1. Social Change Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

2. The transformation of culture and social institutions over time
Social Change
The transformation of culture and social institutions over time
Four major characteristics:
Social change happens all the time.
Social change is sometimes intentional but often unplanned.
Social change is controversial.
Some changes matter more than others.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

3. Causes of Social Change
Culture and change
Invention: Production of new objects, ideas, and social patterns
Discovery: Taking note of existing elements of a culture
Diffusion: The spread of products, people and information from one culture to another
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

4. Causes of Social Change
Conflict and social change
Social conflict arising from inequality would force changes in every society.
Ideas and change
Ideas can fuel social movements which bring about social change.
Demographics and change
Population patterns also play a part in social change.
Migration within and among societies promotes change.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

5. Social patterns resulting from industrialization
Modernity
Social patterns resulting from industrialization
Modernization–The process of social change begun by industrialization
Berger: Four major characteristics of modernization:
Decline of small, traditional towns
Expansion of personal choice
Increasing social diversity
Future orientation and growing awareness of time
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

6. Tönnies: The Loss of Community
With modernization comes the loss of Gemeinschaft, or human community.
Modernity brings about a condition referred to as Gesellschaft, or impersonal relationships.
Critical evaluation
Gemeinschaft exists in modern society.
Didn’t distinguish between cause & effect
Romanticized traditional societies
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

7. Durkheim: Division of Labor
Modernization is defined by an increasing division of labor.
Society transformed from mechanical to organic solidarity
Mechanical solidarity: Shared moral sentiments
Organic solidarity: Mutual dependency between people engaged in specialized work
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

8. Durkheim: Division of Labor
Critical evaluation
Societies’ norms and values strong enough to avoid anomie
People value the personal freedom of modern society despite the risks.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

9. Max Weber and Rational Society
Modernity meant replacing a traditional worldview with a rational way of thinking.
“Truth” is the result of rational calculation.
Value efficiency; little reverence for the past
Adopt social patterns that allow goal achievement
Critical evaluation
Weber feared that rationalization, especially in bureaucracies, would erode the human spirit with endless rules and regulations.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

10. Karl Marx: Capitalism
Industrial revolution was a capitalist revolution.
Modernity weakened small communities.
Social conflict in capitalist societies would incite revolutionary change.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

11. Karl Marx: Capitalism Critical evaluation
Complex theory underestimates the dominance of bureaucracy.
Stifling socialist bureaucracies are as bad or worse than dehumanizing capitalism.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

12. Theoretical Analysis of Modernity
Structural-functional theory
Mass society–A society in which prosperity and bureaucracy have weakened traditional social ties
Draws upon the ideas of Tönnies, Durkheim, and Weber
Social-conflict theory
Class society–A capitalist society with pronounced social stratification
Draws upon the ideas of Marx
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

13. Theoretical Analysis of Modernity
Critical evaluation
Mass society ignores social inequality, romanticizes the past.
Class society overlooks the way equality in modern society has increased.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

14. Modernity and the Individual
Personal identity can be a problem since society changes so rapidly.
Social character–Personality patterns common to members of a particular society
Tradition-directedness–Rigid conformity to time-honored ways of living
Other-directedness–Openness to the latest trends and fashions, often expressed by imitating others
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

15. Problems of Powerlessness
Persistent social inequality undermines modern society’s promise of individual freedom.
Problems of relative disadvantage for racial and ethnic minorities
Power of multinational corporations
Does technology solve the world’s problems, or does it cause the world’s problems?
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

16. Modernity and Progress
In modern societies, most people expect and desire social change.
Modernity is linked to progress.
Social change is too complex to equate with progress.
New technology sparks controversy.
Toffler: Coined the term "future shock" to describe rapid, overwhelming social change.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

17. Postmodernity Social patterns characteristic of postindustrial societies
In important respects, modernity has failed.
The bright light of “progress” is fading.
Science no longer holds the answers.
Cultural debates are intensifying.
Social institutions are changing.
Critical review
Increases in longevity and living standards
What are the alternatives?
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

18. Modernization and the Future
Modernization theory: In the past the entire world was poor. Technological change, especially the Industrial Revolution, enhanced human productivity and raised living standards in many nations.
The United States is no longer separate from change in the rest of the world.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

19. Modernization and the Future
Communitarian movement: Rights come with responsibilities
Our society should halt the expanding “culture of rights” by which we put our own interests ahead of social responsibility.
All rights involve responsibilities. For society to work, we must all play a part.
The well-being of everyone might require limiting our individual rights.
No one can ignore key responsibilities such as upholding the law and responding to a cry for help.
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.