In
Sociology
Advanced level of structural organization in terms of leadership quality, economic proficiency, level of education of the members of the society, degree of technology, protection of human rights, maintenance of law and order, high level of security, and dependable health care facilities defines a civilized society. To achieve these objectives effectively, a well-organized governmental system and hence a state is a prerequisite. The state has four basic characteristics that make it a powerful tool of a civilized society. These include, population, territory, government, and sovereignty. The government does the daily running of the state. This entails making and implementing policies that ensure success in various sectors of the economy.
The economy of any civilized society is dependent on the agricultural product that ensures sustenance of the population and surplus that can be used to earn foreign exchange. The involvement of citizens in the production is also a crucial factor for the success of such society.
Industrialization is another key factor in civilization. The policies and laws set by the state govern industrial development. This determines employees’ response to work and the manner in which managers and employers treat their employees. It is also the government that directly influences the number of working hours a day, which determines economic growth directly. The policies also encourage investments and boost the economy. This ensures maintenance of the civilized status for a society. The economic activity of the state determines its empowerment and sovereignty. Hence specialization and skillful production enhance the level of independence (Osborne, 2006).
Technological development is a significant factor in a civilized society, too. High technological development ensures smooth and rapid operations. To begin with, technology enhances education, for example, the use of power points helps to make lectures informative. . Moreover, technology determines and improves the level of governance of a state. This ensures practical application of democracy by enabling the voting process to take place diligently. It also makes rapid tallying possible. Economically, technology is the heart of any civilized society. It brings about good banking systems that affirm quick access to funds and the use of the credit and visa cards. It enables easy and rapid processing of loans and check of the repayments. In addition, advanced technology determines the level of transportation; it results into a reliable and safe means of transport such as the use of air planes, use of electronic trains, and construction of high class vehicles and vessels.
Further, technology has positively influenced the development of health sector. The use of electronics in patients retrieval systems hastens the records and reduces time spend in hospital. The use of good devices to enable faster and more accurate diagnoses and application of effective therapeutic devices are other health benefits. To ensure the achievement of the technological development, the system governance that initiates policies promoting the technological development is vital. Various states have ministries that deal directly with technological issues, and this ensures the maintenance of highly advanced level of development. It is, therefore, pertinent to note that civilized societies need the state for the attainment of its objective in the world of technology Civilization aligns with infrastructural development, and for its achievement, a state with a well-structured system of governance that is free of corruption and developmentally oriented is necessary. The civilized society has good transportation system that includes well tarmacked roads, well maintained railway lines, bridges, and air transport. They ensure faster movement across the region for goods and humans. There is a department that directly deals with this. This is the ministry of transport. Good governance, therefore, begets civilization.
Telecommunication is another notable feature of infrastructural development that is an epitome of a civilized society. Telecommunication majorly covers the existence of exclusively good telephone and mobile phones, use of e-mails, availability of the Medias, and enhanced interactions in the business operations. This can only be realized effectively if there are good laws and policies governing the telecommunication system.
Water is an indispensable commodity for the daily use and operations in the industries. Adequate water management results in improved economy through increased agricultural production by initiating irrigation systems, control of floods and high level of hydro-power production. Therefore, sustained and regular water supply in a civilized society is fundamental. The achievement of this comes about from good laws and governance that ensure drilling of bore holes in dry places and provision of water supplies. Sewage treatment is also a critical factor as it ensures proper disposal and limits the health risks that may ensue.
Additionally, electrical supply makes an immensely valuable commodity in the setting of a civilized society. Its use is important both in the commercial field (in industries) and on the domestic level ( home supply) (Ferguson, 2011). Electricity is terribly significant as it ensures maximum achievement in the economy and enhances production by numerous folds.
The existence of the state is, therefore, tremendously beneficial as it makes laws that governs power supply. Civilized societies are well manned with good power laws that ensure continuous power supply. It is also the existence of the state that determines the power supply system. It can be either nuclear power supply or the solar system or the hydro-power supply.
Security and order is another key element of a civilized society, so they need to be enforced. This can be realized through a given set of organized bodies within the government that instills and maintains the required level of security to the members of the society. Therefore, the state is fundamental in the maintenance of security and order. The most salient elements of security that need to be achieved within a given civilized society include the system security and policies, physical security of an individual, and the security of the properties. In any given state, there is a body that controls the access of that state and the criminal offence that could harm the citizens. Such states have police officers that ensure maintenance of law and order among the citizens. They also have military systems that protect them against external attacks.
The set policies that prevent hacking and breakage into private information results in the attainment of the system of information security required in a civilized society. Therefore, for civilized societies to accrue such benevolent and beneficial advantages they should have structural organization of the state. Another important element of security is the support of the human rights and protection of property. The latter is a feature of any civilized society, where crimes are minimized resulting in low degrees of stealing and robbery. Freedoms of individuals in such societies are greatly enhanced. This makes the state a need for a civilized society.
Education is an immensely valuable prerequisite in civilization, and for any civilized society the principal goal is to eradicate ignorance and enhance knowledge acquisition. The major benefits of education as an element of a civilized society are its impact on rapid improvement of the economy, which is achieved through the creation of employment, reduction in crime rates and insecurity, increased research and technological development, as well as enhanced health and increased environmental conservation. Hence, through education various members of the society acquire different skills that create a wide field of employment opportunities as some strive to be lawyers, others – architectures, while still others - doctors. The attainment of education, therefore, reduces crimes as many individuals are likely to be employed, which means they won’t engage in the offence. It is only through education that the vast majority learns the benefits of the environment and acknowledges the need to conserve it.
