of society strives to preserve the socio-cultural foundations of life unchanged. Traditional society is an agrarian society.

general characteristics

A traditional society is usually characterized by:

traditional economics

the predominance of the agricultural way of life;

structural stability;

class organization;

low mobility;

high mortality;

low life expectancy.

A traditional person perceives the world and the established order of life as something inextricably integral, sacred and not subject to change. A person's place in society and his status are determined by tradition and social origin.

In a traditional society, as a rule, relations of redistribution rather than market exchange predominate, and elements of a market economy are strictly regulated. This is due to the fact that free market relations increase social mobility and change the social structure of society (in particular, they destroy class); the redistribution system can be regulated by tradition, but market prices cannot; forced redistribution prevents “unauthorized” enrichment/impoverishment of both individuals and classes. The pursuit of economic gain in traditional society is often morally condemned and opposed to selfless help.

In a traditional society, most people live their whole lives in a local community (for example, a village), and connections with the “big society” are rather weak. At the same time, family ties, on the contrary, are very strong. The worldview (ideology) of a traditional society is determined by tradition and authority.

The culture of primitive society was characterized by the fact that human activities associated with gathering and hunting were intertwined with natural processes, man did not separate himself from nature, and therefore no spiritual production existed. Cultural and creative processes were organically woven into the processes of obtaining a means of subsistence. Connected with this is the peculiarity of this culture - primitive syncretism, that is, its indivisibility into separate forms. Man's complete dependence on nature, extremely meager knowledge, fear of the unknown - all this inevitably led to the fact that the consciousness of primitive man from his first steps was not strictly logical, but emotional-associative, fantastic.

In the field of social relations, the clan system dominates. Exogamy played a special role in the development of primitive culture. The prohibition of sexual intercourse between members of the same clan promoted the physical survival of humanity, as well as cultural interaction between clans. Inter-clan relations are regulated according to the principle of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”, but within the clan the principle of taboo reigns - a system of prohibitions on committing a certain type of action, the violation of which is punishable by supernatural forces.

The universal form of spiritual life of primitive people is mythology, and the first pre-religious beliefs existed in the form of animism, totemism, fetishism and magic. Primitive art is distinguished by the facelessness of the human image, the highlighting of special distinctive generic features (signs, decorations, etc.), as well as parts of the body important for the continuation of life. Along with the complication of production

activities, the development of agriculture, cattle breeding in the process of the “Neolithic revolution”, stocks of knowledge are growing, experience is accumulating,

develop different ideas about the surrounding reality,

the arts are being improved. Primitive forms of belief

are replaced by various kinds of cults: the cult of leaders, ancestors, etc.

The development of productive forces leads to the emergence of a surplus product, which is concentrated in the hands of priests, leaders, and elders. Thus, the “elite” and slaves are formed, private property appears, and the state is formed.

2. Ancient East: unity and diversity

The great cultures of the Ancient East - Ancient Egypt, Sumer, Assyria, Babylonia and Ancient Iran, the state of the Hittites and Urartu, the cultures of the most ancient periods of China and India - despite their diversity and differences, had a certain unity and commonality. All these states were characterized by the presence of a rural community of despotic royal power and the preservation of elements of primitive society in the economy and culture.

3. Culture of Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was the first state on Earth, the first powerful, great power, the first empire that claimed world domination. It was a strong state in which the people were completely subordinate to the ruling class. The basic principles on which the supreme power of Egypt was built were its inviolability and incomprehensibility.

The pyramids were built for the pharaohs and nobility, although according to the beliefs of the Egyptian priests, every person, and not just a king or nobleman, possessed eternal life force - ka, i.e. immortality, provided that the burial ritual was fully observed. However, the bodies of the poor were not embalmed - it was too expensive, but were simply wrapped in mats and dumped in ditches on the outskirts of cemeteries. The earliest of the Egyptian pyramids is the pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser, erected about 3 thousand years ago! However, the most famous and most significant in terms of exchange is the Cheops Pyramid. Its dimensions are such that any European cathedral can easily fit inside. The deification of the pharaohs occupied a central place in the religious cult of Egypt. There were many gods in Ancient Egypt; each city could have several of them. The main one was the sun god - Ra, the king and father of the gods. One of the most important gods was Osiris - the god of death, personifying the dying and resurrected nature. Some animals, plants, and objects were revered as embodiments of deity.

Pharaoh Amenhotep IV acted as a religious reformer, trying to establish the cult of one god. The most ancient Egyptian texts that have come down to us are prayers to the gods and household records. In Ancient Egypt, such classical sculptural forms as the pyramid, obelisk, column, and such types of fine art as sculpture, relief, monument, painting were developed. Astronomy was actively developing. The role of the brain in the human body has been established. Mathematics developed, the oldest clocks in human history were invented - water and small neck sundials, and papyrus for writing was invented.

In general, several features of ancient Egyptian culture can be distinguished:

1. Religious and funerary character.

2. Monumentality and strength.

3. Traditional and stable style.

4. Synthesis of all genres in which architecture plays a major role.

traditional society east egypt

4. Culture of Ancient India

India is one of the oldest centers of human civilization with a high level of culture. The problem of unity and diversity of Hindu culture attracts the attention of researchers. Many regional, religious, caste and ethnic differences create the impression of disunity. However, the structure of Hindu civilization is based on the interaction between different groups and levels, which creates a continuous connection, just as the religions of India played a unifying role, which successively replaced one another.

