Differences Between Industrial and Post-Industrial Societies - Coursework Example

Introduction The shift in production from manufacturing into information/services founded economy is referred to as the post-industrial society. Service economy is characterized industry privatizations, as well as use of national and international assets. Another pertinent feature recognizable in information societies is the reorganization of society in entirety in the process of changing over from manufacturing to the service economy. The industrial society heavily depended on a large scale production using machines that were driven by power. Large scale production was the main economic activity. Information society on the other hand depends on information generation, processing and distribution for cultural, political and the general economic growth (Webster, 2002, P.231). This paper investigates the differences between the industrial and post-industrial societies and seeks to define the role of globalization in the transition into an information world. The utilization of knowledge from what is theoretically known and putting it into efficient and successful use is viewed as the main source of innovation in the information world. Random innovation was viewed as the source of the invention in the industrial society. The industrial society was also dependent on knowledge, but it is the post-industrial society that emphasized on the accumulation and distribution of theoretical knowledge as the express factor propelling change and invention. Bell (2008, p 48) notes that processing of data, record keeping, conducting market research and other essential elements that help a person to obtain information that others do not have is the source of economic progress and exchanges in the information society. Bell further notes that Data transmission system is the central link driving resource utilization in the information age, the same way energy creation was the transforming element of the industrial society. In the industrial society, money capital was the central asset while theoretical knowledge is the most crucial asset in the information society. In the industrial world, the main source of problems included capital/money and labour. On the other hand, knowledge and information are the sole sources of problems in the information age. The industrial society was based on the labor value premise, which was advanced by Karl Marx; a renowned sociological economist. In turn, the information is founded on knowledge value premise, where value is increased by knowledge rather than labour (Bell, 2008, P.49) As a result of the transformation, some industries have arisen which thrive from the application of the findings of theoretical knowledge. The industrial society industries were founded by talented innovators who worked independent of the scientific establishments and were ignorant of many of the theories of basic science. For instance, Sir Henry Bessemer who invented the Open-Hearth Process was ignorant of the work of Henry Sorby on metallurgical properties. These early innovators contrast strongly with industries of the current age, which derive directly from the investigations of scientists into the basic phenomena of nature, and the application of this research to technological problems. For instance, the basic research of Rabi and Townes into the possibility of sending a molecular beam through an optical field led to the creation of a laser which inspired Dennis Gabor’s development of the hologram. In the same way, the work of Felix Bloth on solid-state physics is the basis of much of computer technology (Bell, 2008, P.50). Theoretical knowledge in the post-industrial society is used in radically different ways compared to the industrial society. Advances in technology are dependent upon the progress of basic research and the codification of theoretical knowledge as well as scientific initiatives. The first truly modern industry is the chemical industry which is dependent on a base of theoretical knowledge necessary to manipulate macromolecular structures and develop new products and new techniques. Bell observes that the post-industrial society does not replace or displace the industrial society; rather, it relegates to a peripheral player in the economy (Bell, 2008, P.48). The industrial world may be viewed as fictitious. The reason is that man was able to utilize energy alone in making heavy factory machines work for the sole purpose of transforming the globe. The information society uses a different approach in world transformation where the contest is about people such as the contest of a student and a teacher. In this respect, nature is excluded from most people’s lives and only serves as a form of recreation. The basic experience of each person’s life is the relationship he has with others. Bell asserts that the problem with the exclusion of nature and things with interpersonal relationship being the focus of man’s thoughts and actions is that people do not know how to live easily with one another. Man needs an external artifact such as nature or machines in order to weld people together and discharge aggressions (Bell, 2008, P.48). This is important to sociologists as the post-industrial society is characterized by the increasing multiplication of interactions between persons. Modern society is characterized by the exponential increase in the number of personal transactions people experience. The post-industrial society differs from the industrial society in the enlargement of the individual’s world that accompanies the advances in technology. Bell (2008, p. 48) holds that enlargement of a person’s world is