Societies differ from each other in various ways. However, they also have the same features by which the typology of societies is built.
In order to classify them, you must first choose the basis for typology. Such a basis for the typology of societies can serve as a form of state power, political relations. Scientists of ancient Greece, for example, distinguished between monarchy, tyranny, aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy. Modern scholars single out totalitarian and democratic states. In the first case, all directions of public life are determined by the state, in the second - the people can influence state institutions.
The Marxist typology of societies took as a basis the differences in the types of production relations existing under different socio-economic systems, and singled out primitive communal societies; slaveholding societies; feudal serfdom; Communist societies with the first phase - socialist.
There are the most diverse classifications, however, the most common in modern sociology is the typology of societies that takes as a basis the traditional, industrial and post-industrial societies.
A traditional society (simple, agrarian) is an agrarian society with sedentary social structures in which the way of social regulation is based on traditions. Traditional a type of society strictly controls the behavior of individuals by observing the customs and norms of orthodox behavior, established social institutions, where the most important are the family and community. Any attempt at social transformation is rejected. Such a society is characterized by low rates of development.
Industrial society is a type of organization of social structure that combines the freedom and interests of the individual with the social principles that govern the joint activities of people. It is characterized by the flexibility of social structures, social mobility, and a developed communication system.
In the second half of the 20th century, various theories of the post-industrial (informational) society began to appear (A. Turen, D. Bell, J. Habermas). These concepts were caused by significant changes in the socio-economic and cultural life of developed countries. The main in society are knowledge and information, computer technology. People who have received the appropriate education, having access to new information, gain an advantage when moving up the social ladder. The goal of a person in such a post-industrial society is creative activity.
The negative side of the information society is manifested in the fact that there is some danger of increasing state control over people due to their access to electronic mass media.
Main features post-industrial Society:
- the transition from a commodity economy to the service sector;
- the dominance of professionally educated technical specialists;
- the primary role belongs to theoretical knowledge as a source of discoveries and political decisions;
- exercising control over technology;
- The increasing ability to make decisions based on intelligent information technology.
The latter distinguishing feature is brought to life by the growing needs of the new information society. The basis of social development in such a society is not traditional material resources, but informational, intellectual: scientific factors, knowledge, people's intellectual potential, their creativity, initiative. All of the above can be considered as a different typology of societies.