The inhabitants of the Mohenjo-Daro and Harappan valleys were the first in the world to learn how to spin and weave cotton. Ancient Indian potters and jewelers reached a fairly high level of art development. The most advanced sewerage and water supply system among ancient eastern cities. In cities, two- and three-story buildings were built from baked bricks. The Harappan civilization, having experienced a rise, declines and disappears. Starting from the middle of the second millennium BC, a process of displacement of the indigenous population to the south took place. Its place is occupied by the pastoral tribes of the Aryans, who brought with them their language, their mythological ideas, and their way of life. From the end of the 2nd beginning of the 1st millennium BC, monuments of ancient Indian literature - the Vedas - have survived to this day. Vedic literature is represented by collections of hymns and sacrificial formulas.

But still, as already noted, religion played the most important role in the culture of Ancient India. So, let's list the main religions of Indian civilization:

1) Brahmanism (1st millennium BC) - the whole world is just an illusion, suffering is insignificant, hard work, lack of envy, cult of ancestors.

2) Hinduism (1st millennium BC) is based on the doctrine of the reincarnation of souls (reincarnation), the law of retribution of karma for good or evil behavior.

3) Buddhism (VI century) - life is suffering; the source of suffering is desire; salvation from suffering is possible; the way of salvation from suffering is renunciation of worldly temptations. Buddhism still remains one of the world religions.

A common feature of all these religions is the concept of “samsara” (the path of rebirth).

5. Culture of Ancient China

China is the largest and most isolated civilization. The inhabitants of Ancient China - one of the first states on Earth - created an interesting and distinctive culture, both material and spiritual. They believed that life is the creation of a divine, supernatural force, that everything in the world is in motion and is constantly changing as a result of the collision of two opposing forces - Light and Darkness.

Somewhat later, the deification of royal power appeared. The king was recognized as the son of heaven, i.e. representative of God on earth. The cult of ancestors was also very strong. It was based on the idea that the soul of a person continues to live after death and, moreover, it can interfere in the affairs of the living. The Chinese believed that the soul of the deceased retained all its previous habits, therefore, together with the deceased slave owner, they buried his servants and slaves, and placed weapons, jewelry and utensils in the grave.

In the middle of the 1st century. BC. In China, three main ideological trends took shape, which were subsequently transformed into philosophical and religious systems. These were Taoism, the teachings of Confucius, Buddhism, which originally arose in India, but soon spread widely in China. One of these teachings was Taoism, whose founder was the sage

Lao Tzu. The original idea of Taoism is the doctrine of Tao (translated from Chinese as the path).

The teaching of Tao can lead to the conclusion: if everything in the world lives, develops, turns into its opposite, then one must correspond to Tao, life itself will eventually normalize. The conclusion from here is that a person should not interfere with the natural course of events.

The central place in the teachings of Confucius is occupied by the concept of “ren” (humanity) - the law of ideal relations between people in the family, society and state, in accordance with the principle: “what you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others.”

It is known that already in the 15th century. BC. China had a developed system of hieroglyphic writing, numbering more than 2000 characters. By the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. include the earliest monuments of ancient Chinese literature - the “Book of Changes”.

The Chinese wrote on silk with natural paints for a very long time; at the turn of our era, they invented ink and paper, which was made from rags and bark. At this time, a uniform letter was introduced for the entire country, which later became part of the first dictionaries. Extensive libraries were created at the imperial palaces. The time when the country united into a single centralized state (221-207 BC) was marked by the construction of the main part of the Great Wall of China, which has partially survived to this day.

Applied arts also developed: the production of bronze mirrors decorated with very fine carvings. Artistic ceramics were improved, thereby preparing the ground for the production of porcelain.

6. Islamic culture

Compared to other world cultures, the world of Islam is relatively young. Its origin dates back to the first half of the 7th century. and full of dramatic events. Since these events were included in Muslim culture and acquired socially significant features, it is necessary to dwell on them in some detail.

Allah is an absolute value, and he is not embodied in human life. It always remains something external to people, lying outside their personal experience. The Messenger of Allah, the Messiah (Mahdi), addresses the people. Such Mahdi appear to correct the situation on Earth and restore justice.

On Earth, the power of Allah is embodied in the Muslim community, in the ummah. The Ummah essentially symbolizes the community of all believers. The life of every Muslim, his way of thinking, way of life and value system were strictly controlled by the ummah, outside of which the individual became an outcast and could not count on piety and religious salvation.

When creating a prayer, rules must be followed. One of the main conditions: the person praying must focus all his attention, all his spiritual strength only on prayer. One of the hadiths says that the Almighty will not hear the prayers of a vicious person, consumed by worthless thoughts and overwhelmed by base desires.

The prayer should be short but deep in meaning. During prayer, your hands should be raised to shoulder level, and after reading it, you should bless Allah with your hands - run your palms over your face, and this is considered a necessary and immutable ritual.

The fast of Ramadan occupies a special place in the rituals of Islamic culture. It is observed in the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar, introduced by Muhammad. During the entire fast, you cannot eat, drink, touch a woman, etc. all day long. Shariah states that fasting will be broken if during the daytime you lick even a drop of rain that accidentally falls on your lips. All prohibitions are lifted at night.

The cult of pilgrimage (Hajj) also contributes to the cultivation of fanaticism among Muslims. Every adult Muslim is obliged to perform Hajj at least once in his life, that is, to visit Mecca, the holy city of Islam, where the Prophet Muhammad was born. After this, he receives the right to the honorary title “Hajji”. Mecca is famous for its temple - the Kaaba. It is believed that this is an ancient pagan temple, famous for housing the Black Stone - Al-Hajar ul-Aswad, which, according to legend, fell from the sky. For Muslims, the Black Stone is a shrine, a symbol of Allah. The Kaaba is called the "house of Allah"

After completing a series of ritual actions, pilgrims receive the right to return home wearing a green turban, an Arabic burnous or a white long-skirted tunic. This clothing symbolizes the completion of the Hajj, the fifth element is a tax in favor of the poor. In the Qur'an this is called "zakat"; (cleansing). The rich man, as it were, purifies himself before Allah for his sins and excessive wealth. Zakat is important for the Muslim way of life, for Islamic culture. It not only symbolizes the unity of the ummah, the care of the rich for the poor.