characterized by the quantity of people that one knows. Advances in communication technologies have also extended an individual’s source of probable interactions globally. The rapid developments in modern technology not only increased the speed by shortening the time required, but also increased the scope of a development. Since most time scales are fixed by human reaction time and physiological processes, the increase in speed of technological processes enlarged the size of political, economic and cultural units affected by technological operations. In essence, instead of operations taking less time compared to the industrial period, large-scale operations are performed in the same time. Consequently, the world has reached its physical limit and people can access information in real time in almost every part of the world. The revolution in telecommunications, for example, allows for immediate exchange of information, financial transfers and shipping of news immediately to every part of the world (Zembylas and Vrasidas, 2005, P.68). Both Webster and Leadbetter argue that in the information society, most of the occupations are found in information work. The global economy is generally characterized by a decline in manufacturing mode of employment, and in its place overtaken by employment where service provision forms the core job. In addition, information society replaced the nature of work from being physical into white collar. In the information world, access to information that is unknown to others is the source of raw material. This is unlike in industrial societies where physical labour machines were prevalent. In the developed nations like North America and Western Europe, more that seventy percent of the workforce is employed in service divisions. According to Leadbetter, the information society requires one to be a smart thinker, inventor, being able to expand and utilize set of connections. The reason is that wealth production emerges from creativity, talent, competence, ideologies in addition to physical force (Tonkiss, 2006, P.21). Leadbetter further argues that skilled individuals who are competent in manipulating information are the leaders of the contemporary economy. This group makes up 20% of the US workforce and is responsible for the management, design, creation and refinement of information which is the raw material of the globalized world. The Information economy depends on talent that generally instilled in institutions of higher learning. Particular competencies are obtained from higher institutions, although they swiftly expire requiring graduates to keep abreast of things. Institutions of higher learning help students cultivate skills and communicate effectively, which is an essential requirement in the information society. Students are also taught how to examine situations in a discrete manner, invent strategies and broker deals in an attempt to analyze and solve a given problem. When institutions of higher learning instill these distinctive attributes to students, they add to a nation’s capabilities towards the growth of an information society (Amin, 2008, P.167). The criticality of the information set of connections that unite various nations, regions and continents is central in an information society. Members of society are able to communicate to each other as they are linked by diverse networks, thus enlarging their reach and competence. People are able to access these complex networks at diverse levels and locations such as point of sales terminals in shops or exchanging information via the internet. The use of information networks eliminates constraints and limitations brought about by time and distance. Amin holds that the information age and internet use helps individuals and companies handle their issues successfully on a global scale (Amin, 2008, P.167). The other characteristic of the information society is the extraordinary increase of information in social circulation. In the information world, social interaction entails a great extent of information, which was not present in the industrial society. The modern civilization is largely manifested by burdened with much information than in the industrial age. The world is more media-saturated where human life is characterized by exchange, reception or rejection of messages and information about self and others (Amin, 2008, P.167) The information society has played a noteworthy role in dismantling the conventional industrial world. The reason is that diverse levels of massive industries and enterprises have been separated. Work that is deemed as less significant is given to contactors. Skilled engineers are placed in autonomous bureaus of research, and they do not interact with workers unlike in industrial societies where they worked in tandem. Employees in non-core departments are recruited by specialized companies while the introduction of shares and shareholding meant that shares could be used to spread risk where firms used to own a multitude of businesses across sectors to mitigate economic disaster (Amin, 2008, P.167). Effects of globalization The concept in which people and regions are linked together to form an integrated global communication and the economy is referred to as globalization. Globalization entails the operational and rational pursuit of domestic goals in an internationally incorporated approach. The pursuit involves looking for opportunities in every part of the globe to exploit the opportunities that exist while minimizing threats such as global competition. Technological advancements make it mandatory for everybody to adjust to the vast global environment if it were his/her home