Download Unit #2 – Social Change

Social Change – Sociological Questions
Sociological View of Change – while anthropologists look at culture and change
and psychologists look at the nature of change in terms of people’s attitudes and
behaviours; sociologists will usually look at the considerable shifts in the attitudes
and behaviours of society at large.
Early Approaches – in the past (early 19th century) sociologists considered three
main contributors to social change: Decay, Cycles of Growth and Decay, and
Progress
1. Decay – the idea here is a somewhat negative (often religious-based) belief.
The belief was that societies started off in an ideal state (think Adam and
Eve). Change then occurred as a result of a decay or degeneration in society
(think apple). Using this approach sociologists believed that as societies
decayed (became more interested in material items) they would become less
spiritual and less able to provide for and protect their citizens.
2. Cycles of Growth and Decay – somewhat more positive, this approach took
from the idea of decay but instead focused on the idea that societies changed
by drifting between growth (in morality and justice for example) and decay.
3. Progress – this approach looks at societal change from the idea that each
society builds upon what was learned from its predecessors. By building on
the experience of what worked (and what did not work) society could move
forward and change in a more positive manner. To Ponder: “Does progress
necessarily mean positive change?”
Late 19th Century – the debate among sociologists shifted and focused upon
whether social change was the result of a single, or multiple factors.
Reductionist – to the reductionist social change was the result of a single factor.
That which influences social change could be ‘reduced’ to a single factor.
Determinist – determinists build on the ideas of the reductionist in that they see a
specific factor as that which will determine the nature of the social change that is
taking place. Eg: Feminist theory would be deterministic as is focuses on the idea
that society is set up as a patriarchy and in order to change society we must admit
this and then look at ways to change it.