An Industrial Society
An industrial society refers to a community characterized by a massive production of goods and services. As a result, human labor cannot satisfy thus the need to apply the use of complex machines and technology to obtain finish goods. The automation of work in industries phases away the use of manual workers forcing the labor ministry to lay off industrial workers. However, although the number of workers in the economy decreases, there is a significant growth of employment in the service sectors. The elevated level of productivity spurs the population increase in the urban regions causing overpopulation. Town administrators utilize the chance to raise the living standards in cities to further enhance growth and development. Most people in the industrial society are highly educated or trained to align with their specific type of occupation. Consequently, one can hardly find people without an employment as most are engaged in line with their experience.
A Postindustrial Society
On the other hand, a postindustrial society is more developed. Unlike the use of machineries as in the industrial society, it mainly relies on digital technology and computers. Most people concentrate more in the service sector and in the service industry where there is employment demand. In this way, the industrial production is taken overseas and in nations where the labor costs are relatively lower and the government policies are reasonable (Clement " Myles, 1994). Every nation must undergo the various phases of development. For instance, many developed nations such as USA, have moved from being an agricultural economy, to a manufacturing one and to the final phase of service-based economy. Canada is equally adopting the same trend. Today, the country is in the third phase, a stage characterized by various developments.
The Pre-industrial Period
As initially explained, Canada has experienced slavery, feudalism, and industrial revolution. Agriculture dominated during the pre-industrial period in the past. During this period, work payment was measured through output rather than time. Workers could serve from anywhere be it at home, or in the streets. However, the industrial revolution realized the development of manufacturing that rose quickly and replaced the agrarian economy. The shift occurred gradually where manufacturing began in the form of small-scale production at the local level. As time progressed, people began to note the change and started to migrate to the urban areas (Little, 2013). The main reason behind the movement was the search for a better life and employment in the cities. Within no time, the nation took the title of an industrial society. It is during this phase that simple technology displaced workers. Employment in the service sector grew with a new classification of workers to incorporate the skilled, semi-skilled, and the unskilled. The trading activities also grew to another level with the emergence of the middlemen. The intermediaries established a trading relationship between the buyers and the sellers ensuring that business occurred in the best trading terms satisfying all the three parties financially. The trading activity was regional at first but it later expanded to the outside worlds such as Asia and Africa.
Social Changes in the Industrial Society
The industrial society not only impacted the economy but also dragged along social changes. For instance, it is during the period when gender roles obtained a new meaning. Women, for instance, were more economically empowered compared to the pre-industrial period (Clement " Myles, 1994). Even though they took low-status jobs in the industries, they obtained the liberty to take a salary home which was a novel economic empowerment. The expansion of services and the need for more servicemen led to the organization of business into new occupations such as management, science, and technicians. It is for such reasons that education became paramount, and men shifted to more detailed occupations leaving women for simple tasks such as secretarial and organization.
The Postindustrial Economy
Considering the massive changes in the nation's economy, Canada is in a different level today. Presumably, it can be referred to as the postindustrial economy. Such hails from the fact that there are new technologies that have changed how work is being organized and carried out. The introduction of microchips and computer processors have influenced manual labor to shift to knowledge work (Little, 2013). For example, in a modern household, a domestic worker has been replaced by washing machines that perform the duties rather satisfactorily. Furthermore, the income and living standards of people improve by the day due to the shift in the economic sector. The increased production of goods and services has also expanded trading activities within Canada and beyond.
Conclusion
Although change is inevitable, changing for the better does a nation better than harm. As other developed nations, Canada has undergone various changes to be where it stands today. Its economy particularly has experienced three significant phases. The first one is an agrarian economy where agriculture dominated in the pre-industrial era. The industrial era is the second that marked the introduction of machineries and an increased production of products and services. Finally is the current post-industrial society where technology has taken over completely. Today, everything is technology-based, from the security department, health department, and the trend extends to the household levels. However, the outcome has positive influences as people's lives have improved for the better.
References
Clement, W., " Myles, J. (1994). Relations of Ruling: Class and Gender in Postindustrial Societies. London: McGill Queen's University Press.
Little, W. (2013). Chapter 18: Work and Economy. In Introduction to Sociology-1st Canadian Edition.
