Microsociology refers to the study of large-scale social systems through comparative analysis of societies. Classical sociologists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries developed typologies for classifying societies based on their mode of subsistence or technology. Industrial societies are characterized by mass production supported by advanced technology and a specialized division of labor, resulting in high productivity, urbanization, and an increased standard of living compared to previous agrarian societies. However, industrialization has also led to problems like worker alienation, unemployment, and environmental issues.

1. Micro sociology; it refers to the study of large scale social systems wich makes
comparative analysisof societies.
The classical sociologist of the late 19
th
and early 20
th
centuries made great
efforts in developing {master social types}
Classification of societies based on the of subsistence or types of technology
 Hunting and gathering societies
 pastoral societies
 horticultural societies
 Agricultural societies
 lndustrail societies
Industrial societies
Industrialmodeof production began in England about 250 years ago. Industry
literal meaning is a classification that refers to group of companies that are
related in terms of their primary business activities.
An industrialsociety is a systemin which large number of labor and machinery is
involved in production of goods and services .
In sociology, industrial society refers to a society driven by the use of technology to enable
mass production, supporting a large population with a high capacity for division of labour.
Political of industrial societies:
A societies polity is an institutionalized set of answers to questions about how it
should be governed. The answers to these questions reflect a societys dominant
ideology.
The Democratic Trend
Prior to the IR, nearly all large and powerful nations were monarchies governed by
hereditary kings and emperors. Today, the older view of government has
disappeared, especially in industrial societies.

2. This change not only includes the introduction of contested elections and the
formation of political parties that mobilize the masses of people in support of _
particular leaders and policies, but most importantly the exercise of the powers of
government to benefit the masses of ordinary people in countless ways
Democracy as a Variable
Governments differ by degree in their practice of democracy, and the degree of democracy in a
given society often changes over time. Thus, we need to think of democracy as a variable like
other societal characteristics, such as population size or economic productivity
Mass Political Parties
Thegrowthof democracyand theriseof industrialsocieties haveproduceda totally
new kind of political organization,themasspolitical party,which servesto mobilize
public opinion in supportof political programs and candidates. Party organizations
differ in several respects but fall into 3 groups.
1.�������� Some, such as the Republican and Democratic in the US, are
largely pragmatic brokerage-type parties. They have no strong ideological
commitments and no well-defined political programs .
2.�������� In contrast to brokerage-type parties, many of which were
formed in the 19th century, political parties in the 20th century have often
had strong ideological commitments.
3.�������� Finally, religious groups in western Europe and Japan have
formed of number of political parties
Special Interest Groups
The industrial democracies are made up of a great variety of groups, each with its
own special interests. One of the more difficult problems facing democratic
societies today is thatof protecting the interests ofsociety as a wholeagainst
the claims and demands of these
The Mass Media
One of the most importantdevelopments of the industrial erea has been the
emergence of the mass media as a major political force, not only in industrial
societies, but in other societies as well. The rise of the media to their present
position of influence and power is the result of a succession of technological
breakthroughs. Although themedia elite lack the power themselves to enact

3. legislation, they are able, in large measure, to set the agenda for elected officials
special interests
Political Conflict and Stability
Every social system generates internal conflict, and industrial societies are no
exception. Nevertheless, their success in channeling such conflict into nonviolent
forms is remarkable. There area number of reasons for the political stability of the
western industrial democracies. First, their greater productivity and their higher
standards of living give the majority of the population a vested interest in political
stability.
Although political conflicts are restrained in industrial societies, they are still
presentin variousformsandinvolvea wide rangeof issues. Themostcommontype
of conflict is between economic classes and, in most democratic nations, this has
become the basic framework for partisan politics .
The Growth of Government
Apart from the rise of democracy, the most important political change associated
with industrialization has been the growth of government. The rage of activities
and the diversity of functions performed by government are far greater in modern
industrial societies than in any other type of society. Many of the new functions of
government arise because they are required by an industrial system .
In the western industrial democracies, much of the growth of government reflects
the influence of 2 important developments noted earlier: 1 the riseof democracy
and (2) movement away frompure laissez-fairecapitalismtoward a mixed
economy.
THE TECHNOLOGICAL OF INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
The best way to appreciate the dramatic difference between an agrarian society
and an industrial one is to look at the measurablechanges that have occurred as a
result of the shift from the older technology to the new, and agricultural
productivity is a good place to begin. The basic causeof this remarkabletrend has
been the harnessing of new energy sources.
Not only have energy sources changed, but the quantities used have multiplied
enormously. In 1850, all the prime movers in the US had a capacity less than 10
million horsepower;todayitis about35billion�a 3,500-foldincreasein only a little
more than a century, and a 350 fold increase in per capita terms. According to

4. recent figures, when all energy sources are totaled, the US consumed, in a single
year, the equivalent of 8.5 tons of oil for every person in its population.
This remarkable increase in the production and consumption of energy has been
closely linked to enormous increases in the production and consumption of a wide
variety of other things, such as iron and steel .
ECONOMIES OF INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
In modern industrial societies the impact of technological innovation is usually
registered first in their economies .
The Urbanization of Production
Prior to the IR, agriculture was the chief formof economic activity, production was
centered in rural areas, and farmers were a substantial majority of the labor
force. The IR changes all this as new machines required the development of
factories and large concentrations of industrial workers. The effect of these
changes has been to shift the locus of production in societies from rural areas to
urban .
Rise in Productivity in the Standard of Living
The most striking characteristic of the economies of industrial societies is their
remarkableproductivity. Because mostof this increase in productivity has not
been consumed by population growth, there has been an enormous increasein
the sizeof the economic surplus in every society.Becauseper capita income in
Britain and the US are morethan 9 times what they were in 1830 and 1870,
respectively, it has been possible for the incomes of elites and nonelites alike to
increase.
The Shift from Labor-Intensive to Capital-Intensive Industries
The basisofthe enormousproductivityand affluenceofmodern industrialsocieties
is their fantastic store of technological information. But most of this information
would be useless unless itwere converted into capital goods. Withoutthe complex
machines, factories,transportationfacilities, powerplants, and other capital goods
essential to production in an industrialsociety, the output of its workers would not
be much greater than that of workers in agrarian societies
Changes in the Labor Force
Shift from primary industries.
Growth of white collar jobs.

5. Increased employment of women outside of households.
Growth in the size of work organizations.
Increase in occupational specialization.
Formation of labor unions.
Inistitutions of industrialsociety
The characteristics most often used to define industrialsociety are
1 A changein the nature of the economy such that a very smallprimary sector can
feed a population involved in the secondary and tertiary sectors.
2 The dominance of machine production within factories.
The urbanization of society ; 4 The growth of mass literacy; 5 The
application of scientific knowledge to production; 6
culture
Culture of industrial societies depended the economic societies
Territory of so societies
Territory is a term for types of administrative division usually an area that under
the jurisdiction of the state
Advantages industrialsocieties
increase free trade between nations
Increasein capital allowing investors financethecountry
Increase in environmentalprotections
Dis advantageindustrial societies
Norms and value take abackseat
Turns human beaing into alienated beings
Increasein problem of un employment
Will effect the relation b}t the people with in the society

6. Conclusion
Industrialsocieties are characterized by the emergence of industrialization as the
primary means of labour;business and commerce.
With improved technology labor in industrial societies has become more
specialized in addition better working conditions and higher wages have resulted
in porvedstandardsofliving for highlyskilledor educated workers. workers