Industrial civilization
Industrial civilization refers to the state of civilization following the Industrial Revolution, characterised by widespread use of powered machines.[1] The transition of an individual region from pre-industrial society into an industrial society is referred to as the process of industrialisation, which may occur in different regions of the world at different times. Individual regions may specialise further as the civilisation continues to advance, resulting in some regions transitioning to a service economy,[2] or information society, or post-industrial society (these are still dependant on industry, but allows individuals to move out of manufacturing jobs). The present era is sometimes referred to as information age . De-industrialization of a region may occur for a range of reasons.[3]
Industrial civilization has allowed a significant both in world population thanks to mechanised agriculture and advances in modern medicine, and in the standard of living.
Such a civilization is mostly dependant on fossil fuel, with efforts underway to find alternatives for energy production. Some areas have exhibited de-industrialization as certain industries go into decline,[4] or are superseded.
Constrast with other terms
Contrast with industrial society
Industrial civilization refers to the broader state of civilization, which spans multiple societies; industrial society just to specific segments (within the civilization) dependant on manufacturing jobs, whilst industrial civilisation as a whole involves many regions interdependent (via international trade) specialized in different ways, including information society and service economy. Note that these societies are still dependant on industrial civilization for their goods, and food imports coming from mechanised agriculture.[5]
Contrast with industrial revolution
The industrial revolution is the historical event that ushered in industrial civilization. The modern world has evolved further following development in mass production and information technology (allowing service economy, and information society).
Contrast with industrialisation
Industrialisation is the process of any individual area being transformed. Industrial civilisation as a whole may have regions that still benefit from industrial societies, without being industrialised themselves, or having specialised in other ways (e.g. service economies).[5]