The process of losing civilization, culture, or social order; the reverse of civilization.
From de- (reverse/remove) + civilization + -tion. This term was used primarily in 19th and early 20th century discourse about societal decline or loss of cultural progress.
19th-century thinkers were obsessed with 'decivilization'—they feared losing progress, but this concept often reflected racist ideas about which societies were 'civilized' and which weren't!
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