common sense
CUSOPO080 Second Grading
Lesson: Cultural, Social and Political Change
Contemporary Challenges and Responses
Sources of Cultural, Social, and Political Change: Innovation
The Meaning of Innovation
An innovation is an idea, translated into tangible output, which is believed to produce good service and value, and is replicable at a reasonable economic cost. Innovations can be seen as a method for increasing economic gain by improving production, employment, alliances, and joint venturing. It is in fact believed that innovations are a by-product of well-calculated risks. These innovations result in the creation of new products that attract more consumers.
There are two types of innovation, namely evolutionary innovation and revolutionary innovation.
1. Evolutionary innovation – brought about by technological advances and repetitive methods to perfect a certain technological trend. An example of this was the continuous development of tools used for hunting and gathering during the earlier human periods. Early humans started developing stone tools to facilitate hunting and gathering. These early stone tools were eventually replaced by more advanced, more effective, and sturdier materials such as metals. In a sense, it could be concluded that the tools we use today have their origins dating back to the prehistoric period.
2. Revolutionary innovation – newly-introduced innovations which may be disruptive and risky. Revolutionary innovations aim to produce new technologies, which are usually currently unavailable in the market, with the goal of making life even simpler. An example of this is the boom of digital photography. Prior to the digital age, people used film cameras to capture and preserve photographs. The advent of digitalized photos made it easier and more affordable for people to do the same activity.
The Importance of Innovation
Creative innovations and solutions pave the way for fostering sustainable growth, securing jobs, and increasing competitive abilities. New innovations impact not only culture and society, but also the economy. The development of new technology means that new jobs can be made available for the working class, and new opportunities for business development are also available. Innovating also provides people with opportunities for skills development and knowledge-building. An example of this is the growth of the BPO (Business Processing Outsourcing) industry in the Philippines. The BPO industry in the country is an example of an innovation that currently provides millions of Filipinos with jobs that could foster personal and professional growth.
Through innovations, social problems such as education and poverty are addressed. Innovations aim to address both macro-level and micro-level concerns through the development and introduction of new methods and ways of living. The advent of money transfer brought about easier access to financial resources that were unavailable two decades ago. In the Philippine setting alone, money transfer businesses continue to grow because our country relies heavily on OFW remittances that benefit both the OFW families and the government.
Innovations may lead to an increase in demand for research and development across various aspects of modern life. Innovation facilitates initiatives for further studies in various fields. Before the production and promotion of any innovation, technologists and innovators conduct feasibility studies and market research to ensure the successful launching of their products. For instance, before any commercial product (e.g. dishwashing liquid or laundry detergent) is produced, launched, and sold to the public, the research and development teams of companies would determine consumer standards, needs, and preferences through market research. This makes it easier for companies to determine the innovations they could develop to make their products a success.
● The emergence of innovations has led to a global realization that traditional methods of dealing with societal issues may no longer be applicable in modern society. As society continues to change and to adapt to modern ways of living, people also realize that new standards could be developed to make their lifestyle easier. For example, cellular phones in the 1990s are far different from what are available at present. During earlier times, cellular phones only had text and call features. They were relatively larger and heavier. Nowadays, there are seemingly endless types of cellular phones available in the market. Most of them have cameras, gaming, and internet-surfing features, alongside the usual call and text features.
Sources of Social, Political, and Cultural Change: Diffusion
The Meaning of Diffusion
Diffusion is the process by which a belief or activity is passed on from one group to another. The process is facilitated by communication, social media, and other forms of technology, and can even occur during military conquest, missionary works, and tourism.
Agents of Diffusion
Diffusion happens among groups through different agents such as technology, globalization, and language. These drive diffusion within and across cultures.
Sources of Social, Political, and Cultural Change: Acculturation and Assimilation
The Meaning of Assimilation and Acculturation
Acculturation is the process by which a group gradually adapts the culture, processes, and beliefs of another. It is considered as second-culture learning, wherein a person of one distinct culture learns another culture without forgetting or abandoning his primary culture and belief system. In this system, cultural adaptation is usually voluntary. Assimilation, on the other hand, is the process by which two cultures are merged to become one distinct culture. Beliefs, customs, and practices are combined and act as the characterizing factors of the newly developed culture.
Similarities and Differences between Assimilation and Acculturation
Sources of Social, Political, and Cultural Change: Social Contradictions and Tensions
Social contradictions and tensions are disturbances believed to be against social norms and standards that are caused by a group of people. As society evolves, numerous issues have become areas of concern for a large portion of the population. As such, irreconcilable differences gradually develop into larger societal challenges that need to be addressed and resolved. If these social conflicts and tensions are not addressed, it is likely that more chaos and disorganization will occur in society.
