Social Change: Characteristics

and Factors
Meaning:
Change is a process. Change denotes any alternation, difference or
modification that takes place in a situation or in any object through
time. It is the universal law of nature. It refers to the difference that
exists between the past and the present situation. Change is an “on-
going” process, No society remains completely static.

Society is subject to constant changes. The term social change refers to

changes taking place in human society. Basically the changes in
human inter-actions and inter relations, indicate social change.
Society is the net-work of social relationship. Hence, social change
obviously implies a change in the system of social relationship. So any
difference or any modification or transformation in the established
pattern of human interaction and standards of conduct amounts to
change.

Abolition of child marriage, inter-caste marriage, high status to Indian

women is some of the important instances of social change.

Definitions:
The meaning of the term “Social Change” can be better understood if
we will discuss few definitions formulated by the eminent sociologists.
Some of the important definitions are stated below.

Characteristics:
(1) Change is Social:
Social change means a change in the system of social relationship.
Social relationship is understood in terms of social process, social
interactions and social organizations. So in any variation of social
process, social interactions and social organizations social change-
takes place.

In an another instance it is found that society is like an organization,

which never dies. New civilizations and societies come up by replacing
old societies and thereby retaining some of its elements in its change.
Thus social change is different from individual change. Its cause and
consequences are always social which make it social.

(2) Universal:
Social change is universal. Because it is present in all societies and at
all times. No society remains completely static. The society may be
primitive or modern, rural or urban, simple or complex, agrarian or
industrial, it is constantly undergoing change. The rate or the degree
of change may vary from society to society from time to time but every
society keeps on changing. A changeless society is an unreality.

(3) Continuous:
Social change is a continuous process but not an intermittent process.
Because the changes are neither stopped nor the societies are kept in
museum to save them from change. It is an on-going process without
any break. In the process of change every society grows and decays,
where it finds renewal and accommodates itself to various changing
conditions. The sources, direction, rate and forms of change may vary
time to time but it is always continuous.

(4) Inevitable:
Change is inevitable. It is the human nature that desires change and
also it is his tendency to bring change and to oppose or accept change.
Human wants are unlimited which always keep on changing. To satisfy
these wants social change has become a necessity not only to him but
also to the society.

(5) Temporal:
Social change is temporal. Change in anything or any object or in a
situation takes place through time. Time is the most important factor
and social change denotes time-sequence. According to Maclver, “It is
a becoming, not a being; a process, not a product”. Innovation of new
things, modification and renovations of the existing behaviour take
time.

So a social change is temporary or permanent on the basis of time.

Sometimes some social changes may bring about immediate results
while some others may take years to produce results. Similarly, some
social changes spread rapidly and also disappear rapidly. Movements,
style, fashion and cults are the examples of this type. But in the
biological process of ageing short time does not cause change.

(6) Degree or rate of change is not uniform:

Though social change is an ever-present phenomenon, its degree or
rate or what we call the speed is not uniform. It varies from society to
society and even in the same society from time to time. Sometimes the
degree of change is high and sometimes low depending upon the
nature of society like open and close, rural and urban and traditional
and modern etc. For example, in the rural social structure the rate of
change is slower because the rate of change is not governed by any
universal law, whereas it is quick in the urban societies.

(7) Social Change may be planned or unplanned:

Social change takes place sometimes with planning and sometimes
without planning. Social change which occurs in the natural course is
called the unplanned change. The unplanned changes are
spontaneous, accidental or the product of sudden decision. Usually the
change resulting from natural calamities like flood; drought, famines,
volcanic eruption, etc. are the instances of unplanned changes.
Here in this unplanned change there is no control on the degree and
direction of social change. It is the inborn tendency of human beings
that they desire change. So sometimes plans, programmes and
projects are made effective by them to bring change in the society. This
is called planned change. As it is consciously and deliberately made,
there is every possibility to have control on the speed and direction of
change. For example, the five years plan made by the government.

(8) Social change is multi-causal:

A single factor may cause a particular change but it is always
associated with a number of factors. The physical, biological,
demographical, cultural, technological and many other factors interact
to generate change. This is due to mutual interdependence of social
phenomenon.

(9) Social change creates chain-reactions:

Social change produces not a single reaction but chain-reactions as all
the parts of the society are inter-related and interdependent. For
example, the economic independence of women has brought changes
not only in their status but also a series of changes in home, family
relationship and marriages etc.

(10) Prediction is uncertain:

We can see some elements for prediction in social change. But the
prediction we make is uncertain. It is because of three reasons. They
are:

(a) There is no inherent law of social change.

