SOCIAL CHANGE

Social Change

Alterations in various aspects of a society over time Values, norms, traditions, religion, etc

Cyclical Theory

Evolutionary Theory

EquilibriumTheory

ConflictTheory

Social Change

Functionalist Perspective•Change occurs to maintain order and stability

Conflict Perspective•Change occurs due to conflict within a society

Cyclical Theory

FUNCTIONALIST Historical view of social

change in which societies are seen as rising and then falling or as continuously moving back and forth between stages of development.

Like a human life - childhood, youth, adulthood, old age gives way for new societies

Critics – doesn’t explain WHY societies change

Evolutionary Theory

FUCTIONALIST Views change as a process

that moves in one direction – tending toward increasing complexity Change = additive process Attempts to explain WHY

societies change because of changing economic base and technological advances

Critics – not all societies change for future progress

Equilibrium Theory

FUNCTIONALIST Society is like a living organism in which

change in one part of the social system produces change in all other parts as the system attempts to regain balance, or equilibrium.

Critics – always assumes equilibrium can be met again, some societies constantly have disruptions without social change

Disrupted Stability

Other Parts of Society Adjust

Equilibrium

Restored

Social Change!

Conflict Theory

CONFLICT Social change results from conflicts

between groups with opposing interests. Mostly conflicts over power and wealth Conflict is natural change is inevitable Societies are in a state of constant change

Violent and Nonviolent Class conflicts – French Revolution, Occupy

Movement Racial conflicts – Civil Rights Movement Gender conflicts – Women’s Liberation

Movement Political – Rise of the Tea Party

Critics – too narrow, conflict doesn’t always cause social change (ex: technological change)

But What CAUSES Social Change? We have our theories… but what

contributes to the shifts, conflicts, and cycles that cause social change to occur? Population shifts Urbanization and modernization Collective behavior Social movements

Population Shifts

Demography – the scientific study of human populations

Shifts in Populati

on

Birth Rate

Death Rate

Migration Rate

Population Shifts

Migration rate – annual difference between in-migration and out-migration in a society City, town State Country

Push and pull factors Pushed out – loss of job, religious

persecution Pulled in – opportunity for job, religious

freedom

Population Shifts

Birth rate = (# live births/total population) X 1000 For every 1000 people, how many live births

occurred in a year? Death rate = (# deaths/total population) X

1000 For every 1000 people, how many died in a year?

Infant Mortality Rate – indicates the overall health of a society = (# infant deaths/total live births) X 1000 For every 1000 live births, how many infants died

in a year?

Population Shifts

Countries with a… Low birth rate Low death rate Low infant mortality rate

… have generally a higher life expectancy average # of years a

person in a particular society can expect to live

How are population shifts related to social change?

Gapminder The Wealth and Health of Nations

VideoWebsite

Urbanization and Modernization Urbanization – the concentration of

population in cities Modernization – process by which a

society becomes increasingly complex as the society moves towards industrialization

URBANIZATION

MODERNIZATION

US Urbanization

Periods of growth in US cities… Colonial settlements –

1565-1800 Urban expansion –

1800-1860 Metropolitan era –

1860-1950 Metropolis – large city

that politically, economically, and socially controls an urban area

Urban decentralization – 1950-present

Modernization

Urbanization leads to modernization

How are urbanization and modernization connected to social change?

Collective Behavior

Collectivity - a gathering of people who do not normally interact and who do not share clearly defined norms. exhibit collective behavior Collective behavior - The relatively

spontaneous social behavior that occurs when people respond to similar stimuli. Crowds Fashion Public opinion

Crowds Temporary gathering of people who are

in close enough proximity to interact.• Least interaction, least organized, most temporary• Ex: people in line for movie tickets, people observing

the aftermath of an accident

Casual Crowd

• Little interaction, but highly structured, rules for behavior, usually gathered for a common purpose

• Ex: funeral, watching a film in a theater, baseball game

Conventional Crowd

• Forms around emotionally charged activities, behaviors would be considered inappropriate in other times

• Ex: rock concert, New Years Eve in Times Square

Expressive Crowd

• Violent, emotions are more intense (hostile, destructive), particular target, violates established norms

• Ex: violence that breaks out at sporting events towards officials, riots, mobs

Acting Crowd

Fashion

Enthusiastic attachments among large numbers of people for particular styles of appearance or behavior

Present in industrialized societies Change is valued and

desired Get the newest and

improved fashion! Social mobility is valued

Can be demonstrated by having fashionable clothes, car, home, etc.

Fashion can represent desired social change.

Public Opinion

Public – a group of geographically scattered people who are concerned with or engaged in a particular issue. A different publics for different issues – changes

depending on who gains/loses interest in an issue Public opinion - Refers to the collection of

differing attitudes that members of a public have about a particular issue Important because the public has a great deal of

“sway” in a society – politics, laws, businesses, advertising, etc

Propaganda to Sway Public OpinionTechnique Description

Testimonials Endorsements by famous people to transfer the public’s admiration for the celebrity to the social movement

Transfer Attempt to associate the social movement with something the public already approves of or respects

Bandwagon Appeals to the public’s desire to conform by promoting the social movement as already popular with the public

Testimonial - Gun Violence and

Control Celebrity PSA

Transfer – Dodge Challenger “Freedom” Commercial

Propaganda to Sway Public Opinion

Name Calling Uses negative labels or images in order to make opponents of the social movement appear unfavorable

Plain-Folks Appeal

Attempts to sway public opinion by appealing to the “average citizen” with whom everyone can identity

Glittering Generalities

Uses words that sound positive but have little real meaning – portrays social movement in positive light but provides little actual information

Card-Stacking Presents facts in a way that puts the social movement in a favorable light – presents stats or survey results in a particular way

Anti-Obama Ad – name calling

Collective Behavior

How can crowds cause social change? How can fashion cause social change? How can public opinion cause social

change?

BECAUSE COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR CREATES SOCIAL MOVEMENTS!!!

Social Movements

A long-term deliberate effort to promote or prevent social change. Long-lasting Highly structured with formally recognized

leaders Deliberate attempt to block or institute

societal change

How many famous social movements can you identify?

Reactionary Movements

MAIN GOAL: to reverse current social trends Suspicious of and hostile to social change Return society to some version of the past

that is seen as “ideal” or “better”

Neo-Nazism

Anti-feminism

Conservative Movements

MAIN GOAL: to protect what they see as society’s prevailing values from change that they consider to be a threat to those values.

Early 20th Century Temperance Movement

Christian Right Movement,

began in 1940sAnti Same-Sex Marriage Groups

Revisionary Movements

MAIN GOAL: to improve, or revise, some part of society through social change. Usually seek legal means Typically focuses on a certain issue

Left: Civil Rights MovementAbove: Pro Same-Sex MarriageRight: Women’s Suffrage Movement

Revolutionary Movement

MAIN GOAL: a total and radical change of the existing social structure and government

American Revolution

Arab Spring