The 21st century has recorded radical social transformation; with various significant events that have often left lasting legacy. Smaller and fewer social changes during the modern century have triggered rebellions, spiritual crises, civil wars and violent intellectual. Social transformations in the modern century have continued with minimum social friction and less upheavals hence it has received minimum attention from scholars, public, press and politicians.
Political transformation is accessed based on the criteria of stateness, rule of law, political participation and the stability of democratic institutions. Economic transformation on the other hand takes into account market organization and competition, private property, economic performance and stability of prices. The various social, economic and political transformations have resulted in cruelty, with the world experiencing ethnic cleansings, mass tortures, genocides, holocausts and civil wars. On political transformation, the modern world has experienced futility of politics and the social transformations that happened during this era can be reflected by the political events making headlines (Held 4).
The contemporary modern politics is that the world is no longer haunted through the paralyzing fear of any looming all-out war between great powers but instead they experience various series of challenges that threaten to be potentially unmanageable. The various social, political and economic changes have spawned transitional threats to the modern world order together with the resurgence of ethnic conflict, nationalism, separatist revolts and failed states. The potential social, political and economic impact are considered as formidable because they are backed with the increase of threat of arms and increased armed aggression (Held 7).
Politics in the modern world has taken the form of political parties which represent the interests of the social class that content with social distribution of services and goods. This has been considered as a arrangement emanating from historical development of the ancient form of political organization. The modern world has been characterized by several global wars between the major world powers across the several continents; notable of these wars was the World War 1 and World war 11. Nationalism has been considered as the major issue in the modern world and it acknowledges the right of nations to self-determination; though this is a positive move, it has necessitated the emergence of nationalist induced armed conflict including the two wars. Feminism gained momentum and this resulted in the granting of women universal suffrage in several countries. The arms race that characterized the period resulted into a major war. This resulted in the loss of lives and property and the destruction of the economy (Drake 19).
The Civil War and the Great Depression are considered some of the tumultuous periods in the history of the world and its ultimate effects were the transformation of the society. These are considered as the most extraordinary period of political transformation and it generated problems such as unemployment, poverty and economic disintegration. This period was also considered as a period of social ferment that resulted in the generation of various groups of intellectuals, writers and artists and general entertainment ( Lacy 168).
There are several cases of major economic transformation that is taking place; this may have been either through big bang or other gradual approaches that are intended at causing market economies to go to ruin. Major events of economic transformation are not only restricted to economic reforms but instead seek to change all other conditions that can have effect of the functioning of market based economy. Economic transformation was aimed at enhancing the standard of living of the general population. Globalization has resulted in the liberalization of the world economy hence disadvantaging weak economies.
Because of the balance between the various aspects of social, economic and political transformation, legitimacy of democratic systems in the modern world is under a constant threat. Economic transformation is expected to produce stable and autonomous market but this is always threatened by emerging socialist economies and politicians. Economic transformation is becoming intolerable (Wallerstein 170).
Racial differences between countries stand and it is only ignorance that impedes the justice and the progress. This can only be solved by confronting the problems that result in the ultimate challenge of the global competition. The future of world politics in the modern era depends on raced relation and the ability of the states to cooperate together to ensure that there are high chances of waging a fierce battle for enhanced international cooperation. This will prevent the world from slipping back into period of ruthlessness and military conflict. The patterns and the relationships that traditionally existed between several states in the international system have been obliterated resulting to something revolutionary. There are however major changes that having potentiality to cause transformation in the various spheres of the global politics. The changes that occur in the modern world are considered as evolutionary and uncertain but which can have the impact of moving the world towards a trajectory direction thus resulting in evolutionary process that can lead to dramatic transformation. In the modern world there are some indications that March of democracy that is spread is stalling and most of the democracies have learned to remain ruled by a despot leader who has curtailed political freedoms and economic human right (Lacey 57).
Works Cited
Drake, Michael S. Political Sociology for a Globalizing World. Cambridge, UK: Polity, 2010. Print.
Held, David. Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture. Stanford, Calif: Stanford Univ. Press, 1999. Print.
Lacey, Greg. Revise Modern World History for Ocr Specification 1937. Oxford: Heinemann, 2002. Print.
Wallerstein, Immanuel M. The Second Era of Great Expansion of the Capitalist World-Economy, 1730-1840s. San Diego: Academic Press, 1989. Print.