(b) The forces of social change may not remain on the scene for all
times to come.

(c) The process of social change does not remain uniform.

Apart from the above characteristic features it may be said that social
change can be qualitative or quantitative. It is a value free term as it
does imply any sense of good or bad, desirable or undesirable. It is a
concept distinct from evolution, process and development which are
regarded as key concepts in the literature of social change.

Factors of Social Change:

Demographic Factors:
Demography plays an important role in the process of social change.
The term “demography” has been derived from two Greek words,
‘Demos’ and ‘Graphs’ meaning the “people” and to “draw” or “write”
respectively. The dictionary meaning of demography is the scientific
study of human population, primarily with respect to their size,
structure and their development.

In the study of social change demographic factors have been viewed

from two different angles. They are the qualitative and quantitative.
Qualitatively speaking it refers to physical potentialities, mental
abilities etc. that are determined by genetic order, though the
hereditary quality of successive generation play some role in cultural
determination, it cannot be ascribed the place of a deterministic cause
of social change. But the demographic factor in its quantitative aspect
has been playing the most decisive role in causing social change.

The quantitative view of demography takes into account, the size,

composition and density of human population that are determined by
natural reproduction, migration and social mobility. This aspect has
been acknowledged by many past as well as modern thinkers. There
are three important factors that determine the rise, fall or density of
population. They are:

(a) High Fertility (High Birth rate)

(b) Low Morality (Low Death Rate)

(c) Migration.

When there is high birth rate and the death rate is low, we find growth
in population Let us know few points regarding the causes of high
birth rate. They are given in the following table.

(a) From the above table it is found that population increases due to
illiteracy, popularity of child marriage, widow remarriage, polygamy,
craze for a male child, poverty and also because of lack of proper
implementation of family planning programmes. The fall in death rate
has also affected the growth of population.

There are many causes of low mortality or low death rate. They are
modern education and scientific knowledge to hygiene, better
sanitation and therapeutic and preventive medicines, the increase of
productivity which raises the standard of living, control of natural
calamities, control of nutrition of mother, maternity facilities etc.

(b) Excess growth of population accelerates the process of migration.

Migration refers to the process of movement of population from one
place to another for considerable period of time. It plays a significant
role in population growth in the history for the past 100 years or more.
There are four forms of migration. They are:

(i) Immigration: It refers to migration into a country.

(ii) Emigration: It refers to migration of a country.

(iii) In-migration refers to migration into a particular area.

(iv) Out-migration refers to movement out of a particular area. Thus,

migrants who come from Bihar to Orissa are considered to be
immigrants for Orissa and out-migrants for Bihar.

There are many factors contributing to the process of migration. They

are:

(a) Development of transport and communication.

(b) Natural calamities like earthquake, flood famine etc.

(c) Absence of restrictions on social mobility.

(d) Non-availability of land and vocational opportunities etc. So the

changes in population have a far-reaching effect on society. It has both
positive and negative effects.

Positive Effects:
(a) The growth of population has a direct bearing upon the availability
and utilisation of resources.

(b) More population brings about more innovations and discoveries.

(c) It encourages rapid growth in industrialisation and urbanisation.

(d) The high birth rate and an alarming growth in population also
stimulates attitude towards birth, death and family life.

(e) Due to growth of population Acts are passed by the government for
the control of population. For example, in India due to rapid
population growth, the government has introduced family planning
programmes.

Negative Effects:
(a) The growth of population has decreased the standard of living of
the people in the society.
(b) The growth of population has given birth to a variety of problems
like poverty, unemployment, child labor, crime, juvenile delinquency
and beggary.

(c) Increase in population leads to an increase of social differentiation

and division of labor.

(d) It brings destructive social conflict and disorganization in migrants

line.

(e) In the societies where the female population exceeds the male
population, polygamy may flourish and on the other hand, if the
number of males exceeds the females, polyandry is likely to prevail.

From the above discussion we find that demography plays a significant

role in the socio-economic and political transformation of society. It
certainly brings drastic changes not only in the micro- structures but
also in macro-structures.

Biological Factors:
Social change is a complex process. It is caused by multiple factors. All
factors of social change are closely related to each other. But at the
same time each individual factor brings change in society in its own
way. Accordingly biological factor plays an important role in the
causation of social change. An ordinarily biological factor refers to
those which are concerned with the genetic constitution of the human
beings.
A biological factor includes both non-human beings such as animals,
birds, herbs, insects, plants etc. and human beings. Human beings use
animals, birds, plants and herbs according to the direction of his own
culture. At the same time human beings protect themselves from
different harmful elements. If there is increase or decrease of these
animals, birds, plants etc. it will bring a number of changes in human
society.

