Social and Cultural Change

TOPICS TO DISCUSSTOPICS

Introduction and theories(evolutionary theory)

THEORIES(Evolutionary theory , Cyclic theory, Functional theory and conflict theory

Processes of Social change (discovery, invention, diffusion)

Factors of Change

Resistance and acceptance and consequences

INTRODUCTION OF SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE

Definition-:Social change refers to any significant alteration over time in behavior patterns , cultural values and norms. By “significant” alteration, sociologists mean changes yielding profound social consequences. Examples of significant social changes having long‐term effects include• the industrial revolution(1760-1840)• the abolition of slavery 15th century• the feminist movement 19th century

CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIAL CHANGE

There are following characteristics of social change:-1.SOCIAL CHANGE IS SOCIAL:- social change obviously means a change in the system of

social relationships. Only that change can be called social change whose

influence can be felt in a community form. The changes that have significance for all or considerable

segment of population can be considered as social change

2.SOCIAL CHANGE IS UNIVERSAL• Change is the universal law of nature.• The social structure, social organization and

social institutions are all dynamic.• Social change occur in all societies no

society remains static for long time.• Adjustments take place in every society and

conflicts break down adjustments.3.SOCIAL CHANGE OCCURS AS AN ESSENTIAL LAW• Social change is an unavoidable law of

nature.• Our needs keep on changing to satisfy our

desire for change and to satisfy these needs, social change becomes a necessity.

.According to Green, “The enthusiastic response of change has become

almost way of life.

4.SOCIAL CHANGE IS CONTINIOUS• It is an “ongoing process”. • Society is continuously changing since from the past

up till now.

5. SOCIAL CHANGE IS BOUND BY TIME FACTORS:• Social change is temporal. • It happens through time, because society

exists only as a time-sequences. For example:- the caste system which was a pillar of stability in traditional Indian society, is now undergoing considerable changes in the modern India.

6. Rate and Tempo of Social Change is Uneven:

THE RATE SPEED AND TEMPO OF SOCIAL CHANGE VARIES FROM SOCIETY TO SOCITY.

For example In the modern era industrial urban society the speed and extent of change is faster than traditional, agricultural and rural society.

7.DEFINATE PRIDICTION OF SOCIAL CHANGE IS IMPOSSIBLE:-• It is very much difficult to make out any prediction on the exact forms

of social change.FOR EXAMPLE-:

A thousand years ago in Asia, Europe and Latin America the face of society was vastly different from that what exists today. But what the society will be in thousand years from now, no one can tell.

EVOLUTIONARY THEORIESAccording to evolutionary theory, society moves in specific directions. Therefore, early social evolutionists saw society as progressing to higher and higher levels, as a result, they concluded that their own cultural attitudes and behaviors were more advanced than those of earlier societies.

THEORIES OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Several Understandings:

“Auguste Comte” saw human societies as progressing into using scientific methods.

“EMILE DURKHEIM”one of the founders of functionalism , saw society moving from simple to complex social structure.

HEBER SPENCER compared society to a living organism with interrelated parts moving toward a common end .

In short COMTE,DURKHEIM and SPENCER proposed unilinear evolutionary theories

They maintain the societies pass through the same sequence of stage of evolution to reach the same destiny.

Contemporary social evolutionists like Gerhard Lenski however , view social change as multilinear rather than unilinear.

Multilinear evolutionary theory holds that change can occur in several ways and does not inevitably lead in the same direction. Multilinear theorists observe that human societies have evolved along different lines.

Grounded in the ideas of Karl Marx– Claims that the engine for social change is conflict

between unequal social classes More recent conflict theorists suggest that

conflict between various groups, not necessarily class-based, also fuels social change– Such groups include the National Organization for

Women, the Christian Coalition and many others.

CONFLICT THEORY

FUNCTIONALIST THEORY

• Functionalists see society as a homeostatic system--consisting of interrelated parts The normal state of society is one of equilibrium. Because society is an open system, it is usually in a

dynamic state, or a state of near equilibrium.• Society changes as it seeks to integrate conditions

which act upon it The changes, however, are piecemeal and very gradual The purpose of these changes is to bring society to a

place of equilibrium

Based on the observation that civilizations rise and fall

An example of cyclical theory is the work of Pitirim Sorokin– Sorokin identified 2 types of cultures

Ideational cultures—emphasize spiritual values Sensate cultures—emphasize sensual experience

– Suggested that societies move between these two extremes of sensate and ideational culture

– Societies occasionally arrive at an intermediate point, or idealistic point, which represents a harmonious mix of both ideational and sensate cultural features

CYCLICAL THEORY

PROCESS OF SOCIAL CHANGE The process of social change starts

when an innovation spread in a society. Social change accepted easily in some societies and some societies show rigidness in acceptance.

STEPS

DiscoveryInventionDiffusion

DISCOVERYDiscovery is finding something that has never been found before, or finding something new in something that already exists.Social Change

A discovery is a share human perception of an aspect of reality which already exists

A discovery is addition to the world’s store of verified knowledge

A discovery becomes factor in social change only when it is put in use

When new knowledge is used to develop new technology,vast changes generally follow

INVENTIONAn invention is often described as new combination or a new use of existing knowledge

Each invention may be new in form,function,meaning and principle

Invention is not strictly an individual matter,it is a social process involving an endless series of modifications,improvements and combinations.

