Society as we know it today has grown from a number of complexed changes and events throughout history. The aim of this essay is to explore and outline a number of key differences from the 1500-1800 time period to today’s modern world, a summary of Blainey’s (2001) work will help give an idea of how life was in that earlier time period and allows us to reference it against what we know as today. Particular differences will be outlined between the two time lines with focus on war, the roles of animals and work structure. These differences will highlight how society has changed from a localized unit to a global unit.
Society on a global scale was mostly Agrarian in structure whilst some nomadic style hunter gathers or pastorals groups (Blainey (2001, p.410) still existed in the early 1500’s-1800’s. Life revolved around food, the production of food was what made up day to day life, the average house hold didn’t have enough land to produce what was needed and many people worked at neighbouring farms and meals themselves were used as partial payment. Food was almost the be all and end all it determined wealth, stature and even if and when young single women could marry, Blainey (2001, p.412) explains that if a harvest was plentiful the woman may marry however if the harvest was lean the wedding would be postponed.
Work on the farm was predomitdly carried out by the woman and elder children, duties such as fetching fire wood, collecting water from the well, spinning yarn, cooking and cleaning (Blainey (2001, p.409). Grains and wheat were mass farmed and in Europe and Asia the various grains made up to 80% of the typical household diet. Plagues were disastrous to the harvest with farms being overrun by mice, this lead to the use of the cat as a farming tool and so they soared in value (Blainey (2001 p.412). Cats were not seen as pets but more of an implement to rid the farm of pests as hunters, so much so an early edition of an encyclopaedia showed cats were “totally destitute of friendship”. Horses to were used as a means of transportation, as an implement to help ploughing, and pulling and carting of all types of materials.
Almost all food found in households was produced and manufactured locally with the exception of salt, salt would be shipped or carted in from France and Austria. Every household would use salt and to own a salt mine in Europe was to own a gold mine (Blainey (2001 p.414). Most villagers bought little salt using it sparingly and this points to how the salt trade changed after the introduction of steam transport. Steam transport lead to social inequities as the first to use it were the superiors and richest meaning they could then dictate the means of production (Hennson 2011 p.140).
War has dramatically changed, in 1630 one million people died on the plains of Lombardy, this sought of figure for people killed in action would not be heard of today for various reasons. Advancements in technology have allowed for better intelligence gathering on enemies positioning, numbers etc. weaponry has also changed as the traditional hand to hand style combat and slow awkward firearms has given way to automatic weapons, tanks, planes and even drones. From 1618-1648 the thirty-year war took place, it is almost inconceivable that a military style conflict could take 30 years in this day and age without international government intervention and the United Nations being involved.
Animals have changed also not just their roles in our lifestyle but the physicality of the animals through selective breeding etc. Animals were traditionally used for farming and working purposes but now are used for companionship and in some cases as a fashion accessory or status symbol. Animals are still put to work with dogs being used in farming for herding livestock along with horses but the traditional plough behind a horse has given way to the tractor with the birth of the mechanical age in the industrial age. Breeds of dogs are specifically bred to avoid allergies, they are miniaturized for fashion trends and many breeds are actually worse of due to this selective breeding with many genetic negative traits passed along bloodlines.
The daily working routine of modern man differs greatly on average however there are still traditional occupations and trades such as farming, carpentry etc. These traditional styled occupations however have had brilliant advancements making life easier for those involved. The farmer now has machinery able to plough and harvest entire fields in hours as opposed to days, the carpenter now has the use of electric drills and saws speeding up production time dramatically. Many people now work in all different fields of employment be it medicine where research and advancements are made daily, I.T. in a world which is now so heavily focused on technology this has become a mainstream employment base, teaching where an emphasis is put on education which was only available to the elites of society before, or sales now that we live in a world of mass production where everything is available from major retail chains.
Society has and will forever be changed through technological advancement, the way food is mass produced now allows not only a ready availability but a vast variety of foods from around the globe, multiculturalism has brought with it these variances of tastes and flavours allowing people to not have to focus on food production as a means of survival. Mechanical advancements have allowed production processes to be speedup and in some cases humans have been replaced with robotics allowing for 24/7 production without fatigue or the need for breaks etc. Conflicts and war still take place and forever will as it is human nature for differences of opinion and when religion or government gets involved there will always be conflict, however the death rates are much lower due to weaponry and technological advancements eliminating the need for “ground forces” as war is much more tactical in approach now crippling revenue lines instead. Blainey’s work outline how society was localised more so through need then want but as advancements were made in time society changed to accept them and branched out to national and then international levels.

References
Blainey G 2001, ‘Dethroning the harvest’ in a Short History of the World, Viking Ringwood. pp 409-429.
Henslin, J, Possamai, A & Possamai-Inesedy, A 2011, Sociology: A down to earth approach, Pearson Frenches Forest NSW.