Social Change

Social change: What is social change? What is social change? What causes it? What causes it? Social movements Social movements Globalization Globalization

What is social change? Transformations over time of the institutions and culture of society

What causes social change? Does Giddens have a theory? Does Giddens have a theory? A theory is a systematic explanation of cause and effect A theory is a systematic explanation of cause and effect No real theory presented No real theory presented “Influences” (pp ) “Influences” (pp ) Physical environment (economy) Physical environment (economy) Political organization Political organization Culture Culture Says we need general theories, but abandons them (except globalization as a trend) Says we need general theories, but abandons them (except globalization as a trend)

What causes social change: theories Giddens neglects Parsons (functionalism): evolutionary— differentiation of institutions Parsons (functionalism): evolutionary— differentiation of institutions Symbolic interactionists: social construction, new “scripts” Symbolic interactionists: social construction, new “scripts” Marx: historical materialism Marx: historical materialism

Dialectics thesis antithesis New thesis New antithesis Struggle of opposites New struggle of opposites resolution

Dialectical materialism (material) social forces of production as base (basis) of social life (material) social forces of production as base (basis) of social life Ideas, institutions “erected” in support of relations of production Ideas, institutions “erected” in support of relations of production Class struggle in relations of production becomes political Class struggle in relations of production becomes political Struggle (revolution) leads to new stage of history: historical materialism Struggle (revolution) leads to new stage of history: historical materialism

Historical Materialism Superstructure Ideas, ideology, institutions Social reproduction Social forces of production Relations of production Means of production Class struggle Revolution New superstructure New forces of production

Postindustrial society aka information society, service society, knowledge society because these sectors dominate the economy aka information society, service society, knowledge society because these sectors dominate the economy Codified knowledge/information key resource Codified knowledge/information key resource “Knowledge workers” become leading social group “Knowledge workers” become leading social group But: But: Service work includes a lot of manual labor Service work includes a lot of manual labor Close integration of service and manufacture Close integration of service and manufacture Giddens: this approach overemphasizes economic factors Giddens: this approach overemphasizes economic factors

Postmodernity Modernity Modernity Refers to the industrial period Refers to the industrial period Based on notion of “progress” – i.e., history has a direction, things get better Based on notion of “progress” – i.e., history has a direction, things get better Postmodernity means that idea has collapsed Postmodernity means that idea has collapsed Social reality is now pluralistic and diverse Social reality is now pluralistic and diverse Everything is in flux Everything is in flux Shafer and Divney: Postmodernists overemphasize cultural factors, wrong about “end of history” Shafer and Divney: Postmodernists overemphasize cultural factors, wrong about “end of history”

Globalization: “influences” Telecommunications Telecommunications Fall of U.S.S.R, “capitalist road” in China brought virtually entire planet into market system Fall of U.S.S.R, “capitalist road” in China brought virtually entire planet into market system Transnational corporations dominate: biggest 500 TNC’s bigger than most countries’ economies Transnational corporations dominate: biggest 500 TNC’s bigger than most countries’ economies

Table 20.3

Globalization debate Skeptics: Skeptics: Globalization is not new Globalization is not new Regionalization more significant Regionalization more significant National governments still play important role National governments still play important role Shafer: current events lend credence to the skeptics’ points Shafer: current events lend credence to the skeptics’ points

Globalization debate Transformationalists: Transformationalists: Globalization is changing societies, but governments hold onto some power Globalization is changing societies, but governments hold onto some power Globalization is “multidirectional” Globalization is “multidirectional” New, “nonterritorial” social organizations: New, “nonterritorial” social organizations: TNC’s TNC’s NGO’s NGO’s Social movements Social movements

Globalization debate Hyperglobalizers: Hyperglobalizers: New global order being born New global order being born Market forces more powerful than national governments (Ohmae) Market forces more powerful than national governments (Ohmae) National governments in decline National governments in decline International organizations grow in power: International organizations grow in power: European Union European Union World Trade Organization World Trade Organization

Fig. 20.3

Campaign for global justice Grassroots social movement concerned about global inequality Grassroots social movement concerned about global inequality Battle of Seattle, 1999 Battle of Seattle, 1999 Continues today (Miami anti-FTAA protest) Continues today (Miami anti-FTAA protest) Has its own media using WWW: Has its own media using WWW:

Epilogue: social movements Conscious, organized actions to influence social change Conscious, organized actions to influence social change Piven and Cloward: most effective when mass-based, non-bureaucratic Piven and Cloward: most effective when mass-based, non-bureaucratic Maoism and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution: Maoism and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution: Revolution within a revolution Revolution within a revolution Among many other things, tried to invent new relations of production (non-wage labor) Among many other things, tried to invent new relations of production (non-wage labor)