DIFFUSIONIt is a spread of culture traits from group to group

Diffusion takes place whenever socities come into contact and always a two way contact

Diffusion is a selective process

One of the greatest pains of human nature is the pain of new idea. It makes you think after all, your favorite nation may be wrong, your firmest belief may be ill. It is naturally common men hate new ideas, and disposes more or less to ill. When we have an innovation, then it is time to diffuse it in society. There are a lot of ways to diffuse innovations in a society but most effective and popular are.

1. Communication channels.2. Mass media.3. Interpersonal communication.

FACTORS OF CHANGE

1.PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT2.POPULATION CHANGES3.ISOLATION AND CONTACT4.SOCIAL STRUCTURE5.ATTITUDES AND VALUES6.PERCEIVED NEEDS7.CULTURAL BASE

1. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT Major changes in the physical environment are quite rare but very compelling when they happen.

Human misuse can bring very rapid changes in physical environment which in turn, changes the social and cultural life of people.

Environmental destruction has been at least a contributing factor in the fall of most great civilizations.

2. POPULATION CHANGES A population change is it self a social change, but also becomes a casual factor in further social change.

A stable population may able to resist most change, but rapidly growing population must migrate, improve it’s productivity, or starve.

3.ISOLATION AND CONTACT

Since most new traits come through diffusion, those societies in closest contact with other societies are likely to change most rapidly.

Areas of greatest international contact are center of change. Conversely, isolated areas are centers of stability, conservatism, and resistance to change.

4. SOCIAL STRUCTURE

A tightly structure society, wherein every person’s role, duties, privileges, and obligations are precisely and rigidly defined, is less given to change than a more loosely structured society, that is more open to individual rearrangement.

When a culture is very highly integrated, so that each element is rightly interwoven with all the other in a mutually interdependent system, change is difficult and costly. But when the culture is less highly integrated, change is easier and more frequent.

5.ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Societies obviously differ greatly in their general attitude and value toward change.

Some societies intensely and unconsciously ethnocentric, they assume that their customs and techniques are correct and everlasting.

Rapidly changing societies are aware of social change. Their attitude is both cause and effect of the changes already taking place.

6.PERCEIVED NEEDS

A society’s rate and direction of change are greatly affected by the needs its member perceive.

Conflict theorists see that a majority of our “needs” are perceived as a result of skillful promotion by those who profit from creating and then meeting them.

Both functionalist and conflict theorists agree that some “needs” are created and some are objective necessities.

7.CULTURAL BASE The cultural base mean the accumulation of knowledge and technique available to the inventor. As the cultural base grows, an increasing number of invention and discoveries come possible.

The importance of the cultural base is revealed by:

-Cross-fertilization principle: used in one field of discoveries and inventions from entire different field.

-Exponential principle: The idea that as a cultural base grows, its possible uses tend to grow in geometric ratio.

RESISTANCE AND ACCEPTANCE OF SOCIAL CHANGE

1.SPECIFIC ATTITUDES AND VALUES

If a change has a purely utilitarian value, change may be accepted quite readily.

If some feature of some traditional culture is valued intrinsically, change is less readily accepted.

2. DEMONSTRABILITY OF INVENTION

An innovation is most quickly accepted when its usefulness can be easily demonstrated.

We hesitate to adopt an invention until we have been shown how it works, yet we can determine the practical value only by adopting them. This dilemma slows their acceptance.

3. COMPATABILITY WITH EXISTING CULTURE

The innovation may be incompatible with the existing culture in at 3 ways: The innovation may conflict with existing cultural pattern. The innovations may call for new patterns not present in

the culture. Some innovations are substitutive, not additive, and less

readily accepted.

4. COST OF CHANGE

Most social changes carry threat to some people with vested interests, who then oppose these change.

Social changes which are profitable to status quo, having vested interests, will be promoted by them.

5. ROLE OF CHANGE AGENT

The identity of the change originator greatly affect acceptance or rejection.

Change agents must know the culture in which they work.

Successful change agents often seek to make change appear innocuous by identifying it with familiar cultural elements.

CONSEQUENCES

1. GLOBALIZATION More income inequality in developed countries Concentration of international power Cheaper and more diverse goods and services Higher income for employed in developing countries

2. URBANIZATION Urban sprawl (loss of green

space) Air quality declines Crime increases Transportation needs increases Emergency service needs

increases

3. POPULATION

Less developed countries are increasingly dependent on other countries for resources.

Population decreases in more developed countries

4. EFFECTS HEALTH

Infant mortality rate (IMR) among developing countries declined from 141 infant death per 1000 births in 1960 to 63 in 2000. However, infant mortality rate was and still is very high for some countries.

CHANGESBy some social work we can eradicate the problems in the society:

• Poverty• Gender

discrimination• Social tensions• Corruption• Illiteracy• Urbanization• Divorce• Child abuse• Population• Child labor• Drug abuse

EXAMPLESSome recent trends in global change are that the

world population has become more concentrated in the less developed world.

Western society changing values on trends such as the use of birth control pills and voting rights for non-land holders.

Mass media plays an important role in influencing societal values and norms. It play an important role in controlling population by advertising various effects of high population.