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general characteristics

A traditional society is characterized by:

traditional economy, or the predominance of the agricultural way of life (agrarian society),
structural stability,
estate organization,
low mobility,

A traditional person perceives the world and the established order of life as something inextricably 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 the formula formulated in 1910–1920. According to L. Lévy-Bruhl's concept, people of traditional societies are characterized by prelogical (“prelogique”) thinking, incapable of discerning the inconsistency of phenomena and processes and controlled by mystical experiences of participation (“participation”).

In a traditional society, collectivist attitudes predominate, individualism is not encouraged (since freedom of individual action can lead to a violation of the established order, time-tested). In general, traditional societies are characterized by the predominance of collective interests over private ones, including the primacy of the interests of existing hierarchical structures (states, etc.). What is valued is not so much individual capacity as the place in the hierarchy (official, class, 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), individual consciousness is entirely outside the “I”.

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

The worldview (ideology) of a traditional society is determined 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 even less room for creativity and non-utilitarian cognition than for play. Life was based on tradition, hostile to any innovations; any serious deviation from the given norms of behavior was a threat to everything to the 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 occurred extremely slowly - over generations, almost imperceptibly for an individual. Periods of accelerated development also occurred in traditional societies (a striking example is the changes in the territory of Eurasia in the 1st millennium BC), but even during such periods, changes were carried out slowly by modern standards, and upon their completion, society again returned to a relatively static state with a predominance of cyclic 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 Greek city-states, medieval self-governing trading cities, England and Holland of the 16th-17th centuries. Ancient Rome (before the 3rd century AD) with its civil society stands apart.

The rapid and irreversible transformation of traditional society began to occur only in the 18th century as a result of the industrial revolution. By now, 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 guidelines and values, loss of the meaning of life, etc. Since adaptation to new conditions and a change in the nature of activity are not included in the strategy of a traditional person, the transformation of society often leads to the marginalization of part of the population.

The most painful transformation of traditional society occurs in cases where the dismantled traditions have a religious justification. At the same time, resistance to change can take the form of religious fundamentalism.

During the period of transformation of a traditional society, authoritarianism may increase in it (either in order to preserve traditions, or in order to overcome resistance to change).

Opinions about the need (and extent) 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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Notes

Literature

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



Historical periods

History of the regions

Economic organization

An excerpt characterizing Traditional Society

“It was a terrible sight, children were abandoned, some were on fire... In front of me they pulled out a child... women, from whom they pulled things off, tore out earrings...
Pierre blushed and hesitated.
“Then a patrol arrived, and all those who were not robbed, all the men were taken away. And me.
– You probably don’t tell everything; “You must have done something…” Natasha said and paused, “good.”
Pierre continued to talk further. When he talked about the execution, he wanted to avoid the terrible details; but Natasha demanded that he not miss anything.
Pierre started to talk about Karataev (he had already gotten up from the table and was walking around, Natasha was watching him with her eyes) and stopped.
- No, you cannot understand what I learned from this illiterate man - a fool.
“No, no, speak up,” said Natasha. - Where is he?
“He was killed almost in front of me.” - And Pierre began to tell the last time of their retreat, Karataev’s illness (his voice trembled incessantly) and his death.
Pierre told his adventures as he had never told them to anyone before, as he had never recalled them to himself. He now saw, as it were, a new meaning in everything that he had experienced. Now, when he was telling all this to Natasha, he was experiencing that rare pleasure that women give when listening to a man - not smart women who, while listening, try to either remember what they are told in order to enrich their minds and, on occasion, retell it or adapt what is being told to your own and quickly communicate your clever speeches, developed in your small mental economy; but the pleasure that real women give, gifted with the ability to select and absorb into themselves all the best that exists in the manifestations of a man. Natasha, without knowing it herself, was all attention: she did not miss a word, a hesitation in her voice, a glance, a twitch of a facial muscle, or a gesture from Pierre. She caught the unspoken word on the fly and brought it directly into her open heart, guessing the secret meaning of all Pierre’s spiritual work.
Princess Marya understood the story, sympathized with it, but she now 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, filling her soul with joy.
It was three o'clock in the morning. Waiters with sad and stern faces came to change the candles, but no one noticed them.
Pierre finished his story. Natasha, with sparkling, animated eyes, continued to look persistently and attentively at Pierre, as if wanting to understand something else that he might not have expressed. Pierre, in bashful and happy embarrassment, occasionally glanced at her and thought of what to say now in order to shift the conversation to another subject. Princess Marya was silent. It didn’t occur to anyone that it was three o’clock in the morning and that it was time to sleep.
“They say: misfortune, suffering,” said Pierre. - Yes, if they told me now, this very minute: do you want to remain what you were before captivity, or first go through 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 something new and good is just beginning. As long as there is life, there is happiness. There is a lot, a lot ahead. “I’m telling you this,” he said, turning to Natasha.
“Yes, yes,” she said, answering something completely different, “and I would like nothing more than to go through everything all over again.”
Pierre looked at her carefully.
“Yes, and nothing more,” Natasha confirmed.
“It’s not true, it’s not true,” Pierre shouted. – It’s not my fault that I’m alive and want to live; and you too.
Suddenly Natasha dropped her head into her hands and began to cry.
- What are you doing, Natasha? - said Princess Marya.
- Nothing, nothing. “She smiled through her tears at Pierre. - Goodbye, time to sleep.
Pierre stood up and said goodbye.

