SociologyChapter 18 Social Change And Modernization Preview Section 1: Explaining Social...

Sociology Chapter 18

Social Change And Modernization

Preview

Section 1: Explaining Social Change

Section 2: Modernization

Chapter Wrap-Up


Read to Discover

• What theories have social scientists offered to explain the process of social change?

• How have the theories on social change evolved?



Question

What are the four theories of social change?



THEORIES OF SOCIAL CHANGE


THEORY TYPES CRITICISMS

Cyclical Spengler Sorokin

focused on describing what is, instead of why things happen

Evolutionary Early Modern

biased toward the West; does not explain why change occurs

does not explain short-term changes or wars

Equilibrium Parsons does not explain wide-spread social change within or between societies

Conflict Marx Dahrendorf

does not always lead to revolution does not explain change without

conflict


• Cyclical

• Spengler—four stages: childhood, youth, adulthood, old age

• Sorokin—fluctuation between ideational culture (spiritual) and sensate culture (scientific) with idealistic culture in the middle



• Evolutionary

• Early—progress through distinct stages toward complexity

• Modern—tendency to go along many paths toward increasing complexity



• Equilibrium

• Parsons—occurs as society adapts to maintain stability after a change in one area; involves differentiation and integration



• Conflict

• Marx—results from class conflict and revolution

• Dahrendorf—results from social conflicts in all forms



• Older theories focused more on describing social change and suggested that all societies follow similar patterns of development

• Modern theories provide for different patterns of development and focus more on why societies change


How Theories of Social Change EvolvedHow Theories of Social Change Evolved


Read to Discover

• How do modernization theory and world-system theory differ in their views on modernization in less-developed nations?

• What are some of the positive and negative effects of modernization on social life and the natural environment?



• Modernization Theory—argues that less-developed countries will eventually modernize as they begin to industrialize

• World-systems Theory—argues that the concentration of wealth and power in core nations slows modernization in less-developed countries



Question

What are the positive and negative consequences of modernization on

social life?



EFFECTS OF MODERNIZATION

Positive Negative


Increase in standard of living Longer life expectancies Lower birthrates Higher rates of literacy Decrease in economic and

social inequality More personal comforts Improved infrastructure Electricity and

communication technology Establishment of educational

institutions

Loss of some traditional authority for the family and religion

Weaker social relationships and increased feelings of social isolation

Moral and ethical questions Some environmental problems Some health problems


Chapter Wrap-Up Understanding Main Ideas

1. According to Pitirim Sorokin, how do ideational and sensate cultures differ?

2. What are the major features of the evolutionary theory of social change?

3. Briefly describe the equilibrium theory of social change. Why does this theory appeal to some sociologists?

4. Why do conflict theorists view social change as inevitable?

5. Why did modernization theory have a strong following in the 1950s and 1960s?

6. What moral and ethical issues does modern technology pose?

SociologyChapter 18 Social Change And Modernization Preview Section 1: Explaining Social...

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