Social Change

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SOCIAL CHANGE

• Social change refers to alterations in the social structure and social relationships within
a society.
• It encompasses changes in norms, values, cultural products, symbols, institutions,
patterns of interaction, roles, and other aspects of society.

Scope of Social Change

• Social change does not include physical growth or seasonal changes but focuses on
significant alterations in societal structures and behaviours.
• According to the International Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences, social change
involves important modifications in the social structure and patterns of action and
interaction.

NATURE OF SOCIAL CHANGE

• Change implies alterations in the structure and function of a social system.


• It can occur gradually over time, affecting various aspects of society such as work,
leisure activities, and social roles.
• In essence, social change encompasses significant alterations in societal structures,
behaviours, norms, and values, impacting various aspects of human interaction and
societal organization over time.

THREE ASPECTS OF SOCIAL CHANGE

o Social Change as a Process of Alteration


o Relationship Between Social and Cultural Change
o Variability & Dynamics of Social Change

Social Change as a Process of Alteration

• Social change refers to the process of alterations within society, without necessarily
considering the quality of change.
• It encompasses modifications in social structures, institutions, and relationships over
time.
Relationship Between Social and Cultural Change

• Changes in society are closely linked to changes in culture, leading to the concept of
"socio-cultural change".
• Some sociologists differentiate between social change and cultural change, with social
change focusing on alterations in social structures and institutions, while cultural
change encompasses variations in cultural phenomena such as knowledge, beliefs, and
values.

Variability & Dynamics of Social Change

• Social change can vary in its scope and speed, ranging from small-scale to large-scale
changes.
• It may occur cyclically, such as the recurrence of centralization and decentralization
in administrative organizations, or in revolutionary forms, such as government overthrow.
• Changes can include short-term fluctuations like migration rates or long-term
transformations like shifts in economic structures.
• Social change may involve continuous processes like specialization and discontinuous
processes like technological or social inventions.
• It can influence various aspects of society, from individual behaviour to the entire social
system.
• The rate of change varies, with some changes occurring rapidly and others taking longer
periods, influenced by historical context and societal factors.
• Sociologists generally view change as a natural and inevitable aspect of life in every
society, focusing on variations in social structures, institutions, and relationships rather
than individual experiences.

ALLIED CONCEPTS RELATED TO SOCIAL CHANGE

o Evolution
o Progress
o Value - Neutrality of Social Change
Evolution

• Evolution refers to the continuity and direction of change over time.


• It signifies more than mere growth, involving intrinsic changes in both size and
structure.
• While growth implies directional change primarily in size or quality, evolution
encompasses deeper structural transformations within society.

Progress

• Progress entails change in direction toward a desired final goal, implying a value
judgment.
• Unlike evolution, progress involves a subjective assessment of change, considering it as
movement toward a favourable outcome.

Value - Neutrality of Social Change

• Social change is considered a value-neutral concept in sociology, as scholars typically


refrain from evaluating changes as "good or bad" desirable or undesirable.
• Sociologists focus on studying social change as a factual phenomenon, without assigning
moral judgments to the changes observed.
• While analysing changes in societal structures, it may be challenging to maintain complete
value-neutrality, as societal norms and values inevitably influence perceptions of
change.
• Overall, while evolution and progress are associated concepts with social change, they
differ in their implications and subjective assessments.
• Social change, however, remains a value-neutral term in sociology, emphasizing the
study of factual transformations within society without inherent moral judgments.
THEORIES OF SOCIAL CHANGE

o Functionalist Theory
o Conflict Theory
o Symbolic Interactionist Theory
o Modernization Theory
o Dependency Theory
o World Systems Theory

Functionalist Theory

• Functionalist theorists, such as Emile Durkheim, view social change as a natural and
necessary process that helps societies adapt and evolve.
• Change is seen as a response to societal needs and functions, with institutions adapting to
maintain social stability and cohesion.
• Social change is gradual and evolutionary, driven by societal consensus and
equilibrium.

Conflict Theory

• Conflict theorists, like Karl Marx, perceive social change as arising from conflicts
between different social groups and classes.
• Change occurs through struggles for power and resources, with dominant groups seeking
to maintain control while subordinate groups resist and seek change.
• Social change is often revolutionary and disruptive, leading to structural
transformations and shifts in power dynamics.

Symbolic Interactionist Theory

• Symbolic interactionists, such as George Herbert Mead, focus on how individuals


interpret and create meaning through social interactions.
• Social change is viewed as emerging from changes in individuals' perceptions,
interpretations, and behaviours within society.
• Micro-level interactions contribute to macro-level changes, as collective meanings and
understandings evolve over time.

Modernization Theory
• Modernization theorists propose that societies progress through stages of development,
characterized by industrialization, urbanization, and technological advancements.
• Social change is driven by the adoption of modern practices and values, leading to
societal transformation and economic growth.
• Developed nations are seen as models for less developed nations to emulate in their quest
for modernity and progress.

Dependency Theory

• Dependency theorists argue that social change in less developed countries is influenced
by their economic dependence on more powerful, industrialized nations.
• Change is often viewed as perpetuating inequalities and dependency relationships, as
less developed nations struggle to break free from external domination and exploitation.

