3.

CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIO-
CULTURAL CHANGE
Changes in societies and patterns of
interaction are constantly taking
place. These changes in society are
often related to change in culture
such as the alteration in technology
or the introduction of new values, so
the sociologist usually studies social
and culture change together.
THERE ARE CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIO-
CULTURAL CHANGE

1. Social change is a natural and inevitable part of

every society. It happens everywhere although
the rate of change varies from place to place.
Even among the tasadays a cave-dwelling (food-
gathering) group when discovered in 1971 and
stone-tool users showed some changes in later
years.
. Some societies change faster than other. People
in food gathering and hunting societies or those
living in rural areas change slower than those in
urban areas or technologically advanced societies .
2.Social change is sometimes intentional but
often unplanned. Numerous changes are
promoted in industrial societies where the
technological turnover is quite fast. However,
there are times when resultant changes are
unplanned.
When the automobile was invented, it was for
the purpose of facilitating travel time and
transversing distances at a shorter period of
time. No one intended it for changing the
dating patterns of the youth, or scattering
family members in diff. parts of the country or
threatening the environment.
3.Social change sometimes generate
controversy. Social change is complex
and can bring both positive and
negative results. More rapid
transportation and efficient comm.
bring service to many.
On the other hand, they may lead to
the decline in some worthy
traditional values like unity and
closeness in the family.
4. Some changes have passing consequences, whereas
others generate significant changes and impact on
the people. Crazes, fads, and fashion are relatively
short-lived variations which become exciting and
important to some people who follow them.
On the other hand, some inventions like the
automobile, penicillin, heart by-pass, chemotherapy,
television, cellular phones, the computer, and other
have far reaching effect and impact on the people.
They have both beneficial and bad effect. Take the
computer this has provided its users with ready acces
to information both current and historical, and has
helped person making research.
4. SOURCES OF SOCIAL CHANGE
Social and cultural change is usually the product
of a complex interaction among many factors.
The result of the interplay of various social and
non social factors like the geographical
environment, the people motor skill and other
abilities, technology, the values and beliefs of
the people, social organization, and social
norms bring about changes in people values and
behavior pattern and in the culture and
structure of their society
 SOME SOURCES OF SOCIAL CHANGES
1. The influence of the Natural
Environment- People make
adaptation to their environment and
adopt certain mechanisms in their
social organization and technology.
. Typhoons and floods, drought,
earthquake, lahar flows, epidemics,
the red tide and other forces of
nature are among the forces that
make people alter their lifestyles.
2.Population Change- An abrupt or rapid
change in the size, composition and
distribution of population of population
affect the culture and social structure.
Take the change in structure when the
population becomes young the thrust of
the government will be on the care of
young people
This will mean also a small proportion of
adults working hands and more
dependent less producers and more
consumers.
3.Conflict and change- Tension and conflict
within a society is also a source of change.
As was mentioned earlier in the chapter
Marx proclaimed that class struggle
between the capitalists and workers is the
engine that changes societies from one
historical era to another and would lead to
a socialist system of production.
4. Ideas and Change- Max Weber has
contributed to our understanding of the
role of ideas in social change. He traced the
roots of social change to the world of ideas.
 Is a kind of
5.Collective Behavior-

behavior where the usual

conventions and norms cease
to guide social action.