Analysis
of Alvin Toffler's Powershift Argument
T. J. Warringer
Colin D. McMillen
What
is a Powershift??
Toffler defines "Powershift" as a change
in the structure of power in the world. This may be a little difficult
to comprehend, but by looking back at some past "Powershifts" that Toffler
makes reference to, it may become clearer. Consider the era of Feudalism.
A person could be considered powerful if one possessed a large number of
servants. Primary concerns of the era of feudalism dealt with food
and protection. Food and servants were the primary medium of trade.
Then, a Powershift occurred. It was called the Industrial Revolution.
The age of feudalism with servants and feudal lords was transformed into
an industrial age where factories loomed on the horizons and industrial
entrepreneurs reigned supreme. The medium of trade was switched from
servants and food to money and goods. According to Toffler, this
capital society progressed until just recently, when a noticeable switch
in the medium of trade is taking place. A greater premium is now
being placed on information. Bits of data and information are becoming
the "wealth" of society, and Toffler proposes that this transition from
the Industrial Age to the Information Age is a Powershift Era.
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