The 20th century entered history as a period in which massification became a defining force across the world. From education to health, from transportation to infrastructure, from culture to the arts, the capacity of public services was systematically expanded during this century; services that had previously been accessible only to limited segments of society became available to large social groups. This process was not merely a quantitative increase in capacity but also a profound restructuring that transformed the center-periphery relations within social structure. Broad populations that had long remained on the periphery gained increasing mobility toward the center, social mobility surged, and the middle classes strengthened.
In many developed countries β especially those of Western Europe and the U.S. β this transformation took place during the first half of the 20th century. Extending the duration of compulsory education, expanding access to higher education, establishing national health systems, and developing mass transportation networks were among the key components of this period. The welfare state approach redefined access to public services not as a privilege but as a citizenship right; thus, massification became a primary driver of social justice and economic growth.
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