The modern American lifestyle is substantially different from one hundred or even fifty years ago. It can be noticed not only through the technological progress that the world has made but also by the societal structure and individuals’ mindsets.
I view this phenomenon as social change, an enormous shift in people’s way of living due to economic, political, or cultural alterations that may occur in a peaceful or warring manner.
Regardless of the way of alteration, it can be objectively assessed and considered significant only from a large timescale perspective. Therefore, for me, social change always meant a dramatic transition in the lifestyle of groups of people separated by decades or centuries.
Social change significantly impacts people’s lives, and I am not an exception, especially if types and time frames of change are considered. The former includes alterations in personnel, relations between individuals or groups, a function of structures and relationships between them, and the emergence of new systems.
As the name suggests, the latter can be viewed from short-term or long-term perspectives. If I were born a century ago, I would have five or more siblings, our family would survive on farming, and I would have to start helping my parents at the age of nine.
Furthermore, it would be improbable to complete even primary education for me because I would be expected to dedicate all my time to working on the farm. Society’s progress allowed my parents to receive higher education to have a constant earned income.
Furthermore, it allowed their children to focus on their studies and hobbies before leaving home for college. This change enabled my entire generation to pursue our dream careers rather than trying to make some money to buy goods and food for the family.
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