In Touraine’s book, Social Transformations of the Twentieth Century he writes, “When the twentieth century closed, the challenges and problems of the time were social, dealing with questions of work, production, social classing and social rights.” He goes on to voice that in present day, our society is more afflicted by the results of these social phenomena than by the methods at which we reach the results. In a sense I am forced to agree with Touraine’s point of view because society seems to put more concern on the status and accountability of our products than the people who ensure that these products see the markets on time and in appropriate fashion ie. quality, safety, affordability.
Somewhere between these two beliefs is a common ground on the term revolution, which is not easily defined and even less interpretable. What properly distinguishes the ideas of a revolution or a mutation is at the foreground of revolutionary debates, and many would argue the recent transformations in society could be seen as an information revolution while others would classify it as evolution of technology and resources. Eisenstadt’s views would claim this information evolution is in no way a revolution, but that train of thought could arguably be outdated.
Touraine’s assessment of the agendas hovering over society, play a significant role in distinguishing a revolution to be “real” or not. Touraine appears to be talking about social transformation rather than revolution, which I see more as an evolutionary process than a revolution. The world has progressed leaps and bounds from it’s former self and in a period where decisions are influenced by wants rather than needs, it would be unfair to say that a revolution requires violent overthrow and bloodshed. I am not saying by this definition that the corporate merger’s of multinational conglomerates is a revolution but it might have a greater impact on society than a shift from one faceless leader to another.
Ultimately a revolution is a change, which greatly impacts every facet of a society from the way it is governed to the economics it practices. This type of revolution comes about from a political change or a social change it really doesn’t matter. Importantly, the actual changes which should determine a “revolution” not the methods by which the changes have occurred.
Eisenstadt, S.N. ‘Frameworks of the Great Revolution,’ Comparative Notes and Readings 9th edition, Bernard E. Brown, Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers, 2000, pp.98-110
Touraine, Alain. ‘Social Transformations of the Twentieth Century,’ Comparative Politics Notes and Readings 9th edition, Bernard E. Brown, Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers, 2000, pp. 111-116.