town. People are no longer members of communal set of connections in accordance to closeness alone. The physiological neighborhoods allowed by technologies such as the cellular phone and e-mail allow individuals to keep in touch with people who are several kilometers away. Essentially, information networks relocate human experience in a global arena (Cohen and McCuaig, 2009, P.41). Globalization fosters the evolution of productive components through the advancement in technology, large scale production so as to enjoy economies of scale and through association in blueprint and worldwide production. Countries are able to change their financial system from being planned by a central authority into a market based economy. This facilitates the free movement of international assets, knowledge and people in a time when the globe increasingly interconnected. Some of the key drivers to globalization include the low information technology cost, reduced barriers in the trade, as well as the escalating importance of information and communication technology (Masuda, 1980, P.87). Information and communication technology enables an individual to operate in a networked world. The worth of network connections is enhanced by high internet connection and its assimilation other telecommunication networks. The gains of being connected to the larger global; network mounts geometrically as users derive more value from increased internet use. Thus, the returns of being connected to networks results in higher gains. ICT has become an increasingly useful component in enhancing globalization, and its continued use in production processes places it in the forefront in the modern economies. ICT further helps in propelling globalization further because the making of a complete ICT system requires cooperation of various countries. Some countries are better producers of parts and components while others are best at assembling the various components into a complete and functional system. Sellers of ICT components obtain additional value from every new internet client. Swift communications around the globe have been facilitated by the internet, in conjunction with graphic user interface and the advent of PCs, huge digitized information files are transmitted globally. The full economic potential for both customers and businesses of the internet is only being realized especially after the advent of e-commerce (Zembylas and Vrasidas, 2005, P.69). Globalization has also played a significant role in research and development. Globally recognized corporations such as Dell and Intel have established centers for conducting research and development. Information technology has become an essential tool in business for sustaining a competitive merit for corporations because it reduces transaction expenses. Moreover, ICT helps in accessing opportunities that exist in remote areas. Networked societies across the globe eliminate barriers that result from distance, race and religion as globalization unites people, in spite of their race, religion and ethnicity. As such, ICT promotes opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible to many people. Students aggressively seek out quality online education from different online sources (Zembylas and Vrasidas, 2005, P.70). Several scholars argue that corporate promoters and technologists claiming to promote education actually aim at to further technological development in developing countries. This is carried out through software and hardware trade for both education and business purposes. In essence, they promote the post-industrial culture with a view of developing new markets (Zembylas and Vrasidas, 2005, P.68). The globalization of services is a distinctive development of the global village phenomenon with services now taking a growing share of foreign investments and export trade. For instance, the outsourced IT industry emerged in India and is an example of foreign investment in services. The spatial dispersal of economic processes has shaped international division of labour as manufacturing shifts to developing countries (Zembylas and Vrasidas, 2005, P.70). Conclusion The post-industrial society largely differed from the industrial society in the role of information, knowledge and industry. In the latter society, theoretical knowledge took a central role as a driver of innovation while industry was relegated to a peripheral player in the economy. In addition, networks that connected people globally became prominent. Globalization became a major driver of the transition to the post-industrial society as networks that transcended national borders emerged and multinationals increasingly ventured into developing economies where labour was cheap.  Bibliography: Amin, A., (2008). Post-Fordism: a Reader. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Bell, D. (2008). The Coming of Post-Industrial Society. New York: Basic books. Cohen, D. and McCuaig, W. (2009). Three lectures on post-industrial society. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Masuda, Y. (1980). The information society as post-industrial society. Tokyo, Japan: Institute for the Information Society. Tonkiss, F. (2006). Contemporary economic sociology: globalisation, production, inequality. London: Routledge. Webster, F. (2002). Theories of the information society. London: Routledge. Zembylas, M. and Vrasidas, C. (2005). Globalization, information and communication technologies, and the prospect of a ‘global village’: promises of inclusion or electronic colonization? Curriculum Studies 37(1): 65–83. Accessed on 23rd April 2013 from:  http://www.appstate.edu/~jacksonay/rcoe/zembylas_vrasidas.pdf. Read More