Social Change Modern and Postmodern Societies Lecture 16 Social Change Modern and Postmodern Societies

© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Social Change Four major characteristics: Social change happens all the time Social change is sometimes intentional but often unplanned Social change is controversial Some changes matter more than others © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Causes of Social Change Culture and change Invention: Production of new objects, ideas, and social patterns Discovery: Taking note of existing elements of a culture Diffusion: The spread of products, people and information from one culture to another Conflict and social change Social conflict arising from inequality would force changes in every society Ideas and change Ideas can fuel social movements which bring about social change © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Causes of Social Change Demographics and change Population patterns also play a part in social change Migration within and among societies promotes change Collective Behavior and Change Many people may be involved without most having any direct interaction with others Crowds Have the power to bring about change Mobs and Riots Challenge the status quo and sometimes to force social change Rumor Information that people spread informally © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Causes of Social Change Fashions and Trends People’s ideas about polite behavior, their tastes in clothing, music, and automobiles; As well as their political attitudes Social Movements and Change About connecting people who share some political goal Types of Social Movements Claims Making Explaining Social Movements Stages in Social Movements © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Four Types of Social Movements

Disasters: Unexpected Change Event that is generally unexpected & causes extensive harm to people & property damage Three types: Natural disasters Floods, earthquakes, hurricanes Technological disasters Widely regarded as an accident More accurately the result of our inability to control technology Intentional disaster One or more organized groups intentionally harm others © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Modernity Berger: Modernization Four major characteristics of modernization: Decline of small, traditional towns Expansion of personal choice Increasing social diversity Future orientation and growing awareness of time Modernization The process of social change begun by industrialization © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Durkheim: Division of Labor Society transformed from mechanical to organic solidarity Mechanical solidarity: Shared moral sentiments Organic solidarity: Mutual dependency between people engaged in specialized work Modernization is defined by an increasing division of labor Critical evaluation Societies’norms and values strong enough to avoid anomie People value the personal freedom of modern society despite the risks © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Max Weber and Rational Society Modernity meant replacing a traditional worldview with a rational way of thinking Adopt social patterns that allow goal achievement “Truth” is the result of rational calculation Value efficiency; little reverence for the past Critical evaluation Weber feared that rationalization, especially in bureaucracies, would erode the human spirit With endless rules and regulations © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Karl Marx: Capitalism Industrial revolution was a capitalist revolution Modernity weakened small communities Social conflict in capitalist societies would incite revolutionary change © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Theoretical Analysis of Modernity Social-conflict theory Class society–A capitalist society with pronounced social stratification Draws upon the ideas of Marx Capitalism Persistent Inequality Critical evaluation Mass society ignores social inequality, romanticizes the past Class society overlooks the way equality in modern society has increased © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Modernity and the Individual Personal identity can be a problem since society changes so rapidly Social character–Personality patterns common to members of a particular society Tradition-directedness–Rigid conformity to time-honored ways of living Other-directedness–Openness to latest trends & fashions, expressed by imitating others © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Problems of Powerlessness Persistent social inequality undermines modern society’s promise of freedom Problems of relative disadvantage for racial and ethnic minorities Power of multinational corporations Does technology solve the world’s problems, or cause the world’s problems? © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Postmodernity: Postindustrial societies In important respects, modernity has failed The bright light of “progress” is fading Science no longer holds the answers Cultural debates are intensifying Social institutions are changing Critical review Increases in longevity and living standards What are the alternatives? © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Modernization and the Future Modernization theory In the past the entire world was poor Technological change, esp. the Industrial Revolution, enhanced human productivity & raised living standards in many nations The United States is no longer separate from change in the rest of the world Communitarian movement: Rights come with responsibilities Our society should halt the expanding “culture of rights” by which we put our own interests Ahead of social responsibility © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Modernization and the Future All rights involve responsibilities. For society to work, we must all play a part The well-being of everyone might require limiting our individual rights No one can ignore key responsibilities such as upholding law & responding to cry for help © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sources Macionis, John J. 2012. Society: The Basics (Twelfth Edition). Boston, MA: Pearson