Sociology - Unit 4: AOS 1 - Community
Traditional and Modern Communities
Traditional Communities
Geographically based
Often relied upon close family ties.
Conservative in their values and structure
Were vulnerable to changes in social attitudes and technological advancements
Easily affected by government policies (e.g. closing schools or hospitals in the region) and urbanization (e.g. the process of people moving from the country and settling in the city)
Modern Communities
Often comprise loose groups of individuals who are are only connected by the activity or interest that they have in common
Their members may come from different suburbs, different towns or even different countries
Cope well with change as people can move around and still remain connected to the group
Assisted by advances in technology (e.g. Transport and methods of communication like the internet) and by urbanisation
Factors that Contributed to the Shift from Traditional to Modern Societies
Industrialization
Features of Traditional and Modern Communities
A Sense of Belonging
Being a valued member of the group
Identity
A way of defining and identifying individual members of that group
Security
A sense of safety and support
Social Interaction and Participation
A connection with other people with whom an individual can relate
Involves the move from an economy dominated by agricultural output and employment to one dominated by manufacturing.
Feminism
Man more women today participating in family neighborhood and workplace communities as a result of the achievements of feminist movement
Work
Types and number of work communities have changed dramatically over the past 50 years.
Factors such as the global financial crisis and the movement towards 'green' jobs have resulted in people seeking out new communities
Urbanization
Involves the development of rural or natural land into urban areas as a result of population growth and technological development.
Geographical spaces now exist in what was once farmland
Educational Opportunities
More people are involved in educational communities today than ever before
As a result there is greater participation by those from rural, regional and socially disadvantaged groups
Multiculturalism
Modern Australia contains a particularly harmonious range of culture culturally diverse communities.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, one quarter of Australia's 23,900,000 million people were born overseas
Since the abolition of the White Australian Policy, Australia's number and range of cultural communities have increased dramatically.
Travel
The ease and opportunity for movement has allowed people to move from one community to another or to participate in multiple communities
Advance in Technology
Australia is currently shifting from manufacturing to service industries. such as financial,, Information and Communications Technology and education
As a consequence many new types of community have been created
Interest based, members share a common interest or activity but do not necessarily live in the same area
Glossary