Forms of Social Contradictions and Tensions
Impact of Contradictions and Tensions to Society, Culture, and Politics
Note that contradictions and tensions almost always impact society negatively. The following may occur should contradictions and tensions within society persist:
● More human rights violations and higher crime rates are expected to occur as tensions arise between conflicting groups.
● Politics would favor one side over another. This, in turn, would create more conflict for the unfavored class, possibly leading to more oppression and inequality.
● The possibility for unity and cooperation among conflicting states and nations is less likely. This would greatly impact international relations and trade.
Contemporary Challenges and Responses
The Concept of Global Warming and Climate Change
The issues of global warming and climate change have been popular in recent years. These terms are used interchangeably in many articles. However, these words have different, but related, meanings. Global warming is the significant increase in temperature of the Earth’s surface. Other scientists and researchers prefer to use the term climate change, as it is broader and more encompassing. Climate change refers to the rising of global temperature accompanied by ‘side effects’ of this warming, which include changing sea levels, more frequent rainstorms, melting ice glaciers, and drought. For the purposes of distinguishing between the two, we can say that global warming is a symptom of climate change.
Causes of Global Warming and Climate Change
Before we delve into the possible causes of global warming, it will be helpful to first understand what a greenhouse is. A greenhouse, as in gardening, is a structure usually created with transparent glass walls that function to control the climate and environment of growing plants. Through this glass building, a plant grower can control the temperature, as
well as when plants receive watering. Control of these factors is vital to the growth and development of plants.
Implications of Global Warming and Climate Change
In a document entitled “Climate Change in the Philippines,” PAGASA named five aspects that will most likely be affected by climate change. These aspects include (a) water resources, (b) forestry, (c) agriculture, (d) coastal resources, and (e) health. In areas where rainfall is forecasted to be scarce, the source of water will be an issue. This will have an impact on
health, agriculture, and other livelihoods. On the other hand, flooding is a possible effect in areas affected by increased rainfalls and the rise in the sea level. This may also affect agricultural operations, the livelihood, and settlement of people living near coastal areas. Rainfalls paired with high temperatures may also trigger outbreaks of diseases and pests in
plants and animals. In this regard, human health will also be at risk due to increased water-borne and vector-borne diseases.
Transnational Migration and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)
The Concept of Transnational Migration
Transnational migration is one of the emerging challenges in contemporary societies, but before moving on to a deeper discussion of this issue, it would help if we defined certain terms that are related to it. These terms are migration, immigration, emigration. Migration can simply be defined as “movement of people into and out of a specified territory.” Immigration refers to moving into new territory, while emigration is the movement out of a territory.
The Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)
The Philippines is one of the largest sources of transnational migrants across the world. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, it was estimated that there were 2.2 million of Filipinos living and working abroad from April to September 2016. Over 97 percent of those people have existing working contracts. The culture of migration among Filipinos has been deeply embedded in the Filipino society and consciousness that we even came up with a term
to refer to those who work abroad. Now, we call Filipino migrants as overseas Filipino workers or OFWs.
Responding to Cultural, Social, and Political Change
Inclusive Citizenship and Participatory Governance
The concepts of inclusive citizenship and participatory governance are an important part of understanding what people, as citizens in society, can do to respond to the challenging issues in today’s society. The idea of inclusive citizenship, put forward by the state, gives citizens a sense of belongingness in society. It fosters the idea that all citizens are included and part of society regardless of their color, gender, religion, or socio-economic status.participatory governance as state-authorized processes that allow citizens to voice their opinions and cast their votes about policies and programs that are directed towards the development of the citizens’ lives. In this strategy, the government provides an avenue not only for individuals but also for other civil society organizations to engage in the decision-making process.
As societies progress to the digital age, the institution of media also evolves. With the creation of new technologies, new forms of media have also developed. This is what we call new media. New media is a means of mass communication that relies on computers and digital technologies for its creation and distribution. One characteristic that distinguishes new media from old media (i.e., television, radio, newspapers, and books) is its ability to facilitate interactive relationships between the source and the audience or reader.
Social networking refers to the creation of connections among individuals that develop into specific groups. With the rise of social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube, and other online platforms, social networking among people became easier. Social networking facilitates socialization with friends, colleagues, and family, and meeting new
people. It also allows people to find and interact with other people with similar interests.
Social Movements
Social movements play a significant role in social change. A social movement is a ”conscious, collective, organized attempt to bring about or resist change in the social order by non-institutionalized means.” It connects large groups of people that share common interests and goals about society.
It is important to differentiate between social movements and social movement organizations.
Social movement organizations are formally established associations arising from a social movement. They pursue specific interests of the social movement, but they are only part of a large whole, which is the social movement.