Rapid decline of useful animals, birds and plants will also create a
number of problems in human society and influences social change.
Similarly rapid increase or decrease of population also brings a
number of changes in society. Different biological process like human
procreation, fertility and mortality also influence the rate of change in
a society. Size, density, Migration, immigration etc. bring a number of
changes in society.

Rapid population growth influences our environment causes poverty,

food shortage and multiple health problems and thereby brings
changes in society. Migration accelerate the process of urbanization.
Urbanization creates multiple problems like slum, quality of health
and life style. Increasing urbanization and declining number of useful
animal and birds affects our environment.

Similarly the nature and quality of human beings in a society

influences the rate of social change. Sociologist like pareto opines that
the biological evolution of mankind brings social changes. Elites in a
society are determined by inherited biological instincts. Besides
composition of population also influences social change.
Both age composition and sex composition are very closely related to
social change. Number of population in the productive age group
deeply influences the rate and speed of social change. If the number of
child and unproductive or ageing population increases, a country faces
a number of economic problems. If the number of ageing population
decreases, the youths may be deprived of wisdom and experience
which resulted in slow change.

Besides the process of natural selection, social selection also affects

the rate and speed of social change. The process of natural selection
works through twin alternatives like adaptation and annihilation. Here
man is required to adapt to natural environment. But in social
selection the forces created within human society and operating
through human relationships creates situations that deeply affect the
reproduction process and survival rates of population.

Cultural Factors:
In sociology the word ‘Culture’ denotes acquired behavior which are
shared by and transmitted among the members of the society. Man
learns his behavior and behavior which is learnt is called culture.
Singing, dancing, eating, playing belong to the category of culture.

It includes all that man has acquired in the mental and intellectual
sphere of his individual and social life. It is the expression of our
nature, in our modes of living and thinking, in our everyday
intercourse, in art, in literature, in recreation and enjoyment. For the
clear understanding of the term ‘Culture’ here, it is necessary to
discuss some of the important definitions of culture.
Definitions:
According to White, “Culture is a symbolic, continuous, cumulative
and progressive process.”

Malinowski defines culture, “as the handiwork of man and as the

medium through which he achieves his end.”

Maclver and Page defines, “Culture is the realm of styles, of values, of

emotional attachments, of intellectual adventures.”

In the words of Green, “Culture is the socially transmitted system of

idealized ways in knowledge, practices and beliefs, along with the
artifacts that knowledge and practice produce and maintain as they
change in time.”

Culture, as is defined by Tylor, refers to, “that complex whole which

includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs and any other
capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”

From the above definitions of culture, the features of culture may be

summarized below. They are:

(1) Culture is social, but not individual.

(2) Culture is idealistic.

(3) Culture is communicative.

(4) Culture is an acquired quality.

(5) Culture meets the recurring demand of mankind.

(6) Culture has the characteristics of adaptation.

(7) Culture has the quality of becoming integrated.

Culture plays a very significant role in social change. No culture even

remains constant. It always keeps on changing. So it is treated as an
important source or instrument of social change. The very nature of
culture makes it dynamic. The terms like continuous, cumulative
adoptive, transmissive etc. signify the elements of dynamism within
the culture. Besides, there are host of other internal and external
variables that interact upon the culture and cause changes within it.

Change in culture takes place by three important factors. They are

discovery, invention and diffusion. A discovery may be a material item
or a non material item. But any discovery brings about social change
only when it is widely used. An invention generates pressure for
change in different parts of social life. Diffusion is the process by
which cultural traits spread from one culture to another or from one
part of culture to another. It is a two-way process. Because in this
process one culture gives something to the other and at the same time
takes something from it.

Several sociologists have highlighted the determining role of culture

effecting social change. Some of the important effects are given below.
They are:

(i) Culture gives speed and direction to social change:

If the culture is too much conservative, then its rate of change
becomes too low and vice versa. People whether accept change or not
depends upon their attitudes and values which are the products of the
culture.

(ii) Culture influences the direction and character of

technological change:
Our belief and social institutions not only correspond to the changes in
technology but these determine the use to which the technological
inventions will be put. It is the culture that decides the purpose to
which a technical invention must be put.

(iii) Culture shapes economy and is effective towards

economic growth:
Culture not only gives direction to technology but it shapes the
economy which is too much effective towards economic growth.

(iv) It keeps the social relationship intact:

It makes people think not of their own but also of the others. By
regulating the behavior of the people and satisfying their primary
drives pertaining to hunger, shelter and sex, it has been able to
maintain group life.