Princess Marya and Natasha, as always, met in the bedroom. They talked about what Pierre had told. Princess Marya did not speak her opinion about Pierre. Natasha didn't talk about him either.
“Well, goodbye, Marie,” Natasha said. – You know, I’m often afraid that we don’t talk about him (Prince Andrei), as if we are afraid to humiliate our feelings and forget.
Princess Marya sighed heavily and with this sigh acknowledged the truth of Natasha’s words; but in words she did not agree with her.
- Is it possible to forget? - she said.
“It felt so good to tell everything today; and hard, and painful, and good. “Very good,” said Natasha, “I’m sure he really loved him.” That's why I told him... nothing, what did I tell him? – suddenly blushing, she asked.
- Pierre? Oh no! How wonderful 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 became somehow clean, smooth, fresh; definitely from the bathhouse, do you understand? - morally from the bathhouse. Is it true?
“Yes,” said Princess Marya, “he won a lot.”
- And a short frock coat, and cropped hair; definitely, well, definitely from the bathhouse... dad, it used to be...
“I understand that he (Prince Andrei) did not love anyone as much as he did,” said Princess Marya.
– Yes, and it’s special from him. They say that men are friends only when they are very special. It must be true. Is it true that he doesn't resemble 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 fall asleep for a long time that day; He walked back and forth around 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 was either jealous of her past, then reproached her, then 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 you can’t do without it! What to do! So, this is how it should be,” he said to himself and, hastily undressed, went to bed, happy and excited, but without doubts and indecisions.
“We must, strange as it may be, no matter how impossible this happiness is, we must do everything in order to be husband and wife with her,” he said to himself.
Pierre, a few days before, had set Friday as the day of his departure for St. Petersburg. When he woke up on Thursday, Savelich came to him for orders about packing his things for the road.
“How about St. Petersburg? What is St. Petersburg? Who's in St. Petersburg? – he asked involuntarily, although to himself. “Yes, something like that a long, long time ago, even before this happened, I was planning to go to St. Petersburg for some reason,” he remembered. - From what? I'll go, maybe. How kind and attentive he is, how he remembers everything! - he thought, looking at Savelich’s old face. “And what a pleasant smile!” - he thought.
- Well, don’t you want to go free, Savelich? asked Pierre.
- Why do I need freedom, Your Excellency? We lived under the late count, the kingdom of heaven, and we see no resentment under you.
- Well, what about the children?
“And the children will live, your Excellency: you can live with such gentlemen.”
- Well, what about my heirs? - said Pierre. “What if I get married... It could happen,” he added with an involuntary smile.
“And I dare to report: a good deed, your Excellency.”
“How easy he thinks it is,” thought Pierre. “He doesn’t know how scary it is, how dangerous it is.” Too early or too late... Scary!
- How would you like to order? Would you like to go tomorrow? – Savelich asked.

TOPIC: Traditional society

INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………..3-4

1. Typology of societies in modern science…………………………….5-7

2. General characteristics of traditional society…………………….8-10

3. Development of traditional society……………………………………11-15

4.Transformation of traditional society……………………………16-17

CONCLUSION………………………………………………………..18-19

LITERATURE…………………………………………………………….20

Introduction.

The relevance of the problem of traditional society is dictated by global changes in the worldview of mankind. Civilization studies today are especially acute and problematic. The world oscillates between prosperity and poverty, the individual and the number, the infinite and the particular. Man is still looking for the authentic, the lost and the hidden. There is a “tired” generation of meanings, self-isolation and endless waiting: waiting for light from the West, good weather from the South, cheap goods from China and oil profits from the North. Modern society requires proactive young people who are able to find “themselves” and their place in life, restore Russian spiritual culture, morally stable, socially adapted, capable of self-development and continuous self-improvement. The basic structures of personality are formed in the first years of life. This means that the family has a special responsibility for instilling such qualities in the younger generation. And this problem is becoming especially relevant at this modern stage.

Emerging naturally, “evolutionary” human culture includes an important element - a system of social relations based on solidarity and mutual assistance. Many studies, and even everyday experience, show that people became human precisely because they overcame selfishness and showed altruism that goes far beyond short-term rational calculations. And that the main motives for such behavior are irrational in nature and associated with ideals and movements of the soul - we see this at every step.

The culture of a traditional society is based on the concept of “people” - as a transpersonal community with historical memory and collective consciousness. An individual person, an element of such people and society, is a “conciliar personality”, the focus of many human connections. He is always included in solidarity groups (families, village and church communities, work collectives, even gangs of thieves - operating on the principle “One for all, all for one”). Accordingly, the prevailing relationships in traditional society are those of service, duty, love, care and coercion. There are also acts of exchange, for the most part, not having the nature of free and equivalent purchase and sale (exchange of equal values) - the market regulates only a small part of traditional social relations. Therefore, the general, all-encompassing metaphor for social life in a traditional society is “family” and not, for example, “market”. Modern scientists believe that 2/3 of the world's population, to a greater or lesser extent, has features of traditional societies in their lifestyle. What are traditional societies, when did they arise and what characterizes their culture?

The purpose of this work: to give a general description and study the development of traditional society.

Based on the goal, the following tasks were set:

Consider different ways of typology of societies;

Describe traditional society;

Give an idea of the development of traditional society;

Identify problems of transformation of traditional society.

1. Typology of societies in modern science.

In modern sociology, there are various ways of typifying societies, and all of them are legitimate from certain points of view.

There are, for example, two main types of society: firstly, pre-industrial society, or the so-called traditional one, which is based on the peasant community. This type of society still covers most of Africa, a significant part of Latin America, most of the East and dominated until the 19th century in Europe. Secondly, modern industrial-urban society. The so-called Euro-American society belongs to it; and the rest of the world is gradually catching up to it.

