Future Shock — A Rhetorical Analysis
The Premise
Future Shock by Alvin Toffler discusses change and what happens to people; how they do and don’t adapt. Even though the book was first published in 1970, it is certainly appropriate for the changes in the age of technology. The book was written about the future, and that future is now. Massive changes result in stress and disorientation, especially when these changes take place in a short period. Man must cope with these changes, and Toffler’s point is that there isn’t much known about the mechanisms for dealing and adaptability. Toffler attempts to study these mechanisms in the book.
Toffler’s point is that the tactics of the past will not be successful in the future. If future shock is to be avoided, society must control its accelerating thrust and must make plans for the future and the changes it will bring. There should be studies of the different scenarios that might exist in the future and the effects these scenarios will have on values and lifestyles. Other models and simulations allow people to study future scenarios and to try out different lifestyles. Without some preparation and control, society will not deal with the future and will suffer from future shock. Future shock doesn’t need to take place if the proper measures are taken.
Much of Future Shock consists of results of various research studies with a paragraph or two devoted to each. Many of these studies deal with man’s ability to change and reaction to change. The multiple changes experienced in life produce stress, which leads to a strain on the body’s defense mechanisms and results in illness. There is a certain amount of change that men can handle, called the adaptive range. If the amount of change is below this level, boredom and people seek more excitement in life. If the level of change is above the adaptive range, man’s coping mechanism breaks down, resulting in destruction and irrationality. This thesis is what Toffler says future shock will consist of if society does not develop methods to deal with the changes.
Toffler does an excellent job of explaining how and why people select the lifestyles that they choose. Adherence to a particular lifestyle makes the individual a member of a subculture and cuts down on the number of choices and decisions the individual has to make.- It avoids the problems of over-selection and over-stimulation. Major life decisions occur when the individual changes his lifestyle. This involves having to confront all choices involved in selecting a new lifestyle with a new set of values to adopt.
A large portion of the book is devoted to studying relationships, with the five major kinds of relationships being defined and discussed. The result of change is a shortening of the different relationships with a shift from permanence to impermanence. In addition, relations are characterized by transience causes a shift in values and places a more considerable strain on men to adopt.
Though Future Shock was first published in 1970, it provides engaging reading and is very relevant to today’s world of rapid technological changes. Readers will find the time spent reading the book to be worthwhile.
Change
The most prevalent theme of the book is the role of change in society and the fact that change will occur at a much faster rate in the future. Technology will result in such a rapid pace of change that people will be overwhelmed and unable to cope. Toffler defines an acceptable level of change, which is defined as a versatile range. If the level of change is below this level, the result is boredom and the individual looking for more excitement and challenge. Man needs a certain level of adaptation to perform efficiently. This is what is defined as an acceptable range.
Future shock occurs when the level of change is above the adaptive range. The result is stress and the inability to function rationally due to distortions in thinking and decision-making. The development then is physical and mental illnesses as people require some escape from the rat race. People turn to cults, mysticism, nostalgia, and other forms of escapism since they can’t cope with the rapid changes. They become dropouts from society in various ways because of their inability to adapt to and deal with the rapid changes.
These changes will not only be technological, although technology is a big part of it. Change results in a shorter duration of relationships and result in changes in values and lifestyles. If the accelerative thrust of change is not managed, the result will be over choice and over-stimulation, taxing people’s coping mechanisms. There will be so many decisions and choices that the result will be a future shock.
Adaptability
Another underlying theme of the book is man’s adaptability and capacity to cope with change. Man has a limited ability to do this. Rapid rates of change, as given by the accelerative thrust, push humans beyond the limit of the adaptive range. They have problems coping and adapting, manifesting by physical and psychological challenges resulting in distorted and irrational thinking and decision making. Toffler uses the example of soldiers who penetrate behind enemy lines and serve in combat situations. They withdraw and engage in behavior that is not in their own best interests. Many people avoided the over-stimulation of the rat race by withdrawing to live in caves on the island of Crete or becoming social outcasts.
The need for the ability to adjust is not just a requirement of the future. Change has resulted in a shorter duration in various relationships. People change jobs and residences more regularly than they did in the past. They must be able to adjust to new circumstances and shorter-term relationships. Organizations are also undergoing these changes, emphasizing task forces and short-term groups and a movement away from permanence. The focus and loyalties of the workers change as a result of this. The commitment is now to the profession and not to the organization.
