The Concept of «Post-Industrial Society» and Reality (Using the Example of the USA)

Nikolay Vodomerov

doi:10.52957/2221-3260-2026-7-14-45

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THE CONCEPT OF «POST-INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY» AND REALITY (USING THE EXAMPLE OF THE USA) The Concept of «Post-Industrial Society» and Reality (Using the Example of the USA)

АА Аа

Published in Theoretical economics · Issue 7, 2026 · Pages 14–45 · Rubric: ACTUAL PROBLEMS OF THEORETICAL ECONOMY

DOI: https://doi.org/10.52957/2221-3260-2026-7-14-45

Received: 10.06.2026 Accepted: 10.07.2026 Published: 30.09.2026

Authors

Nikolay Vodomerov

ORCID

Nikolay Vodomerov

Academic degree: doctor of economic sciences

Science rang: professor

Russian Federation

ORCID

ABSTRACT

The concept of post-industrial society is one of the concepts of bourgeois ideology, according to which fundamental principles are not based on capitalist property relations, nor on people’s abilities and educational levels. It ignores the conservative nature of modern capitalism, focusing primarily on technological advances, and tends to overlook the general crisis of capitalism and the measures taken to re-divide the world’s imperialist powers. The example of the United States demonstrates that in developed capitalist countries, a transition to a «post-industrial society» is not occurring, but rather a transition from machine production to a stage of mass automation of labor processes within the framework of capitalism. At the same time, the role of workers does not diminish; their labor in production becomes more significant, as the effectiveness of the knowledge being implemented, as well as the quality and volume of goods created, depend on it. The service sector is not a leading sector of the economy, but is entirely dependent on the state and development of mechanical engineering, which provides its technical foundation. The most important resource of the modern economy is not knowledge per se, but knowledge embodied in technology. The imbalance of the structure of the «post-industrial economy» in the United States in favor of services has led to a trade deficit, an increase in public debt and net foreign debt, a decline in real income for a significant portion of the population, and an exacerbation of the contradiction between «globalists» and «Americanists.» «Value created by knowledge» is a form of excess surplus value. «Human capital,» like «intellectual capital,» is not capital in the scientific sense. «Personnel are everything» only when they are provided with the necessary means of labor. The «creative class» in the scientific sense is not a class, but rather consists of representatives of various classes and strata: hired specialists, the petty bourgeoisie, and capitalists. «Post-industrial society» possesses all the characteristics and contradictions of capitalist society at the stage of state-monopoly capitalism. At the same time, in the modern era, new features have been added.

KEYWORDS

concept of «post-industrial society», role of knowledge, role of mechanical engineering, «human capital», «creative class», consequences of the «post-industrial transition»

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GOST

Vodomerov N. K. The Concept of «Post-Industrial Society» and Reality (Using the Example of the USA) // Theoretical economics. 2026. no. 7. pp. 14-45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52957/2221-3260-2026-7-14-45. (Date of access 30.09.2026).

MLA

Nikolay Vodomerov. "The Concept of «Post-Industrial Society» and Reality (Using the Example of the USA)." Theoretical economics.7 (2026): 14-45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52957/2221-3260-2026-7-14-45.

APA

Vodomerov N. K. (2026). The Concept of «Post-Industrial Society» and Reality (Using the Example of the USA). Theoretical economics(7), 14-45. https://doi.org/10.52957/2221-3260-2026-7-14-45

Chicago

Nikolay Vodomerov. "The Concept of «Post-Industrial Society» and Reality (Using the Example of the USA)." Theoretical economics, no. 7 (2026): 14-45. https://doi.org/10.52957/2221-3260-2026-7-14-45.

WIKI

{{cite journal | author = Vodomerov N. K. | title = The Concept of «Post-Industrial Society» and Reality (Using the Example of the USA) | journal = Theoretical economics | year = 2026 | issue = 7 | pages = 14-45 | doi = 10.52957/2221-3260-2026-7-14-45 }}

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THE CONCEPT OF «POST-INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY» AND REALITY (USING THE EXAMPLE OF THE USA) The Concept of «Post-Industrial Society» and Reality (Using the Example of the USA)

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