Another division of societies is possible. Societies can be divided along political lines - into totalitarian and democratic. In the first societies, society itself does not act as an independent subject of social life, but serves the interests of the state. The second societies are characterized by the fact that, on the contrary, the state serves the interests of civil society, individuals and public associations (at least ideally).

It is possible to distinguish types of societies according to the dominant religion: Christian society, Islamic, Orthodox, etc. Finally, societies are distinguished by the dominant language: English-speaking, Russian-speaking, French-speaking, etc. You can also distinguish societies based on ethnicity: single-national, binational, multinational.

One of the main types of typology of societies is the formational approach.

According to the formational approach, the most important relations in society are property and class relations. The following types of socio-economic formations can be distinguished: primitive communal, slaveholding, feudal, capitalist and communist (includes two phases - socialism and communism).

None of the named main theoretical points underlying the theory of formations is now indisputable. The theory of socio-economic formations is not only based on the theoretical conclusions of the mid-19th century, but because of this it cannot explain many of the contradictions that have arisen:

· the existence, along with zones of progressive (ascending) development, of zones of backwardness, stagnation and dead ends;

· transformation of the state - in one form or another - into an important factor in social production relations; modification and modification of classes;

· the emergence of a new hierarchy of values with the priority of universal values over class values.

The most modern is another division of society, which was put forward by the American sociologist Daniel Bell. He distinguishes three stages in the development of society. The first stage is a pre-industrial, agricultural, conservative society, closed to outside influences, based on natural production. The second stage is an industrial society, which is based on industrial production, developed market relations, democracy and openness. Finally, in the second half of the twentieth century, the third stage begins - post-industrial society, which is characterized by the use of the achievements of the scientific and technological revolution; sometimes it is called the information society, because the main thing is no longer the production of a specific material product, but the production and processing of information. An indicator of this stage is the spread of computer technology, the unification of the entire society into a single information system in which ideas and thoughts are freely distributed. The leading requirement in such a society is the requirement to respect so-called human rights.

From this point of view, different parts of modern humanity are at different stages of development. Until now, maybe half of humanity is at the first stage. And the other part is going through the second stage of development. And only a minority - Europe, the USA, Japan - entered the third stage of development. Russia is now in a state of transition from the second stage to the third.

2. General characteristics of traditional society

Traditional society is 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. There is no single theory of traditional society. Ideas about traditional society are based, rather, on its understanding as a socio-cultural model that is asymmetrical to modern society, rather than on a generalization of the real facts of life of peoples not engaged in industrial production. The dominance of subsistence farming is considered characteristic of the economy of a traditional society. In this case, commodity relations are either absent altogether or are focused on meeting the needs of a small layer of the social elite. The basic principle of the organization of social relations is the rigid hierarchical stratification of society, as a rule, manifested in the division into endogamous castes. At the same time, the main form of organization of social relations for the vast majority of the population is a relatively closed, isolated community. The latter circumstance dictates the dominance of collectivist social ideas, focused on strict adherence to traditional norms of behavior and excluding individual freedom, as well as an understanding of its value. Together with caste division, this feature almost completely excludes the possibility of social mobility. Political power is monopolized within a separate group (caste, clan, family) and exists primarily in authoritarian forms. A characteristic feature of a traditional society is considered to be either the complete absence of writing, or its existence in the form of a privilege of certain groups (officials, priests). At the same time, writing quite often develops in a language different from the spoken language of the vast majority of the population (Latin in medieval Europe, Arabic in the Middle East, Chinese writing in the Far East). Therefore, intergenerational transmission of culture is carried out in verbal, folklore form, and the main institution of socialization is the family and community. The consequence of this was extreme variability in the culture of the same ethnic group, manifested in local and dialect differences.

Traditional societies include ethnic communities, which are characterized by communal settlements, the preservation of blood and family ties, and predominantly craft and agricultural forms of labor. The emergence of such societies dates back to the earliest stages of human development, to primitive culture.

Any society from the primitive community of hunters to the industrial revolution of the late 18th century can be called a traditional society.

Traditional society is a society that is regulated by tradition. Preservation of traditions is a higher value in it than development. The social structure in it is characterized (especially in Eastern countries) by a rigid class hierarchy and the existence of stable social communities, a special way of regulating the life of society, based on traditions and customs. This organization of society strives to preserve the socio-cultural foundations of life unchanged. Traditional society is an agrarian society.

A traditional society is usually characterized by:

· traditional economy - an economic system in which the use of natural resources is determined primarily by traditions. Traditional industries predominate - agriculture, resource extraction, trade, construction; non-traditional industries receive virtually no development;

· predominance of the agricultural way of life;

· structural stability;

· class organization;

· low mobility;

· high mortality rate;

· high birth rate;

· low life expectancy.

A traditional person perceives the world and the established order of life as something inextricably integral, sacred and not subject to change. A person’s place in society and his status are determined by tradition (usually by birthright).

In a traditional society, collectivist attitudes predominate, individualism is not welcomed (since freedom of individual action can lead to a violation of the established order). In general, traditional societies are characterized by the primacy of collective interests over private ones, including the primacy of the interests of existing hierarchical structures (state, clan, etc.). What is valued is not so much individual capacity as the place in the hierarchy (official, class, clan, etc.) that a person occupies.

In a traditional society, as a rule, relations of redistribution rather than market exchange predominate, and elements of a market economy are strictly regulated. This is due to the fact that free market relations increase social mobility and change the social structure of society (in particular, they destroy class); the redistribution system can be regulated by tradition, but market prices cannot; forced redistribution prevents “unauthorized” enrichment and impoverishment of both individuals and classes. The pursuit of economic gain in traditional society is often morally condemned and opposed to selfless help.

