Chapter 16.3- Modernity Flashcards
Can you apply the ideas of Tonnies, Durkheim, Weber, and Marx to our understanding of modernity?
What is Modernity?
changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution
What is Modernization?
social change begun by industrialization
What are the 4 major characteristics of modernization by Peter Berger?
- decline of small, traditional communities
- expansion of personal choice
- increasing social diversity
- focus on the future
How did Ferdinand Tonnies describe Modernization?
transition from Gemeinschaft to Gesellschaft, characterized by the loss of traditional community and the rise of individualism
How did Emile Durkheim see Modernization?
how mechanical solidarity (based on shared activities and beliefs) is gradually replaced by organic solidarity (specialization makes people interdependent); society’s expanding division of labour
What is the Division of Labour?
specialized economic activity
How did Max Weber see Modernity?
decline of a traditional worldview and the rise of rationality; Weber feared the dehumanizing effects of modern rational organization
What is Anomie?
a condition which society provides little moral guidance to individuals
How did Karl Marx see Modernity?
triumph of capitalism over feudalism