Concept of Cultural Lag:

To examine the role of cultural factors in social change, it is necessary
to discuss the concept of “Cultural Lag”.

W.F. Ogburn, an American sociologist introduced the concept of

‘Cultural Lag’ in his book “social change: which was published in the
year 1920. The word ‘lag’ connotes crippled movement. Hence cultural
lag means the flatering of one aspect of culture behind another.
According to Ogburn there are two aspects of culture. One is the
material and another one is the non-material.

(i) Material Culture:

It includes those elements or things which are tangible, visible and
touchable like goods, tools, machines and furnitures etc.

(ii) Non-material Culture:

It includes those elements which are neither tangible nor touchable
rather these are experienced by men like customs, values, ideologies,
religion and behavior pattern etc.

It is found that technological innovations and discoveries stimulate

the material culture to a great extent. As a result, the changes are
quick 4n material culture. But non-material culture responds very
slowly to such changes in material culture. So the material culture
goes ahead leaving behind the non-material culture. This is called the
“cultural lag”. For example-The development in the field of industry
requires a corresponding change in the system of education. The
failure of education to meet the needs of modern industrial
development leads to cultural lag.

Causes of Cultural Lag:

What is the cause of this cultural lag?
Regarding the answer we find many factors causing cultural lag.

They are:

(1)Difference in the degrees of changeability of various elements of

culture.

(2)Changes in law.

(3)Man’s psychological dogmatism.

Criticisms:
The theory of ‘cultural lag’ of Ogburn is not free from the criticisms.

(a) There is no clear-cut distinction between material and non-

material culture. Again, it is not necessary that non-material culture
should invariably lag behind material culture.

(b) A major defect in Ogburn’s theory is that he uses the “cultural lag”
for expanding all gaps in the process of social change. Maclver has
suggested the use of different terms for the various types of
disequilibrium and conflicts, such as technological lag, technological
restraint and cultural clash etc.

(c) According to the theory of cultural lag, while one thing progresses
forward, another lags. Hence this word should not be used in the
context of those objects which are the encouraging as well as the
restraining and are similar and possess a common standard of
evaluation.
(d) Finally Ogburn has not provided any standard or scale to measure
the units of material and non-material culture. So it is difficult to find
out whether one aspect of culture changes faster than the other or not.

Inspite of the above short comings, the theory of “cultural lag” of

Ogburn has been proved to be beneficial for understanding the
cultural factors in bringing about social change.

Technological Factors:
The technological factors also play important role in causing social
change. Then what is technology? How it brings social change?

In the study of sociology, technology has a wider connotation. It

implies an appropriate organization and systematic application of
scientific knowledge to meet the human requirements. Technology is a
product of utilization. When the scientific knowledge is applied to the
problems of life, it becomes technology. Technology is fast growing.
Modern age is the “Age of Technology”.

According to W.F. Ogburn, “Technology changes society by changing

our environments to which we In turn adopt. This change is usually in
the material environment and the adjustment that we make with these
changes often modifies customs and social institution initiates a
corresponding social change.

Sources of Technological Change:

There are mainly two important sources of technological change. They
are:
(i) Inventions.

(ii) Discovery.

(i) Invention denotes creation of new ways of using existing knowledge

or new ways of combining existing artifacts. A single invention in
technology can produce a large scale change in society. One important
example of invention is the invention of automobile.

(ii) Discovery means the new way of looking at the environment.

Technological innovation originates also from another source called
discovery.

Example-Discovery of modern medicines is the result of discoveries in

biology and partly the result of invention.

Invention and discovery are significant characteristic of our age. Apart

from these two, there are three technological factors which are mainly
responsible for social change.

They are:
(a) Technological Innovations.

(b) Changes in production technology.

(c) Changes in transportation and communication.

(a) Technological Innovations:

The technological innovations have brought about revolutionary
changes in man’s idea about the world and universe. The world is no
more a mysterious creation for man because even in case of the
natural calamities like flood, cyclone, earthquake and drought etc. are
no more being viewed as the divine punishments against man’s bad
deeds. No man has been able to find out their causes. As a result of
which the degree of gaining control over them has increased.

(b) Changes in production technology:

Invention of new agricultural tools and chemical measures has led to
the gradual development of an agrarian system. Industrialization has
caused a number of changes in family, status of women, mode of living
of people, religion and ideologies of people etc. It has also led to the
growth of urban centers with new types of social organization.

(c) Changes in transportation and communication:

Rapid development in transportation and communication has greatly
influenced the socio-cultural life. It has broken down the regional
barriers. Due to transportation world wide trade and commerce has
been possible and communication technology has increased national
awakening.