The worldview of a traditional society is determined by tradition and authority.

3.Development of traditional society

Economically, traditional society is based on agriculture. Moreover, such a society can be not only land-owning, like the society of ancient Egypt, China or medieval Rus', but also based on cattle breeding, like all the nomadic steppe powers of Eurasia (Turkic and Khazar Khaganates, the empire of Genghis Khan, etc.). And even when fishing in the exceptionally fish-rich coastal waters of Southern Peru (in pre-Columbian America).

Characteristic of a pre-industrial traditional society is the dominance of redistributive relations (i.e. distribution in accordance with the social position of each), which can be expressed in a variety of forms: the centralized state economy of ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia, medieval China; Russian peasant community, where redistribution is expressed in regular redistribution of land according to the number of eaters, etc. However, one should not think that redistribution is the only possible way of economic life in a traditional society. It dominates, but the market in one form or another always exists, and in exceptional cases it can even acquire a leading role (the most striking example is the economy of the ancient Mediterranean). But, as a rule, market relations are limited to a narrow range of goods, most often items of prestige: the medieval European aristocracy, receiving everything they needed on their estates, bought mainly jewelry, spices, expensive weapons, thoroughbred horses, etc.

Socially, traditional society is much more strikingly different from our modern one. The most characteristic feature of this society is the rigid attachment of each person to the system of redistributive relations, an attachment that is purely personal. This is manifested in the inclusion of everyone in any collective that carries out this redistribution, and in the dependence of each on the “elders” (by age, origin, social status) who stand “at the boiler”. Moreover, the transition from one team to another is extremely difficult; social mobility in this society is very low. At the same time, not only the position of the class in the social hierarchy is valuable, but also the very fact of belonging to it. Here we can give specific examples - caste and class systems of stratification.

Caste (as in traditional Indian society, for example) is a closed group of people occupying a strictly defined place in society. This place is delineated by many factors or signs, the main of which are:

· traditionally inherited profession, occupation;

· endogamy, i.e. the obligation to marry only within one’s caste;

· ritual purity (after contact with “lower” ones, it is necessary to undergo a whole purification procedure).

An estate is a social group with hereditary rights and responsibilities enshrined in customs and laws. The feudal society of medieval Europe, in particular, was divided into three main classes: the clergy (symbol - book), knighthood (symbol - sword) and peasantry (symbol - plough). In Russia before the revolution of 1917 there were six estates. These are nobles, clergy, merchants, townspeople, peasants, Cossacks.

The regulation of class life was extremely strict, down to small circumstances and insignificant details. Thus, according to the “Charter Granted to Cities” of 1785, Russian merchants of the first guild could travel around the city in a carriage drawn by a pair of horses, and merchants of the second guild - only in a carriage drawn by a pair. The class division of society, as well as the caste division, was sanctified and reinforced by religion: everyone has their own destiny, their own destiny, their own corner on this earth. Stay where God has placed you; exaltation is a manifestation of pride, one of the seven (according to medieval classification) deadly sins.

Another important criterion of social division can be called community in the broadest sense of the word. This refers not only to the neighboring peasant community, but also to a craft guild, a merchant guild in Europe or a merchant union in the East, a monastic or knightly order, a Russian cenobitic monastery, thieves' or beggar's corporations. The Hellenic polis can be considered not so much as a city-state, but as a civil community. A person outside the community is an outcast, rejected, suspicious, enemy. Therefore, expulsion from the community was one of the most terrible punishments in any agrarian society. A person was born, lived and died tied to his place of residence, occupation, environment, exactly repeating the lifestyle of his ancestors and being absolutely confident that his children and grandchildren would follow the same path.

Relationships and connections between people in traditional society were thoroughly permeated with personal devotion and dependence, which is quite understandable. At that level of technological development, only direct contacts, personal involvement, and individual involvement could ensure the movement of knowledge, skills, and abilities from teacher to student, from master to apprentice. This movement, we note, took the form of transferring secrets, secrets, and recipes. Thus, a certain social problem was solved. Thus, the oath, which in the Middle Ages symbolically ritually sealed the relationship between vassals and lords, in its own way equalized the parties involved, giving their relationship a shade of simple patronage of father to son.

The political structure of the vast majority of pre-industrial societies is determined more by tradition and custom than by written law. Power could be justified by its origin, the scale of controlled distribution (land, food, and finally water in the East) and supported by divine sanction (this is why the role of sacralization, and often direct deification of the figure of the ruler, is so high).

Most often, the political system of society was, of course, monarchical. And even in the republics of antiquity and the Middle Ages, real power, as a rule, belonged to representatives of a few noble families and was based on the above principles. As a rule, traditional societies are characterized by the merging of the phenomena of power and property with the determining role of power, that is, those with greater power also had real control over a significant part of the property at the aggregate disposal of society. For a typically pre-industrial society (with rare exceptions), power is property.

The cultural life of traditional societies was decisively influenced by the justification of power by tradition and the conditioning of all social relations by class, community and power structures. Traditional society is characterized by what could be called gerontocracy: the older, the smarter, the more ancient, the more perfect, the deeper, the true.

Traditional society is holistic. It is built or organized as a rigid whole. And not just as a whole, but as a clearly prevailing, dominant whole.

The collective represents a socio-ontological, rather than a value-normative, reality. It becomes the latter when it begins to be understood and accepted as a common good. Being also holistic in its essence, the common good hierarchically completes the value system of traditional society. Along with other values, it ensures a person’s unity with other people, gives meaning to his individual existence, and guarantees a certain psychological comfort.

