Chapter 18 Social Change and Modernization Explaining Social

Chapter 18 Social Change and Modernization

Explaining Social Change • Social change is the alterations in various aspects of society over time. • There are four broad categories used to explain social change: • Cyclical Theory • Evolutionary Theory • Equilibrium Theory • Conflict Theory

Explaining Social Change Cyclical Theory of Social Change • This views change from a historical perspective. • Societies arise, go through various stages of development, and then decline. • This theory views change as part of a continuing process. • Oswald Spengler and Pitirim Sorokin are the two main cyclical theorists

Explaining Social Change • Oswald Spengler was a German Historian concerned with WWI. • He wrote The Decline of the West a book about how all societies pass through four stages • • Childhood Youth Adulthood Old age • He believed that western civilization is bound to decline and disappear in it’s “old age” like all other great civilizations have.

Explaining Social Change • Pitirim Sorokin is a Russian American sociologist. • He believed all societies fluctuated between two extreme forms of culture • Ideational culture in which truth and knowledge are sought via faith or religion • Sensate culture in which knowledge is sought via science • Sometimes societies would find a middle ground between the two extremes • Idealistic culture • Principle of immanent change is the natural tendency for social change

Explaining Social Change Evolutionary Theory of Social Change • Views change as a process that moves in one direction • towards increasing complexity. • As members of society attempt to adapt to social and physical conditions of the environment, they push the society forward in development. • Early evolutionary theorists and modern social evolutionists differ in their views on how society changes.

Explaining Social Change Early Evolutionary Theories • All societies progress through the same stages. • Viewed western civilization as the height of development. • Comte – three stages of development • Explain events via the supernatural • Explain events via religion or philosophy • Explain events via science • Spenser – social Darwinsim “survival of the fittest” • Very popular in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s

Explaining Social Change Modern Evolutionary Theories • Believes societies have a tendency to become more complex over time. • Does not assume change always produces progress or that it is the same in all societies. • Attempts to explain why societies change, unlike early evolutionary theorists. • Gerhard Lenski and Jean Lenski argue that change in society is due to it’s economy and level of technology.

Explaining Social Change Equilibrium Theory of Social Change • Works on the functionalist perspective. • Society resembles a living organism that must attempt to stability and that is why social change occurs. • When stability is disrupted by change in one part of the system, the other parts adapt to bring back balance/equilibrium. • When order is restored, the new system is slightly different than the old system thus social change takes place.

Explaining Social Change Equilibrium Theory of Social Change • Talcott Parson’s states that social equilibrium is maintained through evolutionary change. • Evolutionary change occurs in a two-step process of differentiation and integration. • As society becomes more complex, its social institutions become more numerous and more distinct. • The new institutions must work with the others to ensure social stability is maintained.

Explaining Social Change Conflict Theory of Social Change • Change results from conflicts between groups with opposing interests. • They view conflict as a natural condition in all societies and change as inevitable.

Explaining Social Change Karl Marx and Class Conflict • Marx believed that all of human history is the history of class conflict. • All societies have been subject to conflicts between the “haves” and “have nots”. • Social change is a result of efforts by the “have nots” to gain power over the “haves”.

Explaining Social Change Ralf Dahrendorph and Social Conflict • He agreed with Marx that conflict is a central feature of all societies BUT disagreed with Marx’s idea that class conflict is the moving force in human history. • He also does not believe that revolutions is the principle way to resolve conflict in modern industrial society like Marx • He believed conflict can take many forms • Racial/ethnic groups • Men and women • Young and old

Modernization • Modernization is the process by which a society’s social institutions become increasingly complex as the society moves towards industrialization. • This is the focus of sociologists studying social change. • Areas of interest: • Social change in less developed countries • Effects of modernization on social life and the environment

Modernization Theory • States that the more developed nations modernized because they were the first to industrialize. • Once less developed nations start to industrialize, they too will become modernized. • Over time less developed nations will resemble more developed nations in terms of: • Economic and social structure • Norms • Values

Modernization Theory • This view also states that extended family structure will be replaced by the nuclear family as less developed nations modernize. • The role of religion guiding interaction will also decrease as a country modernizes. • Mass education will arise with modernization. • The majority of the population will move from rural to urban areas with modernization.

Modernization Theory • Modernization theorists assume that less developed nations will be able to raise the standard of living and become part of the world economy as they industrialize. • Money, technology, and economic advisors flooded less developed nations to try and speed up the process of industrialization, but had little impact. • As a result, support for the modernization theory has weakened

Modernization • Less developed nations have a history of economic dependence on the West due to colonization. • Population pressures faced in less developed nations are vastly different from those in more developed nations. • Less developed nations industrialize with an already large population instead of growing as they industrialize. • Many lesser developed nations show antimodernization sentiments. • Taliban

Modernization World Systems Theory • This theory looks at modernization in terms of the world economy. • Immanuel Wallerstein suggested that there are three types of nations: • Core • Peripheral • Semiperipheral

Modernization World Systems Theory • Core nations are the most powerful developed nations that for the center or core of the world economy. • They control most of the world’s productive, technological, and financial resources. • Core nations include: • USA • Canada • Japan

Modernization World Systems Theory • Peripheral Nations are the poor countries in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. • They control few productive resources and they depended on core nations for financial aid, technology, and manufactured goods. • They also depend on core nations to buy their raw materials and rely on the exportation of these raw materials. • Coffee • Cocoa • Sugar

Modernization World Systems Theory • Semiperipheral nations are between core and peripheral nations. • They may be industrialized, but not a major player in the world economy. • Semiperipheral nations include: • Smaller Western European nations (Spain & Portugual) • Newly developed nations in Asia (South Korea and Taiwan)

Modernization World Systems Theory • On the surface the economic relationships between the various types of nations appear to be a positive relationship, but the arrangement creates a lack of : • economic diversity • Dependence on core nations • Increased economic inequality • This slows the economic growth of less developed nations.

Modernization Consequences of Modernization • Modernization has both positive and negative effects on social life and the natural environment. • The positive consequences are an increased standard of living. • Longer life expectancy • Lower birth rates • Higher rates of literacy • Decrease in economic and social inequality • More personal comforts

Modernization Consequences of Modernization • Modernization offers benefits such as: • The growth of industry • Expansion of technological development • Improved infrastructure: • Better roads • Better ports • Other facilities

Modernization Consequences of Modernization • Modernization is often accompanied by the arrival of electricity and communication technology. • However these can be limited to the wealthy and not everyone in developing nations. • Modernization also establishes educations institutions such as colleges and universities.

Modernization Consequences of Modernization • Modernization also has some costs. The same improvements of standard of living and prolonged life also cause problems. • Family and religion lose authority • Government takes on a larger role in people’s personal lives • Feelings of isolation • Conflicting norms and role expectations.

Modernization Consequences of Modernization • Modernization also gives rise to moral and ethical questions. • How long should a doctor try and prolong the life of someone who is terminally ill with modern medical technology • The effects of modernization also effect the natural environment. • Problems with soil, water, and air pollution • Use of pesticides create environmental and health problems • Creation of hazardous waste