Social Change

What is Social
Change?

Social Change

All societies are involved in a process of social change,

however this change may be so subtle and slow that
society is hardly aware of it
The opposite of social change is social continuity which
means that there are structures within society which are
built to resist change. Example - the Catholic Church

Examples of Social
Change

Question : How has public opinion

shifted regarding social issues such as:
-Smoking
-Domestic Violence
-Divorce

Definition of Social Change

Social change is a general term which refers:
a) To change in the nature, the social
institutions, the social behaviour or the
social relations of a society, community of
people, or other social structures.

Causes of Social
Change

The causes of social change below affect or

characterize every aspect of society across the world.
On a macro scale: They shape all of our major social
institutions such as economics, politics, religion,
family, education, science/technology, military, legal
system, and so on.
On a micro scale: They shape values, attitudes,
beliefs and behaviors of human being to all over the
world.
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What are some of the sources of change in

our society?
Single

dramatic event
Cultural and technological
innovations
Shifting population size
Environmental pressures
Diffusion from other cultures
Media
Others?

Major source of change:

Technological advancement
Technological

change may be
one of most accelerated
Computers have become
indispensable
Convenience and access to
information
Negatives?
Loss of privacy
Blurring of traditional lines
between work and home

Major source of change:

Social Movements

Social movement Continuous, large-scale,

organized collective action motivated by the desire
to enact, stop, or reverse change in some area of
society
Types of movements

Alternative Movement
Redemptive Movement
Reformative Movement
Transformative Movement

Power of the Individual(s)?

Sociologist Max Weber claimed that one of the most

important components of social change was a LEADER with
CHARISMA (large vision, magnetic style, strong popular
support and extraordinary character). This leader places
great demands on his or her followers, promises rewards for
their support . Examples?

Alienation of the People

Sociologist Emile Durkheim coined the

word anomie to describe the conditions
of the industrial workers who had no roots or norms as
they struggled in their lives

Sociologist Karl Marx took this term and applied it to

working people or proletariat. He claimed the workers
were exploited and controlled (employment, housing) and
could never reach full potential

This notion has been expanded it mean anyone who does

not share the major values of society and feels like an
outsider

Conformity of the
People

Conformity is the act of maintaining

a certain degree of similarity
(in clothing, manners, behaviors,
etc.) to those in your general social
circles, to those in authority, or to
the general status . Usually, conformity implies a tendency to
submit to others in thought and behavior other than simply
clothing choice
Informational Influence: human desire to accept information
that another, admired person tells us is valid (ie. Parent, teacher,
coach)
Normative Influence: pressure to conform to the positive
expectations of others (ie. Follow in footsteps of parents career)
Effects?

Causes of Social
Change

1.Technological and Economic Changesa) Agricultural advancements:

Examples include irrigation, plow system, cotton
industry that develop the surplus food which lead
to population growth and urbanization. People
were able to work outside of the farm.
b) Industrialization :
The process of changing from a manual labor force
to a technology driven labor force in which
machines play a large role.
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Causes of Social
Change
Lead to changes in (by Industrialization ):
a. Work place, people work outside of the
home/community which lead to changes in gender
activities (value of child care, value of labor).
b. Work became centered and organized around
machines. Alienation from a particular group.
c. Weapons production guns, nuclear weapons.
d. Informative Society, Information are available around
us that also leads to the social change.
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Social
Change

2. Modernization:

The process of moving from an agrarian to industrial

society.
Characteristics of modern societies

Larger role of government in society and

bureaucracy to run governments,
Large, formal organizations and division of labor
based on specialization of skills and abilities into
occupations.
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Social Change
Forming of social institutions to
regulate behavior.
Laws and sanctions to regulate
behavior.
Control over and management of
environmental resources: oil, water,
land, animals, etc.
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Social
Change
3. Urbanization:
When large populations live in urban areas rather than
rural areas known as urbanization. Usually results
from economic opportunities: either people move to a
city for jobs, or rural areas become the sites of large
businesses which lead to population growth.

4. Bureaucratization:
By which most formal organizations in a society
(businesses, government, non-profits) run their
organizations via the use of extreme rational and
impersonal thinking, an extreme division of labor, and
record keeping.
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Social
Change

5. Conflict and Competition :

These also play an important role to social change.

For examples: War due to religion, ethnic tensions,
competition for resources, gender and womens
movement like for equal payment and property.
Race and Civil Rights Movement, collective political
power, homosexuality becoming more available, but
still denied civil and human rights. But Positive
Outcomes are like solidarity, safety notions,
positively social development, welfare activities are
enhancing .
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Social
6. Political and Change
Legal Power:
a) Elected officials:
Redistribution of wealth to the all the peoples by the
elected persons and control over income and
property taxes. They can charge over negative
action, ability to sue insurance companies, increase
minimum wage in labor (leads to change in
unemployment, part-time employment, health
insurance.
b) Unelected officials:
Such as the civil society ,they can control over
corporate power (jobs, goods and services and cost
of culture, donations to political campaigns.
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Social
Change

7. Ideology :

a) Religious beliefs. Rise of capitalism in the world

,due to religious beliefs Protestantism emerged and
many other work ethics developed in the work place.
Religious beliefs sometimes lead to revolution and
civil wars which lead to new countries. Like in Iran,
Islamic revolution occurred in 1979 and developed a
Islamic republic.

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Social
Change

8. Diffusion:
Populations in the world are adopting new goods and
services from anywhere he or she stays. Much of the
materialist products are being applied to following the
marketing policy .(celebrities campaigns in drinking milk,
cold drinks), public health (birth control in less
developed countries) etc.
9. Acculturation
Examples: Asian Americans, American Indians are
being eliminated through the dominancy of white
American people. People can prevent social change by
preventing acculturation,
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Natural Forces of
Social Change
GEOGRAPHY

This is when the natural

lay of the land has affected
the way societies have developed
Natural disasters can also drastically change a society
(floods, earthquakes, )

ENVIRONMENT

Pollution, garbage, ozone, car emissions, smog, recycling

national, provincial and local programs that address
environmental problems
Effects?

External Events as Forces

of Social Change
External events are events that have occurred on
a large scale affecting an entire nation or several
nations
These events have a large and immediate impact
on social change

Examples

September 11/2001 a change of thought regarding

national threat and security

Values and Social Change:

Pluralism

Singularity- belief that everyone in society should act

and think the same way
Pluralism- widespread acceptance of differences in
culture, religion, values and lifestyle
Inclusiveness- all law abiding people, regardless of their
particular background, should be able to play a
constructive role in the life of the nation
Examples: struggle for inclusiveness with women
obtaining equal roles and status to traditionally male
roles