Factors of Social Change Ms Ireland HSB 4

Factors of Social Change Ms. Ireland HSB 4 M “Everyone over the age of forty is an immigrant” – Margaret Mead

What is Social Change? � Social Change: Changes the way in which society is organized, and the beliefs and practices of the people who believe in it � All societies are involved in a process of social change, however this change may be so subtle and slow that society is hardly aware of it � The opposite of social change is social continuity, which means that there are structures within society which are built to resist change (ex. the Catholic Church)

Social Change in ‘Real Life’ � How has the development of housing in Markham changed throughout your life? � How ◦ ◦ ◦ has public opinion shifted regarding social issues such as: Smoking Domestic Violence Divorce Abortion Homosexuality

The Power of the Individual � Sociologist, Max Weber, claimed that one of the most important components of social change was a leader with charisma � This leader places great demands on his or her followers and promises rewards for their support � Sociologist, Samuel Eisenstadt, claimed that in most societies, there are one of more Modernizing Elites. ◦ These are groups of people who create significant social change and influence the direction and shape it takes on

Alienation of the People � Sociologist, Emile Durkheim, coined the word, ‘anomie’, to describe the conditions of the industrial workers who had no roots or norms as they struggled in their lives � Sociologist, Karl Marx, took this term and applied it to working class people (proletariat). He claimed that the workers were exploited and controlled (through employment and housing) and could never reach their full potential � These notions have been expanded to mean that anyone who does not share the major values of society, feels like an outsider � What are the effects?

Conformity of the People � Conformity is the act of maintaining a certain degree of similarity to those in your general social circles, to those in authority or to the general status quo. Usually, conformity implies a tendency to submit to others in thought and behaviour (in addition to just clothing choice) � Informational Influence: human desire to accept information that another, admired person tells us is valid � Normative Influence: pressure to conform to the positive expectations of others

Natural Forces of Social Change Geography � This is when the natural lay of the land has affected the way societies have developed � Natural disasters can also drastically change a society (floods, earthquakes, volcanoes) � Examples? Environment � Pollution, garbage, car emissions, smog, recycling � National, provincial and local programs that address environmental problems � What effects could the environment have?

External Forces � External events have occurred on a large scale, affecting an entire nation or several nations � These events have a large and immediate impact on social change American Civil War – abolished slavery � World War II – forced women into the workforce � September 11, 2001 – popular thought about threats to national security were altered �

Poverty & Affluence � Karl Marx was first to point sociology to the study of inequality in society � Income poor � Is inequalities: the gap between earnings of the rich and the social inequality an inherent part of human social structures? � Does society have a responsibility to try and deal with the effects of income inequality? � What are the effects of social inequality on education, crime, housing?

Values and Social Change � Singularity: belief that everyone in society should act and think the same way � Pluralism: widespread acceptance of differences in culture, religion, values and lifestyle � Inclusiveness: all law abiding people, regardless of their particular background, should be able to play a constructive role in the like of the nation � Examples: struggle for inclusiveness with women obtaining equal roles and status to traditionally ‘male’ roles

Technology � Technology has strongly affected the way societies are designed and how they continue to change � People receive their information more quickly now and can communicate in different ways than ever before � What was the greatest invention? � What impact did it have?

Pros & Cons of Technological Change � Over dependency � Creation of ‘mass culture’ � Changes in gender roles � Social isolation � Addiction � Luddites: People who oppose new technologies are often called ‘luddites’. They are named after a secret society whose goal it was to destroy new textile machines during the early years of the Industrial Revolution