Social theorists in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries emphasised

Social theorists in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries emphasised the emergence of industrialisation, urbanisation, secularisation and bureaucratisation as hallmarks of :

Modernity
Feudalism
Kingship
Medievalism
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UPSC NDA-1 – 2024
Industrialisation, urbanisation, secularisation, and bureaucratisation are emphasised by social theorists as hallmarks of Modernity.
– **Modernity** refers to the period and set of social, cultural, and political norms that emerged in Europe and the Americas in the aftermath of the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment, extending into the contemporary era. Key transformations associated with modernity include the rise of science and reason, individualism, nation-states, and capitalism.
– **Industrialisation** is the process of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial one. It involves technological innovation and factory production.
– **Urbanisation** is the increasing number of people that live in urban areas. It is closely linked to industrialisation as factories and jobs are often concentrated in cities.
– **Secularisation** is the process by which religion loses its social and cultural significance in a society. It involves a shift from religious institutions dominating social life to religious belief becoming a more private matter.
– **Bureaucratisation** is the process by which organisations are increasingly structured by impersonal rules, hierarchical authority, and specialized roles, as described by sociologist Max Weber as a characteristic of modern states and large organizations.
Social theorists like Max Weber, Émile Durkheim, and Karl Marx studied these processes extensively in the 19th and 20th centuries, viewing them as fundamental aspects of the transition from traditional, often feudal, societies to modern ones. Concepts like feudalism and kingship represent forms of social and political organization characteristic of pre-modern or medieval societies, contrasting with the features of modernity listed.