Has Canada Become a “Postindustrial” Society?
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In sociology, a post-industrial society is a stage of expansion in the society where the sector of service produces more assets compared to the production sector when dealing with the financial system. This concept was made popular by Daniel Bell. Indeed, Bell’s idea is intimately allied to the parallel theories of sociology like the Post-Fordism, information society, knowledge market, post-industrial financial systems, and the network culture. Thus, taking into consideration the features inherent in postindustrial society, one may conclude that Canada has become a representative of such.
The Features of Postindustrial and Industrial Societies
Industrial Society
According to Powell and Hendricks (2014), the industrial society makes use of advanced technology in the manufacturing industries. The society involves mechanized labor such as auto assembly plants and factory farming. The labor comprises a combination of human workers and machines in the process of producing goods.
The economy in such kind of society is industry-based. This implies that there are various classes in the economy. For instance, these classes could include the workers, the capitalists or the petty shopkeepers. Additionally, in an industrialized society, an emergency of different technical and professional jobs that need special training and knowledge is exhibited.
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The means of transport are rapid and the network of communication is fast and developed. More so, the production system, exchange as well as distribution are enhanced. For example, production uses mechanical power, thus, the goods and services are manufactured on large scale. The use of new technology is also imperative in the industrial society. Besides, the industrial society ensures that the idea of urbanization is embodied. This makes the employees be drawn nearer to the areas of manufacturing. Presently, the society that lies under the context of post-industrial is the one with limited individual involvement in the manufacturing process.
Postindustrial Societies
According to Powell and Hendricks (2014), the postindustrial society comes after the industrialized society. In this kind of society, the service sector which includes the teachers, social workers, nurses, researchers among others accounts for a bigger percentage of the growth of wealth and the economy compared to the manufacturing sector. The latter consists of facets such as textile mills, construction workers, production workers, food manufactures. However, the manual labor jobs such as the welders and the assembly line jobs as well as the blue-collar decrease. Such occupations are replaced by technical ones like in the case of computer analysts or doctors.
The society in this case exhibits a shift from production of goods to creation of services. In the postindustrial society, the production of goods such as shoes and apparels decrease as the production of services such as fitness coaching, fast food etc. increase. Indeed, Mellander, Florida, and Rentfrow (2011) argue that in the postindustrial society there are few direct manufactured goods. Most importantly, services, information as well as advanced technology are imperative in postindustrial societies compared to the tangible manufactured goods.
According to Mellander et al. (2011), post industrialization can be perceived in the United States as well as in Europe. These nations were impacted by the industrial revolution before the effect reached other places globally. In fact, the author postulates that the United States became the first nation to have over 50% of its employees working in the service sectors.
How Working has Changed over Time in Canada
According to Powell and Hendricks (2014), the employment rate in the service industries in Canada has increased considerably over time. Indeed, according to Mellander et al. (2011), Canada experienced unemployment only during the period of recessions. This period covers early 1980s and 1990s. Over time, there has also been an increased participation of women in the service industry such as the finance area, insurance sector, and the real estate areas.
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The number of men employed has also reduced to create space for the increasing number of women in the service industry. According to Mellander et al. (2011), the issues of unemployment for ladies has reduced immensely compared to that of men because of the expanded service industry which utilizes more male workforce. The issue of unemployment for the young generation has also reduced drastically over time.
Can Canada be Described as a Postindustrial Presently?
Different authors that are competent in this issue support the point that Canada has left the industrial age behind. For instance, Powell and Hendricks (2014) argue that the employment opportunities provided as well as the accomplished levels of manufacturing in the country has increased immensely. Moreover, most of the features that are typical for the postindustrial countries are exhibited in Canada; specifically, most industries in Canada have shifted from product manufacturing to service provision. The amount of manufactured goods has also decreased considerably. Besides, in Canada, the number of manual jobs has also dropped compared to the number of technical and professional jobs. The vast use of advanced technologies is especially remarkable for this country.
In conclusion, Canada can apparently be termed as a prominent post-industrial society because it switched its goals, focus and objectives from manufacturing and production sector to the sophisticated, modern service sector that utilizes latest and newest knowledge systems.