Definition :-
Any major shift in cultural beliefs and conventions through time, as well as in behavior patterns, is referred to as social change. Sociologists define "significant" change as a shift with considerable social repercussions. The industrial revolution, the abolition of slavery, and the feminist movement are a few examples of significant social transformations that had a lasting impact. Sociologists of today readily recognize the critical part social movements play in motivating society's disgruntled citizens to effect social change. Sociologists have proposed the evolutionary, functionalist, and conflict theories of change (covered in more detail in the following sections) in an effort to better explain the nature of long-term social change.
The changes made in our sociology due to social change:-
The modifications in society we see now, according to researchers, are the outcome of processes that have existed for thousands of years. Four significant societal shifts in the history of humans have so far been identified by historians.
i)The transition from pastoral cultures to communities that engaged in hunting and gathering was the first.
ii)Advanced agricultural societies were brought about by the second social shift. It was the outcome of technological advancements like the plow's creation was the second.
iii)Following the development of the steam engine, which launched the Industrial Revolution, came the third significant societal transformation.
iv)Finally, the technical revolution sparked by the development of the microprocessor is the fourth social transformation we are currently witnessing.
Characteristics of Social changes :-
Idrani (1998) and Anele (1999) made observations and
connected particular characteristics to change in society.
Inevitable:-
As was already established, social change is a phenomenon that is linked to the foundation of human civilization, making it unavoidable and inevitable. It is possible for social change to occur without society being fully aware of it.
Omnipresent:-
Social change is a universal phenomenon that affects all societies and is not confined to any one society, region, or group of people. No society is stagnant and unchanging; instead, micro and macro events change how societies operate. As a result, it needs to be considered a global phenomenon.
Multiphase:-
Change occurs on both a micro and macro level, as was previously discussed. Some definitions of social change examine the idea to comprehend how social structures develop and new social institutions are introduced. Social change, however, occurs at all scales and is not just related to evolutionary change.
Communicable:-
Social change is contagious in the sense that change in one society can cause change in another, especially in the modern day given how entwined and intertwined one society is with another.
Significant:-
This is possibly the most significant aspect of societal transformation. Based on magnitude, succinctness, and recurrence, social change can be assessed and discovered.
What are the causes of the social changes ?
From technology to the environment, sociologists have identified four key factors that contribute to societal transformation. Let's take a closer look at them.
Affecting Social Change: Technology:-
According to Thomas Friedman (2005), globalization—which is fueled by technical advancement—is the primary engine behind social change. In the book The World Is Flat, he developed his theory. Friedman argued that there were three main stages of globalization.
Globalization was initially fueled by the increase in military power, which includes horsepower and wind power. The nations who profited the most from this expanded the most and dominated world affairs from the 15th century to about 1800.
The second period of globalization, which spanned the Industrial Revolution and the 2000s, was mostly driven by the economy, with steam power and rail power serving as the primary agents of social change.
Globalization has most recently been fueled by technology advancement, particularly by alterations to the Internet and its use. Social institutions, population, and the environment are the other three drivers of social change, and technological advancements have an impact on other aspects of life.
Technology-driven social transformation has impacted our lives in both positive and harmful ways. While some people only notice the negative effects of technology advancement, others emphasize its positive aspects. As three primary downsides of digitization, academics are most concerned about the digital divide, the loss of privacy, and cyberbullying.
Affecting social change: Social Institutions :-
Other social institutions are impacted by changes to one social institution. It is quite likely that modifications made to one social institution will have an impact on the others. like Large families and manual labor on farms were no longer necessary during the Industrial Revolution. At the same time, individuals relocated to urban areas with constrained living quarters. The average family size decreased significantly compared to before industrialization as a result of these developments.
Children had to be educated differently as well, both in terms of the subjects they studied and how much time they spent in class, when work shifted from farms to factories. Instead of studying about crops and the seasonal tasks associated with farming, they needed to acquire practical understanding about how machinery worked. Schools had to structure the curriculum so that students could work in factories in addition to attending school.
Industrialization as a result led to modifications in the educational system.
The population causing Social change:-
Worldwide and within individual nations, populations are constantly changing, often as a result of outside factors like epidemics or natural disasters. As previously indicated, changes in social institutions may also cause such changes. The rest of society may be significantly impacted when population trends alter.
