Tradition Vs Modernity

Society had been through many evolutions to transform from traditional society to

modern society we lived in today. Modern society had learned it's passed from traditional

society to improve and develop to have a better system. However, since changes had been made

throughout time, there are some distinctions among modern and traditional society. Classical

liberalism, known as the key to modern society, is structured with absolute free-enterprise

market, known as capitalism. It puts greater emphasis on equality and freedom of individuals, it

puts values individually more than as a whole (M. Patricia Marchak, Pg10-11)1. Moreover,

modern society is known as the world full of technology, society uses and rely technology for

their daily work. Also, woman in modern society have greater value where their role are not only

working at home, but they can also work accomplish things they like. In the other hand,

traditional society is constructed with classical conservatism, where it values "natural" hierarchy,

gives positive values to class inequality. It is believed that society must have class inequality for

it to function well (M. Patricia Marchak, Pg13-14).2 Moreover, Family was working as a

corporation to provide goods for themselves and the role of woman and man are clearly distinct.

In paper would argue traditional society are more sympathetic result from, inequalities, values,

beliefs among citizens, economy they lived in, technology they have and roles of gender.

Industrial revolution had brought up significant changes to labour market from

traditional to modern society. Back in the old days, citizens were working as Family Corporation

at home to make living. Family had their own farm to grow food for themselves. They tend to

work with a cycle of task and have a daily work routine. As a result, children were allowed to

Patricia Marchak. "Ideology and Social Organization" from Ideological Perspectives on Canada, Mcgill-

Queen's University Press, © 2011, 1-24

Reproduced with the permission of McGill-Queen's University Press.

play around and did not have to work eight hours a day and six days a week. However, industrial

revolution was taken place where child labour was used to increase the rate of production.

Children were sent to factory and mills to work for long hours with bad work conditions. This

event had broken up the family economy working as Family Corporation and transforms it to

working class working for aristocracy, the wealth people (E.P. Thompson, Pg.366-371).3 This

transition had changed labour market in modern society where there were large amount of

working class working for enterprise. However, citizens had choice of which enterprise they

wish to work with, they could choose jobs that they are interested in. The similarity is that both

society work for living but differences between traditional and modern labour is that one work

for family, make living for family working as Family Corporation whereas the other one work

for enterprise, work for wages to pay off their own living. It shows that people in the traditional

society have strong family bond than people in modern society since they communicate more

and work together as a team to provide living for family. However, since they are working as a

family corporation, members were not allowed to choose the jobs they are interested in, but to

follow the path of their family corporation. Therefore, pity are shown toward traditional society

since citizens does not have freedom of choice, they were not allowed to choose the jobs they

want to do, and only can follow and corporate with family.

Furthermore, revolution in technologies brought many changes in society.

Electronic which count as luxuries in traditional society, had become reliance and essential in

modern society where it is indispensable. Modern society put strong emphasis on technologies

E.P. Thompson. "Childhood" from The Making of the English Working Class, Penguin Books, © 1991, 366-384.

Reproduced with the permission of Penguin Books.

nowadays where transportation and communication are all depend on it. (Daniel Bell, Pg. 66) 4.

One instance would be the invention of automobiles. Due to the invention, citizens rely on

automobiles wherever they go, impacting society by having taxes to build roads and pollutions

the automobile creates. Technology had changed the way our society function by having

advertisement, motion pictures, and fashion. In contrast, there was no technology back in

traditional society. Everything was ordinary and old fashion where citizens could only walk to

places where they want to go and communicate with each other from person to person

conversation.