History Commons^™

1. Some Major Factors Of The Contemporary Social World: The American Example, Robert L. Bloom, Basil L. Crapster, Harold L. Dunkelberger, Charles H. Glatfelter, Richard T. Mara, Norman E. Richardson, W. Richard Schubart

Section XIX: An Analysis of the Contemporary World’s Search for Meaning

One of the major factors of the contemporary social world is industrialization. Recent industrial developments have moved in two major directions. First, there has been a tremendous increase in technological innovation, reaching the stage which we call automation. The machines which we have developed are doing their work only too well, including some tasks which we had long though could be done only by human hands and heads. Not only the blue-collar worker but also the white-collar worker seems to be faced with the possibility of technological unemployment. [excerpt]