Apart from the above factors, cultural factors play significant role in
bring about technological change. Customs, traditions, folkways,
mores habits, conservatism etc. have resisted the technological
inventions and contribute to it.

Effects of Technology:
No device, technological or otherwise, whether originating within a
society or borrowed from outside, obviously set up a network of
effects. The status of the individual is no more ascribed rather
achieved. A man is judged in what he has, not what he is.

The social relation is gradually becoming superficial, temporary as

well as selfish by nature. Changes in technology have resulted in some
fundamental changes in social structure. The impact of technological
changes may be discussed under the following broad headings.

Technology and Different Process:

(a) Industrialisation:
Industrialisation refers to the process by which industries have been
set up. It has given birth to the factory system and replaced domestic
system. The invention of machines has led to the creation of big
factories which employ thousands of people and where most of the
work is performed automatically. It has created new social class and
has improved the condition of women. It has affected the nature,
character and the growth of economy.

(b) Urbanization:
Industrialisation has led to urbanization. As a result of
industrialisation people have started moving towards the industrial
areas, the areas neither very far from the cities nor from the villages
with the hope of getting employment in those industries and factories.
Hence only when a large portion of inhabitants in an area comes to
cities, urbanization is said to occur. Towns like Kanpur, Jamshedpur
and Ahmadabad in India owe their birth to the factories established
there.

(c) Modernization:
It is a process by which adoption of the modern ways of life and values
take place. It has brought about remarkable changes in social
relationship and installed new ideologies in the place of traditional
areas. It has changed the social structure, which adds impetus to the
growth of science and technology. As a result of which the rate of
change increases rapidly.

Technology and Social Life:

The changes in technology have changed the whole gamut of social
life. It has performally altered out modes of life and thought. The
different institutions which are already changed may be discussed
below one by one. They are:

(a) Caste:
Due to technological changes the structure as well as the functions of
caste are already changed.

(i) The ascribed status has been replaced by achieved status.

(ii) There is no restriction on food, water as well as social relationship.

(iii) Marriage under caste system is no more endogamous.

(iv) Hereditary occupational structure has been replaced by

occupation based on one’s own choice depending on one’s own
capacity, ability and talent.

(b) Joint Family:

Indian traditional family which was purely of joint pattern has started
changing its size, structure and functions by the impact of technology.

(i) Change in its unity and natural co-operation of its members.

(ii) Change in the control and rub of Karta.

(iii) Fragmentation of land or distribution of common property.

(iv) It has lost its importance and has started disintegrating day by
day.

(c) Marriage:
Marriage is an important institution which has been undergoing
tremendous changes due to the impact of technology.

(i) It has lost its sanctity.

(ii) It is treated more as a civil contract than a sacred bond.

(iii) It is becoming more and more unstable.

(iv) The rate of divorce is increasing rapidly day by day.

(d) Religion:
Religion has undergone the following changes.

(i) The role of superstition has been declined.

(ii) People are becoming more and more secular, rational and
scientific in their outlook.

(iii) Conservative or orthodox religious activities have been replaced

by simple activities.

(iv) The religious toleration among the people has been destroyed.

(e) State:
State have undergone the following changes.

(i) State have become secular in nature.

(ii) There is a shift of functions from local government to the central

government of the whole state.

(iii) Modern inventions have strengthened nationalism.

(iv) It has increased the size and power of bureaucracy.

Technology and Economic Life:

Technology has altered man’s economic life in many ways.

(a) War:
The highly dangerous effect of technology is evident through war. The
most spectacular invention of our age, the atomic energy, has vastly
influenced our life. As an agent of war, it brought about the most
appalling annihilation of people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As an
agent of peace it may bring an unprecedented era of plenty and
prosperity.

(b) Transportation and Communication:

Great technological advancement have contributed significantly to the
field of transportation and communication. The means of transport
has progressed at a surprising rate. The intermixing of people
belonging to various countries led to the removal of much
misunderstanding, hatred and jealously. It has encouraged the sense
of universal brotherhood. The introduction of machinery into
industry, news paper, radio, television, telephone, telegraph etc. have
facilitated the spread of new principles and have become propaganda
machines for political parties.

(c) Agriculture:
Changes in technology have led to the development of new techniques
in agriculture. Agricultural production is increased due to the use of
modern equipments, improved seeds in quantity and quality. Hence it
has greatly affected the rural community. As India is predominantly
an agricultural country, its future depends upon the progress of
agriculture.
 From the above analysis we come to know that with the development
of technology changes in different areas are constantly increasing and
these are becoming more stable.
by Taboola
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