Lect 2.2: Social Change and Community Intervention

Introduction to Social Change Definition and Scope: Understand what social change encompasses. Importance: Why is social change a critical concept?

Levels of Social Change

• First Order Change:Definition: Changes directly within a system.

• Characteristics: Involves adjustments or modifications, but doesn't alter fundamental assumptions.

• Second Order Change:Definition: Truly changes the system by stepping outside basic assumptions and practices.

  • Characteristics: Transformative, innovative, and redefines the system itself.

Reasons for Social Change

• Diverse Populations:

  • Impact: Leads to recognition of differences and varying needs/demands.

• Declining Resources:

  • Impact: Causes debates over allocation, conflicts, new distribution patterns, and increased pressure.

• Accountability:

  • Definition: Obligation to be responsible for transactions.

  • Impact: Demanded by various constituents; can lead to debates over plans.

• Cost-effectiveness:

  • Definition: Seeking return on investments.

  • Impact: Prompts reconsideration of plans for change.

• Knowledge-Based and Technological Change:

  • Impact: Produces a flood of information (e.g., health warnings) and alters behaviour (e.g., communication methods).

• Community Conflict:

  • Characteristics: Incompatible goals, differences in values, culture, or behaviour.

• Dissatisfaction with Traditional Services:

  • Impact: Questions the status quo, effectiveness, and efficiency of existing services.

• Desire for Diversity of Solutions:

  • Impact: Demand for choice, creativity, and novelty in problem-solving.

• Spontaneous and Unplanned Social Change:

  • Definition: Unintentional, often stress-inducing change (e.g., natural disaster).

Types of Social Change

• Spontaneous and Unplanned Social Change:

  • Key features: Unintentional, often a result of external events (e.g., natural disasters), can cause stress.

• Planned Social Change:

  • Key features: intentional, deliberate, often involves "change agents" (trained professionals).

Issues of Planned Change

• Decision-Making:Who decides? Collaboration (participatory) vs. Top-Down (administrators, officials).

• Preparation & Patience:Importance of preparing participants and having patience for the process.

• Resources:Need for adequate social and material resources.

• Interference factors: Funding, supportive social climate, supportive leadership.

• Innovation & Realism:Change must be innovative; participants need realistic perspectives on workability/productivity.

Difficulties Bringing About Change

• Resistance to Change:

  • Causes: In-group advantages (e.g., resisting government interference), out-group stereotyping and stigma.

• Lack of Awareness:

  • Concept: "Conscientization" (Freire) – bringing awareness of oppression to the oppressed.

• Personal Traits or Individual Factors:

  • "Cognitive misers" (lazy thinkers).

  • "Dogmatism" (closed-mindedness).

Preventing Failure in Social Change

• Foundation: Lay a good foundation for change.

• Community Endorsement: Gain support from the community.

• Empirical Justification: Establish scientific evidence for the proposed change.

Community Intervention Strategies for Planned Change

• General Approaches

  • (Cook & Shadish):Incrementally (gradual change).

• Testing and recommending new programs.

• Changing the structure of the system.

• Selected Strategies:Citizen Participation:Crucial involvement of community members, common goals (e.g., crime reduction).

• Belief in community psychology: collaboration is key.

• Examples: Community Development Approach (capacity building), Grassroots Activism.

• Who participates: Those with internal locus of control, sense of community, perceived need for change, enabling conditions (e.g., neighborliness), appropriate skills.

• Advantages/Disadvantages.

• Networking:Interconnected, interactive social relationships with reciprocity.

• Requires "enabling systems" for organizational effectiveness.

• Utilizes "social capital" (resources from social structure, e.g., umbrella organizations like United Way).

• Advantages/Disadvantages.

• Consultation:A professional assists the organization/community.

• Role: Assess, organize, problem-solve, present action research model.

• Community psychologists focus on social systems, not individuals.

• Consultant steps (Weed): Define goals, raise awareness, introduce programs, evaluate success/failure.

• Issues: Trust in consultant, unequal power dynamics, engaging "gatekeepers."

• Advantages/Disadvantages.

• Education and Information Dissemination:Purpose: Improve community, empower members, promote prevention.

• Considerations: Resistance, effective dissemination methods (media), cultural considerations.

• Evaluation is necessary (objectives/goals met).

• Advantages/Disadvantages.

• Public Policy:Purpose: Improve community life through organizational goals, rules, regulations.

• Political postures: Various constituencies with differing agendas (e.g., lobbyists).

• Roles: Persuasive (sway opinion) and Predictive (forecast change).

• Importance of social science research (though rarely utilized).

Conclusions: Paradoxes for Community Change Agents (Kofkin-Radkin, 2003)

• "The situation is urgent, so take your time."

• "The outcome is crucial, so don’t worry about it."

• "The problems are huge, so think small."

• "Social change is complex, so keep it simple."

• "Social change is serious business, so have fun."

• "Social change requires staying on course, so relinquish control."