State in Modern Societies Part - 1
Contents
- Introduction
- Modern Societies
- Political System in Modern Societies
- Elements of a Political System
Introduction
Modern societies have very complicated political systems. Indeed, a clear explanation of this system necessitates a thorough discussion of a wide range of issues related to society and politics. Here, the article discusses a contemporary social structure and political system. A political system consists of a few key components. The post emphasizes a political system's ideology, structure and function, political processes, and foundation for legitimacy while describing these elements of a political system.
Modern Societies
In this section, we'll introduce you to the political process and system that prevail in contemporary societies. A modern society can be characterized as having a high per capita income, a high literacy rate, urbanization, industrialization, significant geographic and social mobility, extensive and pervasive mass media, and widespread citizen participation in social and political processes. To gauge the degree of modernization, some academics have added a few more factors. These include the quality of life index, the number of doctors and hospital beds available per capita, the length of the roads, the number of vehicles, the amount of electricity used, etc.
One can gauge a nation's level of modernization based on how well it performed on the aforementioned criteria. The same indices can be used to rank a list of nations according to their level of modernity and determine whether one nation, like India, is more or less advanced than another, like Bangladesh.
In the world's developing nations, the concept of modernization has a strong allure. Modernization has been incorporated into traditional societies that are opposed to it, such as some Arab nations. Both industrialization and army modernization have been heavily accelerated. Modern consumer goods and agricultural technologies are gaining popularity even in tribal societies. It's crucial to keep in mind that modernization cannot be delayed in one sector for an extended period of time while other sectors undergo modernization, unless it puts a significant strain on the social system. In India, for instance, the traditional joint has become more modernized. Many areas of the nation have dysfunctional families. Once more, when a society modernizes, it is inevitable that its political structure will follow suit. For instance, as a result of modernization, a movement for the decentralization of power arose in Nepal. This movement contested the Nepalese king's traditional hereditary power. However, it came to an end with the creation of Rastriya Panchayat, which transferred significant power into the hands of elected officials. In actuality, modernization has influenced political evolution across all societies. Modernization has had an impact on the state, and it has been recognized as a valuable tool for efficient internal and external business transactions.
Political System in Modern Societies
The "State" was the traditional lens through which to study polities. In this sense, politics refers to a set of activities that are focused on the state. Max Weber defined a state as a human community that is successful in securing the monopoly of the legal application of physical force within a specific territory. Politics, then, is the attempt to divide power or to have a say in how power is distributed among states or among groups within a state. This definition, however, falls short in societies that appear to be stateless or where a regime that took power through a coup d'état or a revolution is still seeking to be recognized for its actions and position. Therefore, political writers prefer to use the term "political system" rather than "state" to discuss the various organizations and their relationships, which were previously studied under the general term politics. In this sense, a political system is a division of the larger social system. The political subsystem in society differs from other subsystems in that it has a monopoly on the use of coercive power against individuals and groups. Therefore, the political system has the power to compel a citizen to act morally. There is occasionally a debate over whether using such force is appropriate. The monopoly of power held by the state is contested, and the arbitrary and monopolistic use of power by the state is challenged by the ability of one person or group to exert coercive control over entire societies.
In this sense, a political system is one that has structures, functions, and transactions that are intended to control individuals and groups within a recognizable and autonomous social system. Additionally, the exchanges between various political systems are covered.
A modern political system is distinguished by a high degree of differentiation, explicitness, and functional specificity of governmental and non-governmental structures. Each of these subsystems fulfills its specific function and serves as a mechanism for mutual regulation in a modern political system. The political evolution of these societies reflects the fact that modernization in various societies demonstrates varying levels of attainment. The characteristics of a modern political system as well as a number of other aspects of modern society have been covered. This section on contemporary society and politics was written with the hope that you would read it and comprehend it. By completing the exercises listed below, you can determine the depth of your understanding.
Elements of a Political System
The political system of modem society can be best described in terms of (1) Ideology, (2) Structure, (3) Function, (4) Process and (5) Basis of Legitimacy.
Ideology
An integrated set of beliefs and symbols that appeal to their adherents in ways other than what they actually mean can be referred to as an ideology. It has the capacity to influence the followers' opinions. The followers acknowledge it as a tenet of their faith. Political systems generally, and political parties within those systems in particular, may have their own ideologies that will define to the members the nation's or party's goals and means. Inferring from this, it can be said that the followers not only accept the ends without question but also commit to the means and use them, even though there are risks involved. Depending on an individual's political socialization and the party's ability to enforce party discipline, an ideology's goals and methods will be internalized to varying degrees. The extent to which an ideology is understood varies from person to person, in this sense. The extent to which it is absorbed depends on the political exposure of the party members and the degree to which the party values it.
Political, economic, or religious factors may form the basis of ideology. The necessary foundation for ideology may occasionally also be provided by ethnic and cultural factors. Communism is an economic ideology, theocracy is a religious ideology, and democracy is a political ideology. However, none of them can be regarded as exclusively belonging to one realm. A political ideology will have economic and religious undertones because politics, economics, and religion overlap in many areas, particularly in developing societies where the relationship is highly diffuse. An economic ideology like democracy will advocate for the prosperity of all citizens. It will also require secularism in multireligious societies. The best illustration of a political and other-fields-spanning ideology is communism. The early stages of communism call for a totalitarian social order and are hostile to religion. However, communism as an ideology in its most pure form, as envisioned by Karl Marx, has not been found in use anywhere in the world.
The significant influx of non-political issues and factors into the political sphere is a defining aspect of contemporary political process. Thus, regional, racial, and religious factors have started to play a significant role in the ideology of many political parties around the world, including those in India. A fertile soil has been created by religious fundamentalism in "many countries.". Political parties also have a propensity to use terrorism and other extremist tactics to further their objectives. In many nations around the world, these are increasingly becoming the norm for political processes.
The implications of the rise of fundamentalism as a political ideology and of terrorism as a means of achieving objectives are the possibility of the destruction of the sociopolitical foundation of the state and the unpredictability of the pattern of political modernization. Religious fundamentalism and ethnic and linguistic movements, such as those in Punjab, Kashmir, Nagaland, Manipur, North Bengal, Karnataka, and many areas of Assam, which are frequently supported by terrorism, have seriously threatened India's democratic structure. In ethnically pluralistic societies, political elites from dominant ethnic groups are using ethnicism as a convenient ideology to advance their political goals.
Structure and Oligarchy
A political system's structure is another element. The dominant dominant ideology that is in place at any given time will have an impact on the political structure of society. e. the political philosophy of the governing body or party. The social structure, values, and stage of development of a society will in turn have an impact on this. Actually, values and structure have an impact on development and reinforce one another. Modern social structure and democratic values go hand in hand, whereas traditional social structure and authoritarian values do not. Permutations are certainly conceivable and do exist in some societies, but these are the exceptions. Social structure and values have frequently served as development's roadblocks. They have at least slowed down the rate of development. and stifled some nations' modernization initiatives. They have shaped societies' political cultures and the ideologies of their political elites from a political perspective. These have in turn had an impact on how societies conduct their politics. When discussing oligarchies, it should be remembered that there is no clear cut beginning or end. A small power group-based oligarchy could last forever.
Depending upon the political culture and orientations of political elites, political structures have been divided into the following categories.
i) Traditional Oligarchies
ii) Totalitarian Oligarchies
iii) Modernising Oligarchies
iv) Tutelary Democracies
v) Political Democracies.
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