¶ … Industrial and Information Societies The major characteristic of the industrial society, which distinguishes it from the previous society types, is the mode of subsistence. Unlike the previous foraging, pastoral and agricultural societies, gathering food in the industrial society is done by only a tiny fraction of the population, who supply food for the entire population. At the same time, the basis for society shifts, with mass production becoming the basis for wealth and power in an industrial society.

The mass production results in the factors associated with an industrialized society: high consumption of energy; reliance on technology; the production of waste material; urbanization; and reduced emphasis on physical labor.

The effect on society also includes a lesser emphasis on community and family and a growing emphasis on the individual. This further leads to a society where there is a complex class and power structure and a stratum of individuals...

Mass production is replaced by information and knowledge as the basis for society. The focus on knowledge also results in scientific progress. The results of this scientific progress ranges from improved health and greater life expectancy to more developed and more destructive weapons of war.
The focus on knowledge also means that individuals in society have access to more information, with the production, dissemination and interpretation of this information a major component of the society.

The amount of information available impacts greatly on the current world view. Greater information is available to all individuals than ever before, but at the same time it is controlled and manipulated through the media and through the information channels available. The end result is that people have a wider world…