In antiquity, the common good was identified with the needs and development trends of the polis. A polis is a city or society-state. The man and the citizen coincided in him. The polis horizon of ancient man was both political and ethical. Outside of it, nothing interesting was expected - just barbarism. The Greek, a citizen of the polis, perceived state goals as his own, saw his own good in the good of the state. He pinned his hopes for justice, freedom, peace and happiness on the polis and its existence.

In the Middle Ages, God appeared as the common and highest good. He is the source of everything good, valuable and worthy in this world. Man himself was created in his image and likeness. All power on earth comes from God. God is the ultimate goal of all human endeavors. The highest good that a sinful person is capable of on earth is love for God, service to Christ. Christian love is a special love: God-fearing, suffering, ascetic and humble. In her self-forgetfulness there is a lot of contempt for herself, for worldly joys and conveniences, achievements and successes. In itself, a person’s earthly life in its religious interpretation is devoid of any value and purpose.

In pre-revolutionary Russia, with its communal-collective way of life, the common good took on the form of a Russian idea. Its most popular formula included three values: Orthodoxy, autocracy and nationality.

The historical existence of traditional society is characterized by its slow pace. The boundaries between the historical stages of “traditional” development are barely distinguishable, there are no sharp shifts or radical shocks.

The productive forces of traditional society developed slowly, in the rhythm of cumulative evolutionism. There was no what economists call deferred demand, i.e. the ability to produce not for immediate needs, but for the sake of the future. Traditional society took from nature exactly as much as it needed, and nothing more. Its economy could be called environmentally friendly.

4. Transformation of traditional society

Traditional society is 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.”

During the period of transformation of a traditional society, authoritarianism may increase in it (either in order to preserve traditions, or in order to overcome resistance to change).

Opinions about the need to transform 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 Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, Professor A. Nazaretyan, in order to completely abandon development and return society to a static state, the number of humanity must be reduced by several hundred times.

Based on the work carried out, the following conclusions were made.

Traditional societies are characterized by the following features:

· Predominantly agricultural mode of production, understanding land ownership not as property, but as land use. The type of relationship between society and nature is built not on the principle of victory over it, but on the idea of merging with it;

· The basis of the economic system is communal-state forms of ownership with weak development of the institution of private property. Preservation of communal way of life and communal land use;

· Patronage system of distribution of the product of labor in the community (redistribution of land, mutual assistance in the form of gifts, marriage gifts, etc., regulation of consumption);

· The level of social mobility is low, the boundaries between social communities (castes, classes) are stable. Ethnic, clan, caste differentiation of societies in contrast to late industrial societies with class divisions;

· Preservation in everyday life of combinations of polytheistic and monotheistic ideas, the role of ancestors, orientation to the past;

· The main regulator of social life is tradition, custom, adherence to the norms of life of previous generations. The huge role of ritual and etiquette. Of course, “traditional society” significantly limits scientific and technological progress, has a pronounced tendency to stagnation, and does not consider the autonomous development of a free personality as the most important value. But Western civilization, having achieved impressive successes, is now faced with a number of very difficult problems: ideas about the possibilities of unlimited industrial and scientific and technological growth have turned out to be untenable; the balance of nature and society is disrupted; The pace of technological progress is unsustainable and threatens a global environmental catastrophe. Many scientists pay attention to the merits of traditional thinking with its emphasis on adaptation to nature, the perception of the human person as part of the natural and social whole.

Only a traditional way of life can be opposed to the aggressive influence of modern culture and the civilizational model exported from the West. For Russia there is no other way out of the crisis in the spiritual and moral sphere other than the revival of the original Russian civilization based on the traditional values of national culture. And this is possible subject to the restoration of the spiritual, moral and intellectual potential of the bearer of Russian culture - the Russian people

LITERATURE.

1. Irkhin Yu.V. Textbook “Sociology of Culture” 2006.

2. Nazaretyan A.P. Demographic utopia of “sustainable development” Social sciences and modernity. 1996. No. 2.

3. Mathieu M.E. Selected works on the mythology and ideology of Ancient Egypt. -M., 1996.

4. Levikova S.I. West and East. Traditions and modernity. - M., 1993.

Traditional society is a society that is regulated by tradition. Preservation of traditions is a higher value in it than development. The social structure in it is characterized by a rigid class hierarchy, the existence of stable social communities (especially in Eastern countries), and a special way of regulating the life of society, based on traditions and customs. This organization of society strives to preserve the socio-cultural foundations of life unchanged. Traditional society is an agrarian society.
general characteristics

A traditional society is usually characterized by:

traditional economics;
the predominance of the agricultural way of life - people work on the land, live from its fruits;
the main wealth is land;
the basis of production is what is produced on the land;
dominance of agriculture;
the use of mainly hand tools (plow, plow);
natural division and specialization of labor (mainly by gender and age);
updating of equipment and production technology occurs quite slowly;
structural stability;
the behavior of individuals is strictly controlled, regulated by customs and norms of traditional behavior, established social institutions, among which the most important will be the family and community;
attempts at any social transformations and innovations are rejected;
low rates of development and production;
What is important is established social solidarity, which was established by Durkheim while studying the society of the Australian aborigines;
class organization;
personalization of interpersonal communication (directly of individuals, not officials or persons of status);
informal regulation of interactions (by the norms of unwritten laws of religion and morality);
connectedness of members by kinship relations (family type of community organization);
primitive system of community management (hereditary power, rule of elders);
low mobility;
high mortality;
low life expectancy.

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

Traditional society is extremely stable.

During the period of transformation of a traditional society, authoritarianism may increase in it (either in order to preserve traditions, or in order to overcome resistance to change).