The state is thus required for the attainment of high level of education. This is because it acts as a body that sets the laws and policies governing education system. It also acts to determine the lowest level of education that any citizen is supposed to attain. Some states also sponsor their citizens through various levels of education. This ensures good governance and increased economic power, which benefits civilization. Most educational structures of the civilized societies are set forth by the state laws. The latter determine the number of elementary schools, high school, colleges and universities (Australian National Gallery, 1990). Hence education, a prominent element of any civilized society, is profoundly influenced by the state. Thus, a working government is required in a civilized society.
Health care is another noteworthy feature that needs peculiar attention as far as the civilized society and the state are concerned. Civilization goes hand in hand with improved life style and health systems, thus, to maintain productive population, the availability of healthy citizens who can promptly work in their respective fields is pivotal. Health sector in any economy is determined by a number of trained professionals in the society. In many civilized societies, it is the state that posts new medical graduates for their internships and fellowship in various government hospitals. In most states, it is the government that directly determines the salary of the doctors and other health officers, which can have either a positive or negative impact depending on the satisfaction of the health workers. In a civilized society, the health systems are expected to be of the maximum benefit to the members of the society because they offer good patient care plans facilitated by doctors, pharmacists, and nurses. For example, there are minimal iatrogenic diseases, drug-drug reactions, and drug side effects because they use clinical pharmacist to ensure efficient and effective drug therapies. Most of these societies have well trained doctors who are dedicated to achievement of their targets of disease eradication.
Most chronic diseases such as cancers, HIV/AIDS, diabetes mellitus, and skin infections are managed substantially well in these set ups. Therefore, to achieve this objective of health care proficiency and high living standard, there is an enormous need for a body that regulates laws and policies concerning health care. There is also a need to enact policies on insurance schemes and services to an affordable level to ensure health benefits to all members of the society (Vaughan & Judd 2006). Therefore for the realization of the good health care the state is needed in a civilized society.
Housing is a vital commodity and a potent sign of civilization in a society. To achieve good housing, there is a strong need for housing policies ensuring that all citizens of the state are able to afford houses. The latter should also provide civil servants with good housing allowances. The policies should ensure that the rents paid for houses are manageable by many members of the society. This will ensure good shelter for all. The housing plan should also be considered in relation to managing calamities and natural disasters, such as floods, earthquakes and fire outbreaks to ensure protection of the residents. This is one of the greatest features of the civilized societies, and they majorly achieve it because of the policies made by the states. This strongly supports the fact that the state is needed in civilized societies.
From the foregone discussion, it is much evidenced that the state is essential in a civilized society since the fundamental pillars of civilization are initiated and enforced by the laws and policies governing the state. As it can be seen, the economic achievement of any civilized society strongly depends on the governance of the state. Moreover, the technological development and its accrued benefits are also a subject of the state laws and its involvement in research. The infrastructural level of the civilized society, security, and maintenance of law and order within any civilized society as described above are majorly realized by the good system set forth by the governing body in a state. Finally, education systems, health care and housing are backbones of a civilized society. These are the fundamentals upon which civilization has evolved and hence necessity for the benefits enjoyed in a civilized society and state. This is thus beyond doubtful that a state is needed for the civilized society.
Summary
In summary, an organized system of government in the form of a state is a critical tool in a civilized society. The state’s pivotal role is the realization and maintenance of the elements that lead to the classification of a society as civilized. A civilized society is economically independent, and the product from its agricultural produce can sufficiently support the population and act as a source of income. The level of industrialization is elevated, and industries are endowed with efficient machines that enhance the rate of production. Therefore, a state with suitable policies and laws is central for the realization of such prominence.
The advanced level of technology is an imperative feature of the civilized society. It manifests its essence in the manner in which it eases and enhances lifestyle. Its employment in industries increases the product turn over. Education has also become highly accessible with the invention of various technological devices. In addition, health system management has produced improved patient care. Hospitals are equipped with electronic diagnostic machines such as CT scan and good radiographic equipment’s. This technological development can only ensue when there is upright governance.
Infrastructure is of significant magnitude as far as civilization is concerned. As observed in the above discussion, it is a focal characteristic of any civilized society. Achievements in this sphere chiefly transpire due to the efforts of a decent government. The suitable transportation system with well-constructed and tarmacked roads, well maintained railway lines and safe and reliable air transport is crucial for the civilized society. The telecommunication system should also be advanced and affordable to the members of the civilized society. Moreover, reliable water and electricity supply is a beneficial factor. Their affordability and availability is an epitome of virtuous and worthy system of governance that constitutes the state. Suitable policies and laws that govern security system are also vital in the civilized society. These ensure law, order, and protection of the inhabitants of the civilized society. This is another evidence of the need for the state.
The state ensures both internal and external protection of citizens, as well as full provision and protection of their rights. The education system is directly influenced by the laws and policies of the government; hence, its success depicts a civilized society. It begets the profession required. Wholesome health care is another key feature that government policies influence directly. It results in productive population and hence in economic proficiency. From this it is clear that the state is needed in a civilized society.
