Individualized mass society

Abstract

The notion of mass society may seem outdated, but it covers ideas and problems that are regaining importance in the sociological analysis of contemporary social processes. By analysing the ways in which this concept has been used, we can identify its stable elements and those that are subject to evolution due to the changing historical context. The latter include both new mechanisms hidden behind the processes of the ‘massification’ of society, as well as different ways of exercising control over the masses, among which – nowadays – the most important role is played by social risk management, marketing and the ideology of self-realization.