Postindustrialism

A postindustrial society is marked by a transition from a manufacturing-based economy to a service-based economy, usually by means of a diffusion of national capital, and mass privatization. These economic transitions are connected with a subsequent societal restructuring.

Postindustrialization is the next evolutionary step from an industrialized society and, therefore, is most evident in places such as the United States, Western Europe, and Japan. Daniel Bell describes six features of a postindustrial society. First, there is a transition from the production of goods to the production of services, with very few firms directly manufacturing any goods. Second, blue-collar manual laborers are replaced by technical and professional workers, such as computer engineers, doctors, and bankers. As the direct production of goods is moved elsewhere, those sectors ...