The transformation of traditional society ends with the demographic transition. The generation that grew up in small families has a psychology that differs from the psychology of a traditional person.
^ Industrial society - This is a type of organization of social life that combines the freedom and interests of the individual with general principles governing their joint activities. It is characterized by flexibility of social structures, social mobility, and a developed system of communications. a type of society that has reached a level of socio-economic development in which the greatest contribution to the value of material goods comes from the extraction and processing of natural resources, as well as industry.

Industrial society arises as a result of the industrial revolution. A redistribution of the labor force is taking place: employment in agriculture falls from 70-80% to 10-15%, the share of employment in industry increases to 80-85%, and the urban population is also growing. Entrepreneurial activity becomes the dominant factor of production [source not specified 969 days]. As a result of the scientific and technological revolution, industrial society is being transformed into a post-industrial society.

^ Signs of an Industrial Society: it is born as a result of the industrial revolution, leading to the development of large-scale industry, new types of transport and communications, a reduction in the role of agriculture in the structure of the economy and the relocation of people to cities.

History moves unevenly, in leaps and bounds, the gaps between eras are obvious, often these are revolutions of different types.

Socio-historical progress is quite obvious and can be “measured” using various criteria.

Society seeks to dominate nature, subjugating it and extracting the maximum possible from it.

The basis of the economy is the institution of highly developed private property. The right of ownership is considered as natural and inalienable.

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

Society is autonomous from the state, and a developed civil society has emerged.

Autonomy, freedoms and individual rights are constitutionally enshrined as inalienable and innate. Relations between the individual and society are built on the principles of mutual responsibility.

The ability and readiness for change and innovation are recognized as the most important social values.

^ An industrial society is characterized by:

a dramatic increase in industrial and agricultural production unimaginable in previous eras;
the rapid development of science and technology, means of communication, the invention of newspapers, radio and television;
a dramatic expansion of propaganda capabilities;
sharp population growth, increasing life expectancy;
a significant increase in living standards compared to previous eras;
a sharp increase in population mobility;
complex division of labor not only within individual countries, but also on an international scale;
centralized state;
smoothing of horizontal differentiation of the population (dividing it into castes, estates, classes) and growth of vertical differentiation (dividing society into nations, “worlds,” regions).

^ Post-industrial society - this is a society in whose economy, as a result of the scientific and technological revolution and a significant increase in population incomes, priority has moved from the primary production of goods to the production of services. Information and knowledge become productive resources. Scientific developments are becoming the main driving force of the economy. The most valuable qualities are the level of education, professionalism, learning ability and creativity of the employee.

Post-industrial countries are usually called those in which the service sector accounts for significantly more than half of GDP. This criterion includes, in particular, the USA (service sector accounts for 80% of US GDP, 2002), European Union countries (service sector - 69.4% of GDP, 2004), Australia (69% of GDP, 2003), Japan (67.7% of GDP, 2001), Canada (70% of GDP, 2004), Russia (58% of GDP, 2007). However, some economists point out that the share of services in Russia is overestimated.

Services should be understood not only as trade, utilities and consumer services: any infrastructure is created and maintained by society to provide services: the state, army, law, finance, transport, communications, healthcare, education, science, culture, the Internet - these are all services. The service sector includes the production and sale of software. The buyer does not have all rights to the program. He uses its copy under certain conditions, that is, he receives a service.

Close to post-industrial theory are the concepts of information society, post-economic society, postmodernity, “third wave”, “society of the fourth formation”, “scientific-information stage of the production principle”. Some futurologists believe that post-industrialism is only a prologue to the transition to the “post-human” phase of the development of earthly civilization.

The term “post-industrialism” was introduced into scientific circulation at the beginning of the 20th century by the scientist A. Coomaraswamy, who specialized in the pre-industrial development of Asian countries. In its modern meaning, this term was first used in the late 1950s, and the concept of post-industrial society received widespread recognition as a result of the work of Harvard University professor Daniel Bell, in particular, after the publication of his book “The Coming Post-Industrial Society” in 1973.

The concept of post-industrial society is based on the division of all social development into three stages:

Agrarian (pre-industrial) - the agricultural sector was decisive, the main structures were the church, the army

Industrial - the determining factor was industry, the main structures were the corporation, the firm

Post-industrial - theoretical knowledge is decisive, the main structure is the university, as the place of its production and accumulation

Similarly, E. Toffler identifies three “waves” in the development of society:

agricultural during the transition to farming,

industrial during the industrial revolution

informational during the transition to a society based on knowledge (post-industrial).

D. Bell identifies three technological revolutions:

invention of the steam engine in the 18th century

scientific and technological achievements in the field of electricity and chemistry in the 19th century

creation of computers in the 20th century

Bell argued that, just as as a result of the Industrial Revolution, assembly line production appeared, which increased labor productivity and prepared a mass consumer society, so now mass production of information should arise, ensuring corresponding social development in all directions.

Post-industrial theory, in many ways, has been confirmed by practice. As predicted by its creators, the mass consumer society gave birth to a service economy, and within its framework the information sector of the economy began to develop at the fastest pace.

^ Signs of a post-industrial society: the following five characteristics of a “post-industrial society”:

transition from a manufacturing economy to a service economy;
the growing predominance of the “specialist and technician class”;
the primacy of theoretical knowledge as the basis for innovation and policy formulation;
future focus on technology monitoring and evaluation;
making decisions based on new “intelligent technology”.

structural restructuring of the economy carried out in Western countries at the turn of the 1960-1970s. Instead of heavy industry, leading positions in the economy were taken by knowledge-intensive industries, the “knowledge industry.” The symbol of this era, its basis is the microprocessor revolution, the mass distribution of personal computers, information technology, and electronic communications. The pace of economic development and the speed of transmission of information and financial flows over distances are increasing manifold.

Development and formation of traditional society. Traditional Society: Definition

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