Modern And Postmodern Societies Social Change Modern And Postmodern Societies Society, Seventh Edition

Society, Seventh Edition Social Change – the transformation of culture and social institutions over time Four major characteristics Social change is inevitable, only the rate of change varies Social change is sometimes intentional, but often is unplanned Social change is controversial Some social change matters more than others Society, Seventh Edition

Why Cultural Change Takes Place 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 Society, Seventh Edition

Society, Seventh Edition Other Reasons Why Conflict and social change Tensions and stressors between individuals and groups can bring about change Different groups gain and lose power and privilege as they struggle for their own positions Ideas and change Ideas can fuel social movements which bring about social change The idea of equal rights for everyone Demographics and change Increases and decreases in numbers can lead to social change as society may need to expand and/or contract Need for jobs, housing, education, etc Society, Seventh Edition

Society, Seventh Edition National Map 16-1 (p. 440) Who Stays Put? Residential Stability across the United States Society, Seventh Edition

Types of Social Movements Social Movements – an organized activity that encourages or discourages social change Alternative Least threatening, limited change for a limited number of members Example: planned parenthood Redemptive Selective focus, radical change Example: some religious organizations Reformative Limited social change that targets all members of society Example: equal rights amendment movement Revolutionary The most severe, striving for basic transformation of society Example: ultra-conservative political movements Society, Seventh Edition

Figure 16-1 (p. 441) Four Types of Social Movements Society, Seventh Edition

Theories of Social Movements Deprivation Theory Social movements arise among people who feel deprived Result of experiencing relative deprivation – a perceived disadvantage arising from some specific comparison Critical evaluation Why do social movements arise among some groups and not others Theory suffers from circular reasoning Focuses exclusively on the cause telling us little about movements themselves Society, Seventh Edition

Theories of Social Movements Wm. Kornhauser’s Mass-Society Theory Social movements attract socially isolated people who feel personally insignificant. Movements are personal as ell as political, giving people with week social ties a sense of purpose and belonging Critical evaluation Gives no clear standard fro measuring the extent to which we live in a mass society Belittles the social justice issue suggesting it is flawed people not flawed society that are responsible Research is mixed on support of theory Society, Seventh Edition

Theories of Social Movements Neil Smelser’s Structural-Strain Theory Six factors encouraging social movement Structural conduciveness Arise out of perceptions of problems Structural strain Experiencing relative deprivation Growth and spread of an explanation Making clear reasons and solutions for suffering Society, Seventh Edition

Theories of Social Movements Neil Smelser’s Structural-Strain Theory Six factors encouraging social movement (cont.) Precipitating factors Specific events give rise to collection action Mobilization for action Action stage; Protest and rallies Lack of social control Quick, harsh response, or giving the “green light” for change? Critical evaluation Same circular arguments as Kornhauser’s theory Overlooks important role of resources, mass media and international alliances Society, Seventh Edition

Theories of Social Movements Resource-Mobilization Theory No social movement is likely to succeed or even get off the ground without substantial resources Money Human labor Offices and communication facilities Access to mass media Critical evaluation Powerless can promote change if they are organized an have committed members Overstates the extent to which powerful people are willing to challenge the status quo Society, Seventh Edition

Theories of Social Movements Cultural Theory The people in any particular situation are likely to mobilize to form a social movement only to the extent that they develop shared understandings of the world that legitimate and motivate collective action Critical evaluation Does not address how and when powerful cultural symbols turn people from supporting the system toward protest Society, Seventh Edition

Theories of Social Movements New Social Movements Theory Emphasizes the distinctive futures of recent social movements in postindustrial societies Most of today’s movements are international Tend to focus on cultural change and improving social and physical surroundings Draws support from middle and upper classes Critical Evaluation Tends to exaggerate differences between past and present social movements Society, Seventh Edition

Stages of Social Movements Stage one: emergence Perception that something is wrong Stage two: coalescence Defining itself and “going public” Stage three: bureaucratization Organizing rationally to get job done Stage four: decline Is the movement in need of regrouping or is it simply time for its demise? Reasons: Signals success has been reached Signals organizational problems (leadership, etc.) Leadership sells out to other interests Demise may result from state-sponsored repression Society, Seventh Edition

Modernity – Social Patterns Resulting From Industrialization Peter Burger identified four characteristics of modernization – the process of social change begun by industrialization Decline of small, traditional towns High-tech communications puts small towns in touch with the world Expansion of personal choice An unending series of options referred to as individualization” Increasing diversity in beliefs Modernization promotes a more rational, scientific world-view Future orientation and growing awareness of time People living in industrialized nations tend to focus more on the future than on the past Society, Seventh Edition

Ferdinand Tonnies & Loss of Community With modernization comes the loss of gemeinschaft, or human community Loss of community caring and the beginning of individualization and a business-like emphasis Modernity brings about a condition referred to as gesellschaft, or impersonal relationships People live among strangers and ignore most they pass on streets Critical evaluation Gemeinschaft exists in modern society Didn’t distinguish between cause & effect Romanticized traditional societies Society, Seventh Edition

Emile Durkheim & Division of Labor Modernization is marked by increases in a complex division of labor People performing highly distinctive roles rather than everyone performing the same daily routines Society transformed from mechanical to organic solidarity Mechanical solidarity refers to a time when society was held together by social bonds anchored in common moral sentiments Organic solidarity refers to modernity during which time social bonding is accomplished by way of mutual dependence Critical evaluation Societies’ norms and values strong enough to avoid anomie People value the personal freedom of modern society despite the risks Society, Seventh Edition

Max Weber and Rational Society Modernization means replacing a traditional worldview is nothing more than the with a rational way of thinking Modern people value efficiency, have little reverence for the past and adopt whatever social patterns allow them to achieve their goals Critical evaluation The alienation he attributes to bureaucracy actually stems from social inequality Society, Seventh Edition

Society, Seventh Edition Karl Marx & Capitalism Industrial revolution was a capitalist revolution Social conflict in capitalism sows seeds of egalitarian socialist revolution Critical evaluation Complex theory underestimates dominance of bureaucracy Stifling socialist bureaucracies as bad or worse than dehumanizing capitalism Society, Seventh Edition

Theoretical Analysis of Modernity Structural-functional theory Mass society is a society in which prosperity and bureaucracy have eroded traditional social ties Draws upon the ideas of Tonnies, Durkheim and Weber Social-conflict theory Class society is a capitalist society with pronounced social stratification Draws upon the ideas of Marx Critical evaluation Mass society ignores social inequality, romanticizes the past Class society overlooks the way equality in modern society has increased Society, Seventh Edition

David Riesman & Modernity & the Individual Personal identity can be a problem since society changes so rapidly; Inherent instability Social character refers to personality patterns common to members of a particular society Tradition-directedness refers to rigid conformity to time-honored ways of living Other-directedness refers to a receptiveness to the latest trends and fashions, often expressed in the practice of imitating others Society, Seventh Edition

Society, Seventh Edition Postmodernity Social Patterns Characteristic of Postindustrial Societies In some ways, modernity has failed Much poverty and stress The bright light of progress is fading Less confidence about future Science no longer holds the answers Science has created its share of problems Cultural debates are intensifying The promises of social movements have not been fulfilled Social institutions are changing All institutions are going through change, including the most basic, the family Society, Seventh Edition