Societal Development and Migration Patterns
Traditional Societies
Similar to rural societies (in political, economic, and cultural ways to those that existed before the industrial revolution. Also called pre-industrial.
- Most of them work in agricultural and livestock farming activities.
- Their production is based on survival.
- They manufacture things artisanally.
- Very stable and controlled behavior (by religious and moral codes).
- Communication between them and villages is very limited. Only a few have the opportunity to travel or hear news from the outside.
Industrial Societies
Product of industrialization.
- Agricultural and livestock farming activities have been replaced by industry.
- Part of the rural population has moved to the city.
- The bourgeoisie are the owners of companies.
- Laws and democracy determine their political management.
Post-Industrial Societies
Emerged in the 20th century.
- Fully urban (big cities and huge metropolitan areas).
- The result of a service-based economy (now bigger than the industrial sector).
- Information, knowledge, and creativity are the driving forces behind the economy.
- Large increase and spread of information technology and communication make globalization possible.
There are currently 230 million international migrants in the world (3% global population). The latest economic crisis has reduced migration to more developed countries by 10%. Some examples of migratory flows are the Strait of Gibraltar, the channel between Italy/North Africa, Mexico-USA border. Others are influenced by history (links between former colonies and colonial powers). The 3 main reasons for migration are economic (lack of jobs, low salaries, etc.), social (persecution, wars, etc.), and natural phenomena (floods, droughts, etc.).
Germany is the main destination for many of these migrants (people that can migrate because of the free movement of workers in the EU). Three-quarters of immigrants arriving in Germany come from other EU countries. This wave of refugees is predicted to continue because there is no sign of a solution. More than 75% of the world’s population live in societies where differences in income are higher. One-fifth of the population earns just 2% of global income. More than 1.2 billion people live in extreme poverty. Climate change is also a cause of migration.
The origin of Spanish emigration is due to the discovery and colonization of America. Many workers from Andalusia and Galicia and smaller numbers from León, Valencia, Extremadura went to Germany, Switzerland, and France.
People from rural areas in Spain started to move to the industrialized centers of Catalonia and the Basque Country. Spain had one of the highest emigration rates in the world. Migrants come to Spain to escape poverty, war, or political instability.
Urban Morphology
The study of the form of human settlements.
- Irregular: has an irregular shape, made up of narrow, winding streets, found in the city with a historic center, meaning that it was built before the 19th or 20th century.
- Orthogonal grid layout: has a square or rectangular shape, streets usually run at high angles to each other, is the most commonly used layout in history because it’s very simple.
- Radial or concentric urban pattern: organizes the city around an important central point, with a spider web-like shape. Provides easy access between the outskirts of the city and the center.
Sustainable development means meeting the basic needs of the present population without damaging the environment of the future. As well as exploiting more and more resources and raw materials, we are also generating increasing amounts of waste, we must raise awareness of the culture of the 3 R’s.
Planned obsolescence: strategy that the companies use to reduce the life of their products and maximize sales. One of the principles of planned obsolescence is to make products that cannot be repaired.
Phoebus: cartel created by manufacturers to control the production of the biggest light bulb. The goal was to dominate the market in light bulbs and ensure the profitability of their businesses. Among other measures, they decided that the average life of the bulbs should not be guaranteed for more than 1000 hours. Over the years, this cartel was denounced and stopped working.
Clifford Brookes: was the first industrial designer to mention perceived obsolescence.
Factors Defining Country Development
- The definition of development was based on the economic wealth of a country (productions, exports, income, etc.). Nowadays, social factors like calorie consumption, healthcare, and education are also used to measure development.
More economically developed countries are located mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. Based on socio-economic indicators, the USA, Canada, most West European countries, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand have the highest standard of living.
Less economically developed countries are located mainly in the Southern Hemisphere because their economic development is slow and the income per person is very low. They depend on developed countries for technology, consumer goods, and financial money that is borrowed.
Socio-economic indicators are data that allow us to get a quick idea of the development of a country. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) uses different, internationally recognized indicators. One of these indicators is the Human Development Index (HDI), which evaluates life expectancy at birth, education, and gross national income per person. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) also have economic indicators. For example, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) represents the goods and services produced in a country in a year. GDP is used to classify countries according to their wealth.