Traditional Society

According to one of the most popular classifications distinguish the following types of society: traditional, industrial and post-industrial. Traditional society is the first in the time of historical development of the form of the organization of human relations. This social structure is at the first stage of development and is characterized by a number of the following features.

First of all, a traditional society is a society whose life is based on a rural (natural) economy using extensive technologies and primitive craft. Characteristic for the period of the Ancient World and the Middle Ages. It is believed that virtually any society that existed in the period from the primitive community to the beginning of the industrial revolution is traditional.

The tools of labor used in this period are manual. Their improvement and modernization took place at a very slow, almost inconspicuous pace of natural forced evolution. The economic system was based on the use of natural resources, it was dominated by subsistence farming, mining, construction, trade.

The social system of this society is socially corporate, it is stable and has been stationary for centuries. There are several estates, which for a long time do not change, keeping the static and unchanging character of life. To many traditional societies, commodity relations are generally not inherent or developed so weakly that they are oriented only at meeting the needs of a small section of the social elite.

The traditional society of signs has the following. It is characterized by the complete domination of religion in the spiritual realm. Man's life is considered the fulfillment of divine providence. The most important quality of a person is collectivism, a sense of belonging to his class, a close connection with the land where he was born. Individualism is not peculiar to people yet. At that time, spiritual life was more significant for a person than for a material life.

The rules of life in the team, coexistence with neighbors, attitude to power were determined by traditions. The person acquired the status at birth. The social structure was interpreted exclusively from the point of view of religion, and therefore the attitude to power was provided by explaining the divine purpose of the government to fulfill its role in society. The head of state enjoyed undisputed authority and played a paramount role in the life of society. Such a society is not characterized by mobility.

Characterized by a traditional society in a demographically high birth rate and the same high mortality, as well as a fairly low life expectancy.

Examples of traditional societies today are the lifestyle of most countries in North and North-East Africa (Ethiopia, Algeria), Southeast Asia (Vietnam).

In Russia, this type of society existed until the middle of the 19th century. Despite this, by the beginning of the century it was one of the largest and most influential countries in the world, had the status of a great power.

The main spiritual values that traditional society has are traditions, ancestral culture. Cultural life was focused mainly on the past: respect for ancestors, worship of cultural monuments and works of previous eras. Culture is characterized by homogeneity, orientation to one's own traditions and rather categorical rejection of alternative cultures of other peoples.

Many researchers believe that traditional society is characterized by a culture of no choice. A worldview that dominates the society, and sustainable traditions provide a person with a ready-made system of values and spiritual guidelines. Therefore, the surrounding world is understandable to a person and does not cause unnecessary questions.