The defining factors of a prosperous society in the modern-day era has been the level of industrial and technological achievement from which that society derives a certain degree of economic success and creates the trappings of what is known as the “modern-day lifestyle.”
Organizations all over the world continue to strive to reach this supposed pinnacle of success; yet, the price for achieving such a goal often comes through significant environmental deterioration and social stratification. As countries continue to move towards industrialization to become more competitive in the global economy, this often adversely impacts local ecological systems.
China, for example, is widely considered to be a modern-day success story wherein through progressive economic policies and a focus on making the local economy more open towards foreign capital investments, the result has been the creation of the world’s second-largest economy with a massive industrial base.
This has enabled Chinese society to reinvent itself resulting in a distinct shift towards urban lifestyles and the development of a higher preference towards the trappings of modern-day living (i.e., the use of cars, apartments, modern gadgetry, etc.)
Unfortunately, the price that was paid for such “progress” has been a significant degree of environmental pollution evidenced by the sheer amount of toxic smog within China’s industrial centers, which has been blamed for the rising cases of lung cancer and other lung-related illnesses.
Furthermore, social stratification within the country brought about by an almost nonexistent “trickle-down effect” has resulted in deplorable living conditions for the worker class and the urban poor while the Chinese elite enjoys lifestyles comparable to upper and middle-class societies within Europe.
When examining such an example and comparing it to the “push towards industrialization” seen within many organizations at present, the future of the global environment and sustainable living looks grim given the impact such practices have on the climate of the Earth as a whole.
The trend of competitive industrialization has brought with it significant adverse effects which has resulted in not only the destruction of local ecosystems in the name of progress (i.e. clear-cutting forests, dumping of factory waste in rivers, unsustainable farming practices etc.) but has actually impacted the climate of the Earth as a whole through global warming.
Increased temperatures as a result of carbon dioxide gas in the air from industrial processes have been blamed for erratic weather patterns, which have caused stronger storms, droughts, as well as the deterioration of natural environments seen in the case of the melting polar ice caps.
The source of the problem is not the process of industrialization itself, but the attitudes many societies have developed in response to the supposed “necessity” of reaching the goal of “modern-day success.”
This is particularly troublesome when taking into consideration the difficulties involved in a conjoined societal effort to implement new practices of sustainability when there is mutual distrust as a direct result of the social stratification brought about by industrialization.
Based on the various arguments presented, it can be seen that it is not the process of manufacturing itself that has to lead to unsustainable practices and the deterioration of the global environment, instead, it is the perspective of various societies that they need to industrialize in order to achieve what is perceived as a modern-day lifestyle regardless of the possible costs that are the main culprit behind the problems seen today.
As such, what will be investigated are the potential impacts such attitudes will have on the globe, environment, and communities and how the social stratification brought about by industrialization implements cooperative practices almost impossible given the conflict and distrust between the two social groups.
Societies around the world are under the false impression that a push towards modernization through industrialization is the only way in which they can achieve success.