1. Social Change And Modernization
Sociology
4/25/2017
Social Change And Modernization
Preview
Section 1: Explaining Social Change
Section 2: Modernization
Chapter Wrap-Up
Chapter 18

2. Section 1: Explaining Social Change
Read to Discover
What theories have social scientists offered to explain the process of social change?
How have the theories on social change evolved?

3. Section 1: Explaining Social Change
Question
What are the four theories of social change?

4. Section 1: Explaining 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

5. Section 1: Explaining Social Change
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

6. Section 1: Explaining Social Change
Evolutionary
Early—progress through distinct stages toward complexity
Modern—tendency to go along many paths toward increasing complexity

7. Section 1: Explaining Social Change
Equilibrium
Parsons—occurs as society adapts to maintain stability after a change in one area; involves differentiation and integration

8. Section 1: Explaining Social Change
Conflict
Marx—results from class conflict and revolution
Dahrendorf—results from social conflicts in all forms

9. Section 1: Explaining Social Change
How Theories of Social Change Evolved
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

10. Section 2: Modernization
Sociology
4/25/2017
Section 2: Modernization
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?
Chapter 18

11. Section 2: Modernization
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

12. Section 2: Modernization
Question
What are the positive and negative consequences of modernization on social life?

13. Section 2: Modernization
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

14. Chapter Wrap-Up Understanding Main Ideas
Sociology
4/25/2017
Chapter Wrap-Up Understanding Main Ideas
According to Pitirim Sorokin, how do ideational and sensate cultures differ?
What are the major features of the evolutionary theory of social change?
Briefly describe the equilibrium theory of social change. Why does this theory appeal to some sociologists?
Why do conflict theorists view social change as inevitable?
Why did modernization theory have a strong following in the 1950s and 1960s?
What moral and ethical issues does modern technology pose?
Chapter 18