Consequences of Modern Civilizations

Consequences of Modern Civilizations

Modern civilization is seen as the pinnacle of human accomplishment and is deeply engrained into today’s society. It is dominated by fast paced industrial production, complex political organization and a high degree of specialization. The path to this society has come at some surprising cost to individuals when compared to the liberties and freedom given to individuals in early, less complex civilizations. The modern civilization creates unique problems not felt by older societies, mainly bands and tribes, that can be seen as detrimental to individuals.

One aspect of modern civilization is a large increase in population density when compared with older societies. Now more than ever with the advent of megacities people are living in closer and closer proximity to one another. Contrasting this with gatherer-hunter societies which were composed of anywhere from 20-100 individuals. This increased population density is the source of many problems. In a tightly condensed society a strange feeling of alienation appears. People go from place to place without acknowledging others, or becoming familiar with their neighbors. In a small band, tribe or chiefdom people are intimately familiar with each other. This increases the tribe’s ability to survive by being able to recognize problems within their community and deal with them accordingly. An increased population density also decreases the resources available to each person. This might seem contrary to the consumer driven economies where essentially everything is available for the right price, however the necessities can be divided unequally among people. In a small group of individuals the main intent of their society is to survive. This leads to the spoils from a hunt being shared equally among members, housing always being available and protection from outside forces in excess. This division of resources is an essential practice of tribes and bands because each person holds the same worth. Everyone contributes daily to necessary work required to maintain stability and longevity. In today’s society the ideology that each person is responsible for his or her wellbeing can lead to unwanted strife and complications.

Another aspect of modern civilization is a differential between specific people; this is not as extreme as a caste system however some people can be regarded as more important, or having more influence than others. While this ideology is not nonexistent in earlier forms of civilization the scale at which it is implemented is different. The !Kung of Africa exhibit very little social class differences when compared to modern society. Their politics are composed of group discussions and ultimately group consensus. Certain individuals