Sociology

The Claim
There are good grounds for the concerns expressed by members of industrial societies. Their new high-information, high-energy technologies have a potential for creating problems more serious than those that societies of the past confronted. The threat of nuclear war and pollution of the environment are the most obvious problems, but they are not the only ones. Others include the rapid consumption of nonrenewable resources, the weakening of family ties, drug and alcohol abuse, rising crime rates, urban decay, and the use of terrorist tactics as a means of achieving political goals (Nolan  Lenski, 2006).

The industrial society resulted from the industrial revolution in a period between the 18th and 19th century. Industrialization is credited with the transformations to industrial societies. This change is characterized by the shift from use of animal sources for energy to that of machines. This society is characterized by the continuous state of change due to the dynamic technological innovations (Smelser, 2006).

In the agrarian society, hunting and gathering were dependent on nuclear and extended family groupings that lived in almost the same lifestyles. Whereas in an industrial society, new changes were evident as the industry was only dependent on individuals who had industrial skills, who moved to the geographical areas where the industries were set up, thus breaking the involvement of nuclear and extended family participation leading to different lifestyle from the other members of the family.
Nolan and Lenski (2006) points out that the problems brought about by industrial societies are precise. Most if not all of these problems were brought about by the industrial revolution and some have been exacerbated by it. A Kaczynski (2005) claim that life was more enjoyable in the past than it is today.  He attributes this to the industrial society and accredits it with increasing the social problems to a massive scale. He goes on to attribute the social and psychological problems experienced today to the conditions people are forced to live by, and which are inflicted by the modern society. According to him, these conditions are different from those in the past.

In the environmental context, air pollution is one of the problems brought on by industrialization. Pollution of our atmosphere is worse now than it was during the past years. This can be attributed to the marked increase in the number of industries that are put up each day and most do not conform to the regulations set in place to curb pollution ( HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22DIANEPublishingCompany22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad7 DIANE Publishing Company, 1995). In addition to this, the industrial society is a society that depends on the automobile as the main mode of transportation. The high population has caused the number of vehicles to increase greatly and this number is expected to double in the future.

Non-renewable resources such as coal are under threat due to the high demand that comes with the industrial era. Coal was mined to provide energy for the many industries that were set up on the onset of industrialization and the mines decreased greatly in their coal stores (Kaczynski, 2005). Although alternatives have been found, coal is still used and with the increasing population pressure and demand for energy, we could see the total depletion of these mines in the future. Oil and petroleum products, are non-renewable resources that are under pressure from these alternatives, such as rapid consumption. The industrial society is highly dependent on oil and petroleum products for the running of its industries, machines and automobiles ( HYPERLINK httpbooks.google.co.kebooksqinauthor22DIANEPublishingCompany22sourcegbs_metadata_rcad7 DIANE Publishing Company, 1995).

Industrialization is characterized by an increase in population density of the urban areas. Despite the increase in population density in these urban areas, several factors have accounted for the decline in child bearing since they are viewed as economic liabilities in these urban societies. This perception was drawn from the fact that children can only be productive after going through many years of education in order to acquire a profession. (Kaczynski, 2005). Not only do families become smaller, but also they became socially isolated. Family matters became less accessible to the eyes of the industrial societies, and thus weakening the family ties.

The industrial society is also characterized by prominence of nuclear family units due to the breakup of joint family systems. Kaczynski (2005) attributed this to the breakdown of traditional values. He continues to state that these values are what held the traditional families together but with industrialization, urbanization and better jobs, people were tempted to move away from rural areas to urban areas, and this resulted in the disintegration of the communal mode of lifestyle.

Added to this is the weakening of family ties has result from disintegrating the kinship ties as they are pushed to the background. Within the industrial society, the role of kinship has changed and diminished. In addition to this are the alteration of family composition and the changing roles of its members (Nolan, 2004). In past times, it was the mans duty to go out and feed for the family while the woman stayed home to deal with the household chores and look after the children. However, with the onset of the industrial revolution, such roles began to evolve and in todays society, it is common to find men and women undertaking the same tasks. It is also quite common to find the man staying home as the wife goes out to work.

Therefore, industrialization has also created reversed roles in the family setting. It has all to do with the continuous avocations for equality between the sexes whereby if men are to voice opinions on why women should not hold paying jobs, they are termed as being primitive or stuck in the past. Parents within this society have also realized that they no longer have control over their children, as did the parents in the agrarian society. Parental control and the provision of life skills to their children have been handed over to the schools and religious systems (Nolan, 2004).

The technological society functions by the philosophy that it has to weaken the family and community ties if it has to survive (Kaczynski, 2005). Technology has destroyed the familys productive nature. This productive nature is achieved when the family works together in an industrial society, the family is a disintegrated unit where everyone functions as an individual due to the opportunities provided for those who chose to sever ties.

According to Speed (2009), industrialization has led to urban decay. This is so because the youth within the industrial society epitomize its characteristics. After not receiving a definite role in this society, they revert to forming their own sub culture, characterized by the industrial societys distinctive nature such as the high rate of innovations, affluence, leisure and the emphasis on individuality and specialization. In the end, if their norms and those of the larger society clash, the result bears serious problems.

The youths decayed morals can also result from this society because the industrial societies do not have time to listen to their elders. According to Speed (2009), the excessive freedom enjoyed by the youth within this society has led to the downfall of many.

Speed (2009) also points out that alcoholism and drug abuse among the youth begins at an early age with some being drawn into circles by peer pressure, one of the characteristics of youth culture. Crime and violence are generally associated with the youth of industrial societies. This can be attributed to the moral decay that plaques the youth, lack of motivation for a better life and the decreased number of role models to look up to.

Technology has made terrorism very easy to plan and engage in. Modern technologies allow for plans to be planned in one continent and executed in another. There are those that resort to terrorist attacks due to the convenience that technology has afforded them with, whereas there are those who simply resort to terrorism tactics against the said technological advances. Kaczynski(2005) points out that technology has made it very easy to undertake terrorist tactics for the sole purpose of achieving political goals such as when groups line the Jihad engage in terrorist attacks to prove their power over other countries who they feel do not conform to their ways.

Conclusion
The Emergence of an agrarian society to an industrials society has contributed to a change of lifestyle within the members of the families and the communities at large. This is because, it has brought about drastic changes which include, increase population density in the urban areas, decrease in families and delaying the delivery of the first child, decrease in mineral resources such as coal, increases in moral decay such as drug and alcohol abuse due to weaker community ties and education forums for morality and increases in terrorism.