The rates of change must be kept within the acceptable range for humans to perform efficiently. However, because of man’s physical limitations to cope, there is only so much that the individual can do before he becomes overwhelmed by the accelerative thrust.
Preparation for the Future
Avoidance of future shock and preparation for the future are underlying themes of the book. The tactics and mechanisms of the past will not work in the future. A new education system with a new focus is required to prepare people for the future. It must prepare them to anticipate the future and different scenarios and to devise alternative lifestyles and values to go with the end. The current educational system is based on industrialism, not super industrialism. Its emphasis is on the past and the present and not the future. It does not produce forward-thinking people who can envision what might be and how to live with it.
Society must also develop ways to control the accelerative thrust to prevent future shock, and Toffler discusses various ways of doing this. The human can learn his reactions and limitations, but there is only so much that he can do to control his reactions. There are steps that society can take to prevent the accelerative thrust. Technological advances can’t be stopped, but they can be studied and regulated. The effects of values and the environment can also be evaluated. They may require the technology to be limited to a test area to study the effects. If they are undesirable, legal steps can be taken to prevent the technology from spreading through society.
Organizations that study the different scenarios in the future use computer models, games, and simulations that allow people to try different lifestyles and adapt mechanisms. Toffler’s point is that if steps aren’t taken to prepare for the future, the result will be the kind of future shock he discusses. Thus, prevention will require a change in orientation and thinking.
Perspective
The book is written from the third-person point of view. The views are those of the author, Alvin Toffler, who does an excellent job supporting his points of view. A great deal of research supports his views. There is a myriad of research studies presented in the book. There are only one or two paragraphs dedicated to each in many cases, but it is enough to give the gist of the research and support Toffler’s point. Toffler’s book is well researched with a broad reference base.
The author has worked in various occupations, including Visiting Professor at Cornell University, a Visiting Scholar at the Russell Sage Foundation, and a Washington correspondent. He has also held multiple jobs in heavy industry and brings his many experiences to his writing. His writing has won numerous awards in the United States and other countries.
Toffler’s book is intended for anyone with a concern for the future. He builds a good case of the lack of preparation in society and describes what future shock will mean for the community. It can be prevented, but prevention depends on the ability to control the accelerative thrust and this, Toffler feels, is within man’s grasp. Even though Toffler cites plenty of research studies to support his point of view, the views presented are still his. It is his view of what will happen in the future and what steps should be taken to prepare for the future.
Tone
The tone of the book is objective and factual. There is a great deal of research presented that Toffler uses to support his opinions. Many of these studies are briefly mentioned and cited, with only a few described in more detail, but they are all offered to help whatever point it is that Toffler is making. Toffler’s opinions are the views regarding the seriousness of the situation and what steps need to be taken for the future.
Toffler presents his views in an academic style fashion with plenty of research to support his positions. He does not overtly try to scare the reader into being concerned about the future, but his writing style makes the reader stop and think. Toffler clarifies that humans will not be able to deal with the rapidity of changes unless society takes some steps to help individuals cope. Man has a limited capacity to deal with change, and the rapidity of the changes in the future will push humans beyond the limits of the adaptive range.
Even though the book was first published in 1970, it does generate some concern in the reader. Future Shock explains many counter cultures that existed during the period and what people were reacting to. He makes many points that are well taken and well supported. The tone of the book and the style of writing result in the reader taking a serious approach to the subject matter. A less severe and less intense manner might not have the same effect on the reader.
Structure
The book’s structure is to divide the content into six parts with a total of twenty chapters. The book is well structured and well written. Each piece has a topic that is covered in the chapter that is in that part. In addition, there are chapter titles and subheadings within each chapter.
The book contains an introduction explaining Toffler’s reasons for writing the book and the concepts he hopes to impart to the reader. There is also a detailed Table of Contents showing all of the chapter subheadings. In addition, there is a self-explanatory section of Notes and Bibliography showing all of the citations and references used in the book. This makes it easy for the interested reader to look up information. The Notes section contains more information on the various cited studies than is given in the test body. A detailed index also makes it easy for the reader to look up different information.
The structure works well for this kind of book. The divisions give the overall topic of discussion with the chapters, further dividing the case into different areas. The book is well researched and written in a matter-of-fact style. It is easy to read and written to make the reader think about the subject matter. This is the best structure for presenting this kind of material. In addition, it is a structure that is easy for the reader to work with. The reader who wants more information about a particular study or citation has the information available at their fingertips. Any other structure would result in a book that would be more difficult to work with.
