Limitations of Social Change

• Protests often have low participation rates, and demands may be modest.

• Significant change is rare and typically slow, though some exceptions exist.

• The idea of social inertia and tradition is supported by conservatives like Edmund Burke, who argue for slow change in political and social realms.

Understanding Rare Events

• Elementary social movements rarely lead to transformative changes.

• Mention of Stanley Lieberman, whose work on social processes, likens social change to rare events in sports.

• Key insight: Understanding why events do not happen is as crucial as why they do occur.

Collective Action Problems

• Free Rider Problem: Individuals refrain from taking action against injustice, waiting for others to act.

• Threshold Problem: Desire to act is present, but individuals hesitate to lead, waiting for a critical mass that never materializes.

Theories of Resistance to Inequality

• Pierre Bourdieu: Argues social inequalities are perceived as natural, leading to resignation among the affected.

• Social structures are often viewed through personal dispositions, such as gender roles or class preferences.

Consent and Social Structures

• Antonio Gramsci: Sees consent as an active investment in a system that perpetuates inequality (e.g., the belief in meritocracy).

• The notion that socioeconomic inequalities go unchallenged because people believe in potential upward mobility.

Public vs. Hidden Transcripts

• James Scott's Concept: The public transcript reflects interactions between dominant and subordinate classes, often obscuring true power dynamics.

• Hidden transcripts include non-observed interactions and dissent, showcasing societal struggles beneath the surface.

• The importance of recognizing nuances in resistance that do not appear as overt challenges to power.

Artifacts and Social Life

• Bruno Latour's Missing Masses: Argues sociological interpretations must consider material objects contributing to social stability.

• Inanimate objects enforce social norms and behaviors (e.g., automatic doors, seat belts).

• Human interaction with technology shapes behaviors, lending greater weight to nonhuman actors in social studies.

Critical Reflection on Human-Nonhuman Interaction

• Technology seen as extensions of human action, facilitating tasks traditionally done by people.

• The evolution of technology, from simple tools to advanced AI, emphasizes how human relationships with tools influence behavior and society.

Implications of AI and Social Interaction

• Raises questions on the potential of AI to replicate or even alter human interactions and emotional responses.

• Good practices in interaction with AI (e.g., politeness) could reflect on broader societal engagements.

• Recent surveys indicate social behaviors may be changing with increased interactions with AI systems.

Key Takeaways

• Understanding social movement dynamics involves recognizing why change is often minimal rather than significant.

• The interplay of material conditions, societal consent, and the role of nonhuman actors shapes our social reality and its potential for change.

• The evolving nature of technology and AI technologies: potential impacts on the way we interact socially, underscoring a need to adapt to new social norms as technologies change.