SUMMARIES UNIT 14 : CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY (2ºESO)

1. SOCIETY, FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS

SOCIETY

People are social beings and live together in organised groups or societies. A society is a community of people who live together in the same territory and have cultural, economic, political and personal ties.

All human societies are regulated by customs, beliefs and laws, these are often different from one society to another:

• Political life consists of all the public debates, rules and institutions that establish hoe a society is organised.
• Economic organisation  meets people’s material needs. It is different  at each stage of a society ‘s development.
• Cultura and values reveal what people consider to be really important.

THE FAMILY

The family is the basic unit in all human societies. It is base don kinship, or how people are related to each other. The failiy has many functions; providing its members with company, moral support and practical assistance.

• In patriarchal families., men exercise authority. This was the standard type of family in Western society until the 19 th and 20 th centuries.
• In modern developed societies, men and women share similar responsabilities in the family. Traditional nuclear families consist of two parens and children. in raditional extended families, other family members (like grandparens and cousins)also live in the same household. But non-traditional families are widespread today. For example, separated or divorced people live with new partners. In single-parent families, one adult raises children alone. There are also families in which both partners belong to the same sex.

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

Asystem of social stratification is a kind of scale. It shows how people blong to different levels of society according to their background and economic resources. People who share a similar income level and lifestyle belong to the same social class.

In the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period, people were born into an estate.their social position stayed the same during their whole lifetime. Today,however, social class is mainly determined by wealth:

• The upper class consists of the richest people who have inherited wealth, own companies, or earn very high salaries. Only a small minority of the population, like bankers and company directors, belong to this class.
• Many more eople are middle class. The upper-middle class consists of highly qualified professionals who earn high incomes. Less well paid people like office workers or shop assistants, belong to the lower-middle class.
• The lower class includes manual workers who have few qualifications and low incomes. Long-term unemployed people also belong to this class.

In addition to a person ‘s wealth, their background is also important. For examle, a wealthy rock musician or footballer is not always considered upper class.

2. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DIVERSITY

THE DIVERSITY OF HUMAN SOCIETIES

In a diverse society, there are significant differences between social groups. Diversity takes several forms:

• Socio-economic diversity. This is determined by a society’s level of economic development and its forms of social organisation.
• Cultural diversity. All societies have distinctive values, beliefs, attitudes and customs.
• Linguistic diversity. The language (or languages) spoken in a society influences the interaction between different groups.
• Religious diversity. Religious beliefs and practices shape a society’s moral values and customs.

TYPES OF SOCIETY

Human societies have different levels of social and economic development. There are three main groups of societies:

1. Traditional rural societies

In some developing countries, agricultura and livestock farming are still the basis of the economy. These societies are mainly self-sufficient, and grow food for their own consumption. Most people live in small villages and work in the fields. They only use basic agricultural tolos. There are strong ties within social groups, who share moral and religious values.

Today, traditional rural societies are mainly found in the less developed regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America. But in these regions, they are not the only type of society. For example, traditional rural societies still exist in Andean countries, but they may be closet o areas of mining activity or oil exploitation.

2. Industrial societies

In industrial societies, the economy is mainly base don indusrial and commercial activity. Agricultura and livestock farming are much less important. Much of the rural poulation emigrates to cities, where most people live.

Business leaders pay a decisive role in this type of society. Workers have very long working hours, but they are only paid low wages and have few rights.

In the 20 th and 21 st centuries, many countries around the world have become industrial societies or are now raidly industrialising. Asia, China, India, and South-East Asian countries (like South Korea and Singapore) have become industrial societies. Latin American countries like Mexico and Brazil, and most of Eastern Europe, have also had rapid industrial growth.

3. Post-industrial societies

A post-indusrial society is a socety in which the tertiary (or srvices)sector has become more important than industry to the economy. In this type of society, more than 70% of the working population ae employed in the terciary sector.  Scientific and technological innovation are crucial o their success.

All types of services are offered in a post-industrial economy: commercial, social, business, finanial, and so on. These services are aimed at mass consumption. Today, the world’s most advanced and wealthy economies are post-industrial societies, and a large majority of their population lives in cities.

3. CULTURAL , LINGUISTIC AND ELIGIOUS DIVERSITY

CULTURAL DIVERSITY

A cultura consists of all the traditions, beliefs and lifestyles that are shared by a group of people.

Many centuries ago, there was a huge  difference between the cultures of different societies around the world. Each society was separate and outside influences did not arrive quickly. But in our own times, culture has been influenced by the process of globalisation. People all around the world consume the same products and adopt similar lifestyle, attitudes and customs. Consequently, many cultures share similar characteristics:

• The mass media, such as Internet and televisión, spread news, music and ideas. This creates a mass cultura, which is similar in most parts of the world.
• International companies set up offices in many countries so people buy and use the same products everywhere.
• As a result of immigration, people from many backgrounds live together in the same country. They learn about each other’s customs, beliefs and ideas.
• Tourism enables people from more developed countries to find out about other cltures, as well as introduce their own customs and lifestyles to them.

Despite these exchanges, there are still significant cultural differences between regions. It is very important that we learn to respect cultural diversity. We should never say that one cultura is better than another.

LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY

There are as many 6,000 languages around the world, although some of the are related to each other, and others are considered dialects (or variantsof other languages).

The international importance of a language depends on the number of people who speak it. Six international languages have been accepted as working languagesby the United Nations: Mandarin Chinese, English, Spanish, Arabic, Russian and French.

Mandarin Chinese has the greatest number of native speakers. However many millions of people around the world now use English as their second language. English has become the main language in the fields of international politics, business and science. It is also the most widely used means of communication on Internet.

