Change and the Transformation of Civilizations
Change is an unavoidable aspect of civilization that transforms individuals, cultures, behavior, and traditions into more appropriate and inclusive states in response to the demands of the moment. As a consequence, civilization may have distinguishing times while various activities take place. Generations, traditions, standards, and practices are primarily either conventional or new. Traditional communities did it differently than contemporary society, and the desire for understanding was the primary reason for the transition and, thus, the birth of a new culture. At all costs, modern society strives to abandon antiquated traditions in favor of developing new ways of life and addressing problems. The objective of this study is to compare and contrast traditional and modern societies. The discussions shall delve into both times to form an understanding that makes it easier to relate the similarities as well as the differences.Differences between Traditional and Modern Societies
There are many concepts that social scientists and scholars use to draw the differences between modern and traditional societies. However, the stark contrast is that while an orientation to the past, where custom and habit are predominant, characterizes a traditional society, modern society is a byproduct of industrialization that is predominantly western, i.e. American and European civilizations and progressiveness are supreme (“The Modern Society,” 2017). To elaborate further, the modernity that did away with traditionalism arose as a necessity as opposed to a mere concept of study pursued by a man, for instance, enlightenment.Traditional society had extended families that lived in communities. A new age arose that demanded new inventions to sustain the masses and hence the boom of machines in the industrial era. The new machines were expensive to run and therefore needed centralized capital and labor force to run adequately. As a result, members of families rushed to the new prospects of making money which fragmented families and led to individualism as employed industrialists settled in private residences in urban centers leading to modern forms of a community known as suburbs. More members of traditional families left home in search of employment, a state that led to the regression of traditionalism and rise of the modern society that only grows and progresses with each new decade (“The Modern Society,” 2017). With the understanding of the end of traditional society and the rise of modernity, this study submits the following fundamental differences between the two.Basic Unit of Survival
One of the dominant aspects of study in the differences between traditional and modern society is the basic unit of survival. The basic unit of survival in the traditional community is a group which gives birth to collectivism while self-dependence is the unit of survival of modern society, thus individualism (Lu & Kao, 2002). While the well-being of self is the norm in modern society, seeking the welfare of the entire group or community is the highest moral value of traditionalists. Individualism and collectivism have implications that serve society differently. For example, individualism proposes an independent view from the norm and the group as an individual seeks uniqueness and separateness. Therefore, modern society has terms such as self-actualization, self-expression, self-representation, and self-realization which are especially prevalent in America and Europe. On the other hand, traditional collectivism promotes an interdependent view of existence where the survival of everyone in the community depends on their connectedness and interdependence with others. As such, terms like belonging to, being part of, and fitting in are standard in the traditional society. Individualism and collectivism are represented in the modern-day western and eastern nations respectively. For instance, a person in the United Kingdom may derive their confidence from their degree of uniqueness, but an individual in India finds their essential self-actualization from their social relations (Lu & Kao, 2002).Family, Culture, and Division of Labour
Family, culture, and division of labor are also crucial to the contrast between traditional and modern societies. Traditionally, men and women had and still have specific roles in the community. Primarily, men are the breadwinners, workers, and providers while women are domestic workers mainly undertaking childbearing and housekeeping (Hunt & Colander, 2016). Children are, in the traditional sense, accorded defined roles that they are expected to fulfill without questioning. For example, girls are mainly the helpers of their mothers with house chores while boys follow the men and fathers to learn a particular family craft that they are expected to carry on later. Therefore, the division of labor puts the family as the foundation of traditional societies without which they crumble as seen from the rise of industrialization. Everyone has an obligation to the family that never changes regardless of the status and age at any point in life. The said obligation comes from following a predefined and preset set of cultural values that are not only understood within the family but also outside the inner circle. For example, Eastern societies are predominantly traditional and hold prestige in high esteem. The level of respect, approval, and honor for a specific family depends on the level of influence acquired either through riches, wealth or holding positions of governance or leadership. It is up to members of the family to maintain a culture that will preserve the prestige of the family. For example, arranged marriages are common between families of the same social class to make sure that the wealth, honor, respect, and influence of family names remain.In contrast, the division of labor is absent in the modern society as self-indulgence replaces the frugal work ethic in ancient communities (Hunt & Colander, 2016). Therefore, men and women do not collaborate by fulfilling various duties that lead to a common goal, and instead, they compete for the same jobs and positions in the community. Therefore, unlike the traditional society where occupation and family influence determine a person’s prestige, material possessions and individual earnings are the yardsticks for fame in the modern society. By extension, as people focus more on material possession, marriage and preserving families take a secondary role unlike traditionally where the family was the foundation of all things. Religion has also played a role in the difference in family, the division of labor, and culture. Modern people are not as religious as traditional people. In fact, specific behaviors and norms of traditional societies are an obligation to a higher power, mainly God who was in charge and controlled everything. Modern people are more progressive and question the validity of issues like religion which has led to the widespread notion that there is no God (Hunt & Colander, 2016). Therefore, while shunning marriage may not be a problem to the new generation, it was an act of defiance to God in the pre-modern age and still in traditional communities today. The high rate of divorce today explains the stark difference in culture, family, habits, and norms between modern and traditional societies. Importantly, the difference is also evident in the current age between western and eastern nations. Western countries experience a high rate of divorce while marriages in the East are long-suffering to retain the family values.The Role of Children and the Coexistence of Traditional and Modern Aspects
