Difference between Traditional and Modern Society (2024)

A society may be classified as traditional, modern, or post-modern. Tradi­tional society lays emphasis on religion (and magic) in behavioural norms and values, implying continuity (deep links) with a real or imagined past. It widely accepts rituals, sacrifices and holy feasts.

Broadly speaking, tradi­tional society is described as one in which:

(1) Individual’s status is determined by his birth and he does not strive for social mobility;

(2) In­dividual’s behaviour is governed by customs, traditions, norms and values having deep links with the past. The social practices of people vary only slightly from generation to generation;

(3) Social organisation (stable pat­tern of social relationships of individuals and sub-groups within a society that provides regularity and predictability in social interaction) is based on hierarchy;

(4) Kinship relations predominate in interaction and indi­vidual identifies himself with primary groups;

(5) Individual is given more importance in social relations than what his position actually warrants;

(6) People are conservative;

(7) Economy is simple, i.e., tool economy (and not machine economy) prevails and is conspicuous and economic produc­tivity above subsistence level is relatively low; and

(8) Mythical thought (and not logical reasoning) predominates in society.

Modernity is substantial break with traditional society. Modern soci­ety focuses on science and reason.

According to Stuart Hall (Hall and Gay, 1996; also see O’ Donnell, Mike, 1977:40), the six distinctive charac­teristics of modern society (which also distinguish it from traditional society) are:

(1) The decline of religion and rise of a secular materialistic culture (religious characteristic).

(2) The replacing of feudal economy (get­ting services by the owner of land) by an economy in which money system provides the medium for exchange (in trade) based on large-scale production and consumption of commodities for the market, extensive ownership of private property, and accumulation of capital on a long- term basis (economic characteristic).

(3)The dominance of secular political authority over state and marginalisation of religious influence from state/political matters (political characteristic).

(4) The decline of social order based on simple division of labour and the development of new di­vision of labour based on specialisation, the emergence of new classes, and changed relations between men and women (social characteristic).

(5) The forming of new nations (communities-ethnic or national) having their own identities and traditions to suit their own purposes, e.g., rejection of aristocracy and monarchy by France, Britain accepting monarchy only as a symbol, Egypt rejecting monarchy and accepting democracy, and so on (cultural characteristic).

(6) The rise of scientific, rationalist way of look­ing at the world (intellectual characteristic). Thus, while the traditional society is characterised by ritual, custom, collectivity, community owner­ship, status quo and continuity and simple division of labour, the modern society is characterised by rise of science, emphasis on reason and rational­ity, belief in progress, viewing government and the state as essential in bringing about progress, emphasis on economic development and com­plex division of labour, perceiving human-beings as capable of acquiring great control over nature and environment and seeing world in terms of dualisms or opposites.

Post-modem society, or late modernity, concen­trates on critical awareness and is concerned about the damaging effects of applied science on nature, environment and humanity. It points out risks and unintended negative consequences of the pursuit of progress. From nationalism (emphasized in modern society), it moves to the process of globalisation. Instead of giving importance to economic development (as in modern society), it gives importance to culture. Unlike modern society (which sees world in terms of opposites or dualisms), post-modern society views unities, similarities and connections as important.