Factors of Social Change:

Society is dynamic and it is always evolving. However, its direction, speed and nature are
affected by several factors.
Those factors are following-
1. Geographical factors;
2. Biological factors;
3. Demographic factors;
4. Socio-Economic factors;
5. Political factors;
6. Cultural factors;
7. Technological factors;
8. Educational factors;
9. Ideological factors;

1. Geographical factors:
 
The social structure is always impacted by geographic circumstances, which also
contribute to social transformation. The physical environment affects how individuals
live their cultural lives. The availability of natural resources, their use, and how they are
recovered and protected all affect progress. The socioeconomic activities of the
population are always impacted by the climate. For instance, due to severe and protracted
cold periods, there is minimal economic activity at either pole (North or South), and the
rate of societal development is still quite slow. On the other hand, temperate zones
(where it is neither too cold nor too warm) are always bustling with activity, which
causes the rate of societal change to be fairly rapid.
 
2. Biological factors:
 
Biological factors influence social change as well. Biological factors are those that
influence the structure, selection, and heritability of generations. The human attribute is
always evolving. Each new generation is distinct from the preceding one. It differs from
the last one in form, concepts, and many other aspects.
 
Darwin and Spencer believe that each generation and its members must make
compromises with the physical environment. Only those who are healthy and able to live,
or those who have the capacity to endure physical conditions, survive in the battle for
life. The weak are annihilated. The process of survival of the fittest has an impact on
social organization.
 
3. Demographic factors:
 
 Demography is the scientific study of the human population based on its size, structure,
and development. It is derived from two Greek words meaning "people" and "draw" or
"write". So, in general, demography is concerned with the quantity and structure of the
human population. The social structure of a society is directly tied to changes in
population number, composition, and distribution. The population size is determined
primarily by three factors: birth rate, mortality rate, and movement (immigration and
emigration).
The composition of the population is determined by factors such as age, gender, marital
status, literacy, and so on. Changes in demographic structure, such as those produced by
changes in death rates, will result in changes in the breadwinner-to-dependent ratio. A
transformation of this magnitude can have ramifications for the structure of family,
kinship, politics, and other institutions. The size of the population has a direct impact on
all of us. Our education, the age at which we marry, our ability to find work, the taxes we
pay, and many other aspects are all affected by whether we are born into a rising or
diminishing population.
A population study demonstrates a link between population changes and economic,
social, and cultural factors such as poverty, illiteracy, ill-health, family structure,
marriage types, and employment. The most significant determinant of poverty is
population increase, whereas sex imbalance influences marital patterns (monogamy or
polygyny). Polyandry systems are found in societies where men outnumber females,
whereas polygyny is found in groups where females outnumber males. Population
changes have been occurring throughout human history due to migration, war, pestilence,
and changing mores. In modern times, birth control and abortion are also affecting the
number and composition of the population. The decline of both the birth rate and the
death rate brings social transformation, with the proportion of younger people decreasing
and the proportion of youth declining. This leads to significant social changes.

4. Socio-economic factors:
The social changes have an economic explanation, according to Karl Marx. The entire
society's structure and operation change along with changes in the economic system.
Health, mortality, marriages, divorce rates, suicide, crime, and emigration are all
impacted by a nation's economic situation. It may also result in conflict, revolution, and
social unrest.
 
Social organization has been significantly impacted by changes in the means of
production, such as the material productive forces of society. The Industrial Revolution,
the agricultural stage, the division of work, the institutions of kingship and feudalism, and
the emergence of marriage and family institutions are all examples of this. The
innovations and machine manufacturing systems that emerged throughout the Industrial
Revolution are only two examples of how these developments have drastically altered the
social structure. The Industrial Revolution, the establishment of the institutions of
marriage and the family, the division of labor, the institution of kingship and feudalism,
and other developments have all had a significant influence on how society is organized.
 However, urbanization caused a decline in the joint family system, and the nucleus
family became the basic social unit. Women also became a part of the work force,
changing male-female relations and improving the condition of women in developed
societies. Socio-economic factors have been and continue to be fundamentally important
factors in social change.
 
5. Political factors:
 
The state is the most powerful organization that governs social connections. It has the
authority to enact new laws and abolish old ones in order to effect social change in
society. Child marriage, widow remarriage, divorce, inheritance and succession, and
untouchability are only a few of the laws that have changed the social structure of Indian
society.
Political leadership and those in power also have an impact on the rate and direction of
social change. In many countries, the political leadership also has authority over the
economy. Scientific-technological and non-technological change are also influenced by
political developments, which have an indirect impact on social change. There is an
obvious relationship between the type of political organization and social change. There
were no political organizations capable of rousing the people in hunting and gathering
societies; there were only minor changes in the societies. However, in all other sorts of
societies, the existence of separate political agencies such as chiefs, lords, kings, and
governments has a significant impact on the direction of society's evolution. A king may
choose to redirect resources towards, say, expanding his palace, even if doing so
impoverishes the majority of the populace.
 
