10 characteristics of the Contemporary Age

The history division In ages, according to this consideration we are currently in the so-called Contemporary Age, being therefore very interesting to know the main elements of this era from its origin to the present. To better understand this stage of our history in this lesson from a TEACHER we must talk about the characteristics of the Contemporary Age.

Index

1. Contemporary age: important facts
2. Cultural characteristics of the Contemporary Age
3. Political characteristics of the Contemporary Age
4. Social characteristics
5. Economic characteristics of the Contemporary Age

The Contemporary age is the way in which the last of the periods of history, ranging from the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776 or from French Revolution in 1789 to the present day.

With more than 200 years of history, this period is one of the most important due to the strong social changes that humanity has suffered during this historical stage, being able to achieve especially the transformation to a globalized world. The great changes in this stage have been caused by some of the most important events in human history:

• Liberal revolutions
• Russian Revolution
• World wars
• Cold War
• Appearance of capitalism and communism
• Etc

We must bear in mind that the strong changes that have occurred in recent years have made it begin to think that the Contemporary Age should be terminated and a new period begin, speaking of dates as the creation of the internet or 9/11, although day to day it is not usually considered necessary.

To know what the characteristics of the Contemporary Age are, it is important to discover the aspects related to the cultural world. The changes of thought were key to evolution during the Contemporary Age, therefore, it is important to comment on the main cultural characteristics of this period.

Doctrines

Among the doctrines of modernity we find the individualism based on individual freedom as the highest good, the collectivism that considers equality as the supreme good or the scientism that considers science as the highest good.

The globalization

The appearance of great inventions such as transportation or the internet has brought the planet into the call globalization, being a process of interdependence between all the nations of the world in search of a more united planet and with fewer barriers between countries.

Inventions of the Contemporary Age

In the centuries that make up the Contemporary Age, an enormous number of inventions have been created that have changed the life forever, being currently unthinkable to live our life without many of the inventions contemporaries. Among these inventions we must speak of smartphone, internet or airplanes.

Image: IHMC

The great changes in politics were one of the great causes that led to the passage from the Modern Age to the Contemporary Age, being therefore essential to comment on the main political characteristics of this period.

Liberalism

The liberalismis a political system that defends the lindividual liberties and private property, considering that the state must participate as little as possible in people's lives and that everything must be managed from the free market.

Democracy

Although the democracy with Ancient Greece, the reality is that real democracy is an element of the Contemporary Age, born from the liberal ideas that arose from the thought of the American, French and Spanish American revolutions. Democracy can be defined as a political regime in which the people have power and influence about government, and it is the system of most nations today.

Imperialism

The imperialism It is a political thought that considers that a nation deserves to be superior and more relevant than another, which is why it is used as an excuse for the colonization or conquest of certain places. Imperialism played an important role in the Contemporary Age due to the numerous conquests made by Europeans over African and Asian regions to increase their power and resources.

The great wars

The Contemporary Age is characterized by being the stage of some of the greatest wars in the history of mankind, being the time in which the Big war and the Second World War, both known to be the cause of the highest number of deaths in the history of mankind.

Nationalisms

The birth of the nation concept brought with it the creation of nationalisms, being a political idea typical of the Contemporary Age and that speaks of the union between national unity and the government.

Image: Contemporary Overhistory

We continue to know the main characteristics of the Contemporary Age to talk about social issues. And is that contemporary society is very different to the existing in previous times and, therefore, it is interesting to talk about the different key elements that differentiate the society of the Contemporary Age from the rest.

End of estates

The social system of the Middle and Modern Ages was based on a series of estates that made it difficult to climb the social ladder and that marked the lives of all people by birth. The arrival of the revolutions put an end to this class society and changed the society to a more open one.

Demographic increase

The increase in medicines made the mortality levels of contemporary society were much less than in previous centuries, which together with a high birth rate caused that during the Age Contemporary populations will increase in such numbers that nations should create mechanisms to care for so many population.

Migrations

Increasing globalization thanks to the advancement of means of transport, coupled with inequalities existing between nations has been very great in the contemporary stage has caused this era to be characterized by great migrations between nations and continents.

To finish this lesson on the characteristics of the Contemporary Age we must talk about the main elements key of contemporary economics, in order to understand why the economic systems of this stage and the rest.

Capitalism

The economic system that has characterized the Contemporary Age and that has been maintained until today is called capitalism. Based on the principles of individual freedom, it is based on an economic system centered on private property and that the market can function on its own.

Communism

The other great system of the Contemporary Age that had special relevance in the 20th century, due to its confrontation with the capitalist model. The communism it is the economic system based on the non-existence of private property and on the equality of all people.

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• Cayuela Fernández, J. G. (1999). War, industry and technology in the contemporary age.
• Torres, M. TO. (1995). Political representation in the contemporary age. Annals of the Francisco Elías de Tejada Foundation, (1), 85-109.
• Barraclough, G., & Gil, C. S. (1965). Introduction to contemporary history (No. 909.8 / B26iE). Gredos publishing house.
• Villani, P. (1997). The contemporary age, 1914-1945 (No. 330.91 / V71eE).
• Toribio, J. M. C. (1999). The Spanish Historiography of the Contemporary Age. Journal of the Cortes Generales, 121-154.