World Systems Theory

• World systems theorists, like Immanuel Wallerstein, analyse social change within the
context of a global capitalist system.
• Change is seen as shaped by economic processes and power dynamics operating at a
global level, with core nations exploiting peripheral nations for resources and labour.
• Social change is uneven and interconnected, with developments in one part of the world
impacting others through networks of economic and political relationships.
• These theories offer diverse perspectives on the causes, mechanisms, and consequences
of social change, highlighting the complex and multifaceted nature of this phenomenon.
THREE BASIC SOURCES OF SOCIAL CHANGE ARE PROPOSED

Discovery

• Shared human perception of existing reality, leading to new knowledge.

Inventions

• Introduction of new combinations or uses of existing knowledge, whether material (like


technology) or social (like trade unions).

Diffusion

• Spread of cultural traits between groups or societies through contact, involving


selective adoption and modification of borrowed elements.
• Diffusion is a two-way process occurring within and between societies, leading to
cultural exchanges and adaptations while preserving cultural identity.

Proposition of the three basic sources of social change —

o Discovery
o Inventions and
o Diffusion
• These three sources have been widely discussed in sociological literature.
• These concepts have been attributed to various sociologists and scholars over time.
• One prominent figure associated with this idea is William Fielding Ogburn, an
American sociologist who discussed these concepts in his work on social change.
• Ogburn's book "Social Change: With Respect to Culture and Original Nature"
published in 1922, explored the role of technological innovation and cultural diffusion
in driving societal transformations.
• While Ogburn is often credited with popularizing these ideas, they have been elaborated
upon and discussed by numerous scholars in the field of sociology and anthropology.

How Change Originates

o Exogenous and
o Endogenous

Exogenous Origin

• Exogenous change originates from external sources outside the system or entity
undergoing change.
• It is influenced by factors external to the system, such as environmental conditions,
technological advancements, economic shifts, or cultural exchanges.

Examples of exogenous changes include –

o Natural disasters
o Globalization
o Introduction of new technologies or
o Changes in government policies from external influences.

Endogenous Origin

• Endogenous change originates from within the system or entity itself.


• It is driven by internal factors, such as –
o social dynamics
o cultural shifts
o organizational changes or
o individual actions within the system
• Endogenous changes may arise from inherent characteristics, processes, or interactions
within the system, leading to self-generated transformations.
Examples of endogenous changes include –

o Social movements
o Organizational restructuring
o Cultural innovations or
o Changes in group norms and values originating from within the society or
organization itself

Acceptance of and Resistance to Social Change

• This leads us on to another in social change, namely acceptance of and resistance to social
change.
• Innovations (inventions and discovery are together termed as innovations) are rarely
accepted totally.
• The specific attitudes and values of the society in question, the manifest usefulness of
the innovations, the compatibility of the innovations with the existing culture, vested
interests, and the role of change agents are some of the important factors that affect the
degree of acceptance of and resistance to social change.

Some Factors that Affect Direction and Rate of Change

• Social change has two important aspects –


o Direction and
o Rate

Geography, Population and Ecology

• These factors are seen to bring about sudden changes or set a limit on social change.
o Climatic conditions
o Natural resources
o Physical location of a country
o Natural disasters can be important sources of change
• A natural disaster like floods may destroy entire population, force people to migrate
to another place, or make them rebuild their community all over again.
• Similarly, increase and decrease in the size of human population through birth, death
or migration can pose a serious challenge to economic, and political institutions.
• Today, many geographic alterations and natural disasters are induced by the activities
of the inhabitants or a region.
• Soil erosion, water and air pollution may become severe enough to trigger off new
norms and laws regarding how to use resources and dispose waste products.

Technology

• Technology is recognised as one of the most crucial factors in social change.


• Ogburn’s concept of ‘culture lag’ in detail, to understand how technology has been an
important factor in social change.
• The modern factory, means of transportation, medicine, surgery, mass media of
communications, space and computers technology etc. have affected the attitudes, values
and behaviour of people across societies.

Values and Beliefs

• The role of values in social change has been clearly brought out in Max Weber’s book,
“The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism”.
• Weber proposed that some historical situations, doctrines or ideas may independently
affect the direction of social change.
• He tried to show that the rise of modern capitalism was mainly rooted in religious values
as contained in ascetic Protestantism.
• Conflict over incompatible values and beliefs can be an important source of change.

For instance,

• Values regarding racial or caste superiority, may clash with the values of equality of
opportunity and status.
• New laws have emerged to ensure that people do not face discrimination on the basis
of caste or race.
• Conflicts between group within a society, have been and are a major source of
innovation and change.

For instance,

• The establishment of political democracy in Western Europe can be said to be largely


the outcome of class struggles.

The Great Men and Women: The role of individuals in social change
• It has been pointed out that the contribution by men of genius and leaders to social
change is important.
• The “great men” (which includes several women leaders as well) faced a set of
circumstance, and their influence arose in part from their ability to draw out influentially
the hidden aspirations, anxieties and fears of large numbers of people.

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