On the other hand, other languages are used by minorities and are in danger of disappearing. Some studies calcúlate that by the end of the present century, over half of the world’s languages may disappear.

RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY

Religion has an important role in society, in addition to its importance in people’s personal lives.

People from different religious backgrounds often respect each other, but this is not always the case. There have been religious conflicts and wars throughout human history. When people with different traditions settle in the same territory, this often creates tensions between the communities.

In the late 20 th and early 21 st centuries, fundamentalist movements have become more influential in some religions. Fundamentalism aims to regulate all areas of life on the basis of religious doctrine. These movements often reject key aspects of moden Western cultura, such as secularism, freedom of expression and equality between men and women.

4. SOCIAL CHANGE

SOCIAL REVOLUTIONS

Socities sometimes change very gradually, and the basic structure of society stays the same. But there are also social revolutions when change i son a large scale, or occurs rapidly.. these revolutions are often connected to economic change, and may cause social conflicts:

• The Neolithic revolution began about 10,000 years ago. Human societies fist learned to practise agricultura and live together in settlements. This led to the emergence of the earliest great civilisations.
• The Industrial Revolution began in the late 18 th and early 19 th centuries. It led  to the growth of cities on a massive scale and the adoption of the new economic system of capitalism.
• The liberal revolutions of the same period were connected to these economic changes. They were movements in favour of people’s rights and freedom. All citizens were made equal under the law.
• Today, the technological revolution is causing changes in the way people work and interact with each oher. It is sometimes said that a new type of society is emerging: the information society, base don open Access to information and knowledge.

SOCIAL CHANGE IN DEVELOP COUNTRIES

There have been many social changes in developed countries over recent decades:

• Gender. Women now study in universities and work in jobs that used to be for men. So there is much greater equality between the sexes than before. However, statistics show that women are often paid less than men for similar work and still spend much more time than men on their family obligations.
• Family, the pattern o family life is also changing. The average age of marriage has risen and the average number of children per woman has fallen. Moreover, an increase in the number of divorces means that thee are many more non-traditional families.
• Multi-culturalism. Immigrants have arrived in developed countries from al over the world. They have become multi-cultural societies, in which many cultures live together.

SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

There are many social problems in developing countries:

• Poverty. Many people do not have the economic resources to meet their basic needs: food, housing and jobs. This may cause tensions and even violence.
• Women. Some countries have las or policies that prevent women from studying, or limit heir basic human rights. These women cannot work in many jobs, and they are not allowed to make their own decisions on key aspects of their  lives.
• Conflicts. In some regions, ethnic groups oppose each other for economic, racial or religious reasons. Some people try to emígrate to escape from etnic violence and political instability.

THE CHALLENGES OF GLOBAL SOCIETY

The transformation of our global society raises new challenges for the future:

• Cultura. Western values have spread throughout the world, but often at the expense of local traditions and regional diversity.
• Discrimination. People from minority cultures often face social exclusion. Xenophobic and racist attitudes are widespread in countries where there has been large-scale immigration.
• Economic inequality. There are marked inequalities throughout the world, both within each society and from one region to another.

5. SPANISH SOCIETY

ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SOCIAL CHANGE

During the 1940s and 1950s, Spain ha a very traditional economy and society. The country was mainly closed to outside influences during the early years of General Franco’s dictatorship. However, the country began a process of raid modernisation during the 1960s that continued in the late 20 th century.

• Economic growth. The economy was modernised, while there was a massive development of the tourist industry on the coast.
• Urbanisation. Migration from the countryside to cities was part of the transformation of a traditional rural society into a modern urban one.
• Democracy. After Franco’s death in 1975, his dictatorship came to an end. In the new democracy, citizens’ rights were defined by the Consitution of 1978.
• Attitudes and lifestyle. The Spanish educational system expanded, so Spaniards became far more open to the outside world. People adopted lifestyles which were similar to the rest of Europe.
• The place of women. Many more Spanish women began to work outside their homes, and had fewer children. however, the proportion of working women still remains quite low compared to much of the European Union.

POST-INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY

In the late 20th century, Spain became a post-ondustrial society, with a high level of economic development and social welfare:

• Economic development. The economy of Spain expanded in the late 20 th century. Spanish industries wee modernised and an excellent network of roads and railways was created. Today, most of the working population belongs to the tertiary sector.
• Health. Social welfare improved greatly. Today, everybody receives health care if they need it.
• Education. Young people receive a good education, although it is not easy to find a job afterwards. Education is free and compulsory up to the age of 16.
• Technology. The use of information and communication technology spread through Spanish society, especially among young people.

THE EFFECTS OF THE CRISIS

Spain’s economy expanded raidly in the late 20 th and early 21 st centuries, when standards of living improved. However, thesituation worsened after the international financial crisis of 2008. Spain was more affected by this crisis tan many countries as a result of the “property bubble”. Property speculation pushed house prices very high until they suddenly collapsed.

• Unemloyment levels have risen dramatically and are especially high among young people. Young people need to find work before they can leave the family home and become independent.
• Housing. House prices have now fallen, but people stil have to go on paying back the money they borrowd many years ago. Unemployed people find it very difficult to find the money. The construction of many new houses was started but left unfinished.
• Immigration. Many millions of immigrants arrived in Spain in the early 21 st century. But since 2008 they have found it much more difficult to find jobs. Some immigrants live in precarious conditions, and face social exclusion.
• An ageing population. The proportion of older people is increasing and many of them need special care either at home or in residential accomodation. A specially law (Ley de Dependencia) established financial assistance for older people, but it will be difficult to find enough resources in the future.
• Women. Many women have entered the labour market, but more women than men are unemployed today.