In America, the population is getting older as birthrates are falling. This indicates that while some social institutions adjust to demographic shifts, there will be an increase in the demand for senior housing and care facilities. The stability of the nation may also be impacted by the impact of lost tax revenue and the demand for retirement plans.
Globally, the most fertile nations are frequently the least prepared to deal with a growing population, which emphasizes the significance of family planning, including access to resources and knowledge. Overall, population expansion puts increasing strain on natural resources, especially in the world's poorer regions where the population has recently reached 8 billion.
Environment causing Social changes:-
Natural disasters are currently affecting a growing number of people, and as our relationship with nature increases, that number will only climb. As was already noted, increasing population means that more people are using the planet's resources, which is likely to cause more ecological problems.
We cannot continue as we are, according to numerous activists and movements. For instance, 350.org contends that a sixth major extinction is imminent. According to 350.org, if we don't lower the atmospheric CO2 level below 350 parts per million and if we don't change our behaviors, humanity may become the next extinct animal species.
Theories of Social Changes:-
Conflict, functionalist, and evolutionary theories are the three basic social change theories.
Conflict Theory:-
The theory of social development based on conflict was developed by Karl Marx and his adherents. He maintained that social development is a continuous process in which the existing system of power (thesis) is opposed by that system's supporters (antithesis), leading to the creation of a new system of power (synthesis). This new system works for a while before the procedure is repeated.
Marx, a social and economic theorist, further emphasized that every ruling party creates its own opposition and so contributes to its own demise in what he dubbed the dialectical process of history.
Functionalist Theory:-
According to the functionalist view of social transformation, society is similar to the human body. The components are like organs. A component cannot subsist on its own. Emile Durkheim, a pioneer in the social sciences, held that harmony was necessary among all the elements of a community. Society is "no more than a pile of sand" that is prone to collapse if they are not united. All the other parts must adjust when one section suffers. Why? According to the functionalist idea, society constantly strives for stabilization. Even while troubles are just momentary, they do require the other elements to pay attention. This implies a social shift.
Evolutionary Theory:-
Charles Darwin's idea of biological evolution served as the foundation for these theories. According to him, species constantly progress from low to high degrees of development.
Darwin's theory was applied to societies by certain social scientists in the 20th century, who contended that societies were always progressing. This hypothesis has two subcategories.
One-dimensional Social Change Theory, According to the unilinear theory, all civilizations progress in the same way from simple organizations to complex systems.
Savagery, barbarism, and civilization were the three steps of this route that Lewis Morgan (1877) recognized. Morgan, who was English, used England as an example because he thought that country had the highest level of civilization. The goal was for all societies to travel this route and reach the same level as England.
Both the functionalist Émile Durkheim and August Comte, two of sociology's founding fathers, held this steady and inevitable growth of human society to be true.
Theory of Multilinear Social Change
On the other hand, multilinear theory contends that societies reach their pinnacle stage via diverse paths as opposed to the same one. They concur with unilinear thinkers, however, that the aim is a developed, industrial society.
Cultural advancement is a tenet of both unilinear and multilinear theories of social evolution. Tribalism and non-Western civilizations in general are seen by them as being primitive and as aspiring to the Western way of life and civilization.
A few decades ago, as it became clearer that Western culture was in a crisis and did not possess the upper hand over civilization, this theory—which had been widely accepted for centuries—was abandoned. This is a result of the persistent and pervasive problems with poverty, racism, terrorism, war, sexual assault, disease, and crime.
As a result, questions were raised about the claim that Western civilization is at its pinnacle. It is harder to believe in the thesis of cultural development today than it was in the era of the Industrial Revolution.
FAQ
Question:-
What are some examples of positive social change?
Answer:-Positive social change can be accomplished in large and small ways. Social change can be as simple as a smile, holding a door, planting a garden, or supporting a socially conscious company. Regardless of the size of the gesture, big social change impacts are possible.
Question:-
What are 6 example of social change?
Answer:-Some of the more important of these changes include commercialization, increasing division of labor, growth of production, formation of nation-states, bureaucratization, growth of technology and science, secularization, urbanization, spread of literacy, increasing geographic and social mobility.
Question)
What is social change in India?
Answer:-THE PROCESS OF SOCIAL CHANGE IN INDIAN SOCIETY
' It means that a lower caste person's position may rise, but his caste structure will remain the same. Furthermore, the sanskritisation process acts as a 'reference group. ' A lower caste man, for example, can refer to a higher caste group's habits and norms.
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