Modernity
• Modernity is the term to distinguish the “modern” society from early formation.
• There are some debates on when we enter the modern era.
• The characteristics of modernity are: industrial capitalist economies, democratic political organization and a flexible social structure based on class.
• The implied contrasts is with agrarian feudal economies, despotic politics (dictatorship) and rigid social structure based on lands.
• Modernity also involves the commodification and rationalization of many spheres of life.
• Commodification indicates that people produce goods and services (commodities) to be sold in a market rather than to satisfy their own needs.
• (cf.) It does NOT mean that people’s relationships in the modern era have become dominated by the cash relation.
• Yet, even in modern era, unpaid voluntary and charity work still remains.