From a society of upward mobility to one of downward mobility

Those who tend to say that things were better before are often perceived as reactionaries. But is this really the case? Were societies better off before? Oliver Nachtwey, a German sociologist and economist, argues that our era is one of regressive modernity. What does he mean by this?

His analysis, which focuses on Germany but can be applied to many Western European countries, shows that in the post-war decades, governments did a lot of work to improve the social safety net. During reconstruction, for example, workers had a great deal of power, and were able to call strikes with real effects if conditions did not change. What's more, if someone lost their job, they were guaranteed financial support for a few years. Admittedly, this didn't apply to women or immigrant workers, but it was a start.

Then came a movement of change towards the end of the 60s, the oil crisis of 1973 and the impression for some that the bureaucracy was too cumbersome. The idea of neo-liberalism was seen as a way to liberate oneself, especially on the right, but also on the left. Except that, ironically, this pact led to a loss of social gains, greater precariousness and a loss of political choices. Hence its appellation of "regressive modernity". Not that he thinks it's a bad thing that more women are entering the workforce, or that there are more graduates. But with politicians less in tune with the idea of the social economy, everyone has ended up with less attractive jobs and less social security.

So today, everyone is afraid of losing their job, knowing that there will be no safety net. What's more, the political parties have all tended towards a certain attitude of liberalization of morals (marriage for all, equality between men and women, etc.), while continuing to encourage a capitalism that leaves few choices. This, to the sociologist's dismay, leads to the extreme right-wing nationalist movement, which is seen as a different point of view, even though it is even more regressive in its approaches.

Running time: 22:12

Photo: Cristina Conti / DepositPhotos