SOCIAL CHANGE

• Social change refers to any significant

alteration over time in behavior patterns and
cultural values and norms. By “significant”
alteration, sociologists mean changes yielding
profound social consequences.
The term is often associated to similar concepts such as

Evolution, (Development from simple to complex)

Revolution, (Overthrow of an existing social order and
system)
Progress, (Change in direction towards a desired goal)
Development, (planned change towards a desired goal)
The external factors are further explained in
the following:
DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS

determine the numbers, composition, selection

and changes in population- both in numbers
and composition.
CULTURAL FACTORS
• Cultural factors consist of our values, and beliefs, ideas
and ideologies, morals and manners, customs and
traditions and various institutions. Not only social values
direct social changes but they themselves are subject to
change. Ideas and ideals, ideologies and philosophies
are inherently changeful.
• Cultural Fission, is the process through which
newcomers to a culture adopt behaviors/traits of the
dominant culture and maintain elements of their minority
identity to function in the dominant culture.
• Cultural Convergence, Convergence theory presumes
that as nations move from the early stages of
industrialization toward becoming fully industrialized, they
begin to resemble other industrialized societies in terms
of societal norms and technology. The characteristics of
these nations effectively converge.
POLITICAL FACTORS
• these refer to changes that occur in the political structure
and system of society due to either reformist or radical
approaches.
• Reformist Approaches, cpuld be in the form of lobbying,
creating and implementing new laws, replacing persons in
authority through elections, or creating new spheres of
influence to balance or shift centers of power.
• Radical Approaches, are done through revolutions
(replacing people of authority by overthrowing them from
their position against their will) or war (Fighting to death to
compete over resources and/or putting a certain ideology
ECONOMIC FACTORS

• These refer to changes that occur in the economic

structure and system of society due to
modernization. Modernization, is the transformation
from a traditional, rural, agrarian society to a
secular, urban, industrial society.
Theories on Social Change
Evolutionary
• in this theory, communities are seen to go through a
series of linear stages from simple to complex, all geared
toward a higher and more advanced stage of existence.
Cyclical
• This theory presupposes that communities undergo a
cycle of birth, maturity, decline, and death, and that they
undergo stages of ideational, idealistic, and sensate
culture.
• Ideational Stage, the community appeals to the mind and
spirit in the expression of art, religion,literature, and
ethics.
• Idealistic Stage, where there is a balance of faith,
reason, and science as the source of truth.
Functional
• This theory presents that communities always operate on
equilibrium where the social, cultural, political, and
economic structures of the community produce order,
stability, and productivity. Any disorganization in one of
the structures leads to change because the rest of the
structures gradually adjust in order to achieve equilibrium.
Conflict
• This theory explains that changes take place due to
conflicts that occur in societies. Conflict arises because of
unequal relations among people on the basis of class,
gender, age, race, and ethnicity.
Symbolic Interactionism
• This theory arques that people in society continuously
interact with one another, and it is through this interaction
that they are able to contruct and alter existing social,
cultural, political, and economic structures.