 
6. Cultural factors:
 
Cultural influences can play a role in causing social change. Our social lives are
influenced by our views, thoughts, values, customs, conventions, institutions, and so on.
When things shift, it has an impact on social life. Consider the marriage system as an
example. To begin with, the rituals were religious in nature, and people viewed marriage
as holy and immutable.
Today, we have a different point of view. Marriage is seen as beneficial to one's personal
comfort. It influenced public opinion in favor of marriage's immutability, and as a result,
the number of divorcees has increased drastically. The perspective on the issue (children
born out of marriage) has shifted. Today, children born to unwed mothers and children
from broken households are common in all Western cultures. In India, the insane love of
a male kid, combined with the short-sighted perception of a girl child as a burden, has
given rise to the wicked, inhumane, and hazardous practice of female feticide. People
have been pushed to practice modest family customs as a result of the demands of
modern industrial society. Parent-child relationships have changed significantly. The
increased love and necessity for working couples have functioned as catalysts for
 significant change in family ties and society. Thus, socioeconomic and cultural forces are
always powerful drivers of societal change.
 
7. Technological factors:
 
Technological elements also play an essential role in influencing societal transformation.
Technology is defined as the methodical use of scientific knowledge to solve specific
living issues.
Technology is rapidly advancing. The "Age of Technology" refers to the contemporary
era. Technology affects society by altering our settings, which we then accept. When we
make changes to adapt to a changing environment caused by technology, we frequently
change our conventions, norms, and social structures. For example, the arrival of
technology (computers, mobile phones, and the internet) has transformed our approach to
mate selection. Arranged marriage has been progressively supplanted by dating and love
marriage. Another example is how advancements in transportation and communication
have reduced social distance, resulting in cultural dispersion and, as a result, social
change.
With the introduction of the steam engine by James Watt in the mid-18th century,
industries were mechanized (using machines), and the industrial revolution occurred. The
use of machinery has changed the economic structure of society while also gradually
diminishing previous forms of social organization as well as old beliefs, norms, and
values. Indeed, technology has totally transformed the way people connect, communicate,
study, work, play, travel, worship, and conduct business in the twenty-first century.

8. Educational factors:

Education has a significant impact on social change. It conveys traditions, culture,

information, and skills from one generation to the next; it initiates new ideas and ideals,
which become objectives for the future generation to seek and attain. Education also
raises political consciousness. Governments attempt to communicate their national goals
to populations through education in order to ensure cohesion and harmony.
Education has the power to change society by giving people the experiences and chances
they need to develop as adaptable individuals who can meet the new wants and ideologies
of a society in transition. Every aspect of life, including social, cultural, economic, and
political aspects, requires careful planning for good social progress. Planning for
education must be done in a way that takes into account the needs and ambitions of the
entire population.
The following is an overview of education's role in social change:
a) Education helps to develop attitudes that can combat prejudice, superstitions, and
traditional beliefs.
b) Education stimulates a desire for change in a society, which is required for any type of
change to occur.
 c) When a social change happens, some people adapt quickly, while others struggle to
adjust. It is an obligation of education to assist people in making positive changes.
d) Education helps people understand the importance of social change, remove blind faith
and prejudice, and accept something new.
e) Education equips individuals with the ability to make informed decisions.
f) Education drove social reform movements at the turn of the century.
g) Education is essential for national integration and social change.
h) Education is essential for economic development and social change.
 
9. Ideological factors:
Other social change factors include the emergence of new perspectives, ideas, and concepts. The
advancement of science and technology, as well as changes in thoughts and attitudes, have all
contributed to our inventive and critical viewpoint. Unlike in the past, all of our activities or acts
are founded on reasonable concepts (i.e., ideas and reasoning). So we simply do not follow any
practices or habits simply because our age-old traditional authority instructs us to. So, this shift
in norms and habits is ideational, which indicates that ideas impact social development. Ideas
and ideologies are important motivators for societal change. It is true that no material or social
component can cause change unless there is also a shift in societal ideals. Self-improvement,
freedom, equality, and democratic involvement have all served to fuel reformation movements
and revolutions in society.
 For example, changes in views about dowry, caste, female education, and other issues have
resulted in significant social variances and alterations. In reality, the majority of social
revolutions occur as a result of the development of new ways of thinking.

Ref:
1. https://www.shareyouressays.com/knowledge/7-main-factors-which-affect-the-social-
change-in-every-society/112456
2. https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/sociology/top-6-factors-of-social-change-
explained/35127
3. https://tyonote.com/11_major_factors_of_social_change/
4. https://www.nios.ac.in/media/documents/331courseE/331_LG_E/331_LG_E_L17.pdf
5. https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/society/social-change-characteristics-and-factors-
5285-words/6169
6. https://onlinenotebank.wordpress.com/2022/12/03/social-change-meaning-
characteristics-factors-and-role-of-education-in-social-change/