Forces of Social Change

Forces of Social Change

“Everyone over the age of forty is an immigrant” - Margaret Mead

3.1 - the various changes that take place and the variants that drive it

What is social change?

  • Changes in the way society is organized, and the beliefs & practices of 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

    • Example - the development of of house is Mississauga or Brampton

Aspects of Social Change

  • The opposite of social change is social continuity

    • Social continuity means that there are structures within society which are built to resist change Example - the Catholic Church

  • Social continuity is not the absence of change, because change is always happening

Natural Forces of Social Change

GEOGRAPHY

  • This is when the natural lay of the land has affected the way societies have developed

  • Things like bodies of water, mountains, inlets, flat lands all affect the way a society develops

  • Geography can also prevent social change

  • Natural disasters can also drastically change a society (floods, earthquakes, volcanoes)

Examples

  • China’s geographical layout forced the nation to develop a large scale irrigation system which required a strong centralized government

  • North American coasts have small inlets which led to the development of small, separate colonies, able to be independent of each other

External Events

Definition

  • External Events - events that have occurred on a large scale affecting an entire nation or several nations

  • These events have a large and immediate impact on social change

Examples

Any civil or world wars:

  • American Civil War - abolished slavery

  • WWII - forced women into the workforce and they never returned home

  • September 11/2001 - a change of thought regarding national threat and security

Technology

  • Tech has strongly affected the way societies are designed and how they keep changing

  • People receive their information more quickly now, can communicate in different ways

  • Technology also affects architecture and development of land

    • Ex. The Plow, the train the plane

Forces that Influence Change

  • There are many forces that influence social change, as well as there are many impediments to change. In both situations, they are positive and negative in our society.

  • Ex. In some cities in Ontario, it is illegal to smoke inside any public building, including restaurants, nightclubs, bars, and offices. Many people are upset with this restriction.

  • What factors might have enabled this by law to be passed and enforced?

Recording 2

Conditions for Social Change: Positive or Negative

  • Leadership - leadership affects change to our society for good or bad

    • Trudeau - positive

    • Hitler - Negative

  • Roles of the Elite - Groups of people who create social change

    • Saudi Arabia (Prince/Sheik) Oil resources

    • U.S. Microsoft - Bill Gates

  • Populace - Population must be ready for change

    • WWI Germany - defeated and the country was in debt - Population ready for a change!

Qualifications of a Charismatic Leader

  • Large visionary

  • Magnetic style

  • Strong popular support

  • Aspects of extraordinary character

  • Places great demands on their followers

  • Promises rewards for their support

  • Maintains a distance between the leader and the led

Impediments to Change

  • Traditional Cultural Values - adhering to old practices, reluctant to use new technology

  • The Expense - to implement new programs. (i.e. may cost too much)

  • Social Science Inquiry - Nature of inquiry model may not be helpful