Social Change Modern and Postmodern Societies Chapter 16 Social Change Modern and Postmodern Societies

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 © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Causes of Social Change 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 © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Causes of Social 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 © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Causes of Social 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 Fads 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 © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Causes of Social Change Types of Social Movements Claims Making Explaining Social Movements Stages in Social Movements © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Who Stays Put? Residential Stability across the United States © 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 © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disasters: Unexpected Change 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: Four major characteristics of modernization: Decline of small, traditional towns Expansion of personal choice Increasing social diversity © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Modernity Modernization Future orientation and growing awareness of time Modernization The process of social change begun by industrialization © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Tönnies: The Loss of Community With modernization comes the loss of Gemeinschaft, or human community. Modernity brings Gesellschaft, or impersonal relationships © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Tönnies: The Loss of Community Critical evaluation Gemeinschaft exists in modern society Didn’t distinguish between cause & effect Romanticized traditional societies © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Durkheim: Division of Labor Society transformed from mechanical to organic solidarity Mechanical solidarity: Shared moral sentiments © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Durkheim: Division of Labor Organic solidarity: Mutual dependency between people engaged in specialized work Modernization is defined by an increasing division of labor © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Durkheim: 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 © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Max Weber and Rational Society 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.

Karl Marx: Capitalism Critical evaluation Complex theory underestimates the dominance of bureaucracy Stifling socialist bureaucracies are as bad or worse than dehumanizing capitalism © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Theoretical Analysis of Modernity Structural-functional theory Mass society–A society in which prosperity & bureaucracy have weak traditional social ties Draws upon the ideas of Tönnies, Durkheim, and Weber Mass Scale of Modern Life The Ever-Expanding State © 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 © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Theoretical Analysis of Modernity 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 © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Modernity and the Individual 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.

Modernity and Progress In modern societies, most people expect and desire social change Modernity is linked to progress Social change is too complex to equate with progress © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Modernity and Progress New technology sparks controversy Toffler Coined the term "future shock" to describe rapid, overwhelming social change © 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 © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Postmodernity: Postindustrial societies 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 © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Modernization and the Future 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.