In her book "The Defining Decade", Meg Jay draws the sharp contrast between traditional and modern society through the eyes of young adults. Most of the young adults before the 1950s were married and raised families by the age of twenty-five (Jay, 2012). Jay considers the 1950s to be traditional where families and culture are concerned because marriage was more important than work. Most men and women started families and then took a career path or business direction together as a couple. According to Jay, in the modern society, most females get married by at least the age of twenty-five while males by the age of twenty-nine. Modernity impresses upon the young people to be individuals first by fulfilling career goals and having fun before settling. The current state of affairs has led to the coining of phrases like "thirty is the new twenty" (Jay, 2012).In addition to the major differences, modern society relies heavily on technology, unlike traditional society. The presence and use of technology are one of the main reasons for being more sympathetic towards modern society. For example, the level of use of technology determines the level of control. Since traditional societies are technologically primitive, they have less control over events, people, and the environment. Mainly, individuals depend on nature to determine significant courses of action. In contrast, technology gives people knowledge of the various components of life and even nature. For instance, people in Western nations need not wait to see how the weather turns out to know the kind of clothing to wear for work. Instead, electronic devices such as mobile phones periodically update users on the weather beforehand. The difference in technology occurs because traditional and modern societies usually have rural and urban settings respectively. For example, traditional Taiwanese communities live in rural areas while even the rural parts of America and Europe have the infrastructure to support technology (Lu & Kao, 2002).Comparisons between Traditional and Modern Societies
In comparison, firstly, both traditional and modern societies have deeply entrenched cultures, beliefs, norms, and habits that are not easily influenced. For instance, capitalism is a culture that is at the heart of every modern person while communism is the cradle of traditional society like the Jews, Taiwanese, Chinese, and the Indians (Lu & Kao, 2002). It is nearly impossible to influence any group of people to carry on with the norms of the other. For example, the Jews are considered as some of the wealthiest people and also some of the most traditional. Jews have a deep sense of community such that it is even hard for a Jew to marry from outside clans or communities. Further, free-spirited modern society does not subscribe to any ritualistic habits that are common to the traditional society. In fact, most modern people tend to purposely ignore, upset, and go against the culture of traditional society. For example, as traditionalists advocate for abstinence from sex before marriage, having multiple sex partners is the new relational media for the modern young people. Thus, both societies have deeply entrenched positions that are hard to change.Secondly, the role of children is well defined and almost similar in both cultures (Lu & Kao, 2002). Children are under the guidance and tutelage of the adults to know the particular actions and behaviors that are acceptable, unacceptable, and permissible. Further, parents and children are dependent in both societies. However, the dependence in the modern society is for a period after which the child separates from the parent in search of their dependence and uniqueness.Thirdly, recent developments show that it is possible for modern and traditional aspects to reside within the same community. According to Lu and Kao (2002), contemporary society provides too many opportunities and components that enhance the conventional life, another reason for supporting the modern society. For example, the Indian and Chinese have preserved some of their traditions concerning marriage, community, and division of labor but have tapped into technology to improve their lives. For instance, women are no longer confined to domestic duties but can do meaningful work such as weaving with machines as they choose new methods of presenting their products due to options available from technology. The preservation of freedoms and rights of individuals, as opposed to the confinement into forced roles, is a significant reason for choosing modern society over traditional culture.Conclusion
In conclusion, there are sharp contrasts between modern and traditional society. Family, values, culture, the division of labor, religion, technology, and community are some of the concepts that show the apparent differences. However, both societies are complex and challenging to change or influence while children take the same role of being under adult guidance and tutelage. Since modern society is more accommodating, robust, and aligned with people's rights and freedoms, this study is more sympathetic to the modern culture as opposed to traditionalism.References
Hunt, E. F. & Colander, D. C. (2016). Social Science: An Introduction to the Study of Society.Taylor & Francis. Print.
Jay, M. (2012).The Defining Decade. Grand Central Publishing. Print.
Lu, L & Kao, S. (2002). Traditional and Modern Characteristics across the Generations:Similarities and Discrepancies. Journal of Social Psychology. Retrieved 2 November2017, from[web.ba.ntu.edu.tw/luolu/Traditional%20and%20Modern%20Characteristics%20Acros%20the%20Generations.pdf].
The Modern Society. (2017). Professional School of Psychology. Retrieved 2 November 2017,from [psychology.edu/the-modern-society/].
