Download causes and effects of social change

CAUSES AND EFFECTS
OF SOCIAL CHANGE
CHALLENGES TO SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
 social belonging is an important element of personal growth and
development
 group membership and conformity are important elements in
fulfilling the need to belong
 The need to belong may be greater than one’s own values and
overpowers one’s rational decision-making
FESTINGER – SOCIAL COMPARISON
THEORY
 individuals routinely compare themselves with others to judge their
status and abilities
 led to other theories on social comparison
 Upward comparison:
 When one compares self to someone who is better off
 ie. An amateur hockey player to an NHL hockey player
 Downward comparison:
 when one compares self to someone who is worse off
 ie. A student who compares to a low-achieving student
 Overall, people prefer making upward comparisons
 ie. Juliet Schor: competitive emulation – trying to keep pace with others in material goods
and lifestyle
MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
 the motivation towards self-improvement drives an individual’s
need to belong
 the ultimate goal in life is balance / equilibrium
 the individual must meet certain needs to achieve this
 Deficit needs – physiological, safety, emotional
 failure to meet these needs may result in alienation – distance of people from
each other, from what they find meaningful, or from their sense of self
 Being needs – esteem, self-actualization
 lead to confidence, feelings of accomplishment, reaching full potential
SHERIF: THE IN-GROUP / OUT-GROUP
DYNAMIC
 The Robbers Cave Experiement:
https://youtu.be/6QGNxRGgBwM
 the IN-group – individuals will produce a group structure with a
hierarchy and roles when brought together for a shared goal
 the OUT-group – hostile attitudes would result if two distinct
groups were formed and brought together in competition
ROBERT MERTON – SOCIAL STRAIN
TYPOLOGY
 deviance is a naturally occurring element in any society
 social norms place pressure on an individual to conform to an
expected mode of behaviour
 this forces an individual to either work within the structure of
society or break from it and seek alternative means of expression
 this leads to participation in a subculture – an alternative system
of values and beliefs that does not conform to the mainstream
culture
MERTON, cont’d
IN WHAT WAYS CAN
DEVIANCE BE POSITIVE?
MERTON’S TYPOLOGY
 CONFORMISTS - people who accept the cultural goals of society and the
means by which to attain them
 RITUALISTS - accept the means or standards necessary to achieve the end goal
but not necessarily accept the cultural goals of society
 INNOVATORS – goals are in line with society but will not use acceptable
channels and means to accomplish them
 RETREATISTS – individuals who have chosen to disengage from mainstream
culture altogether
 REBELS – share much in common with RETREATISTS but do not isolate
themselves as they do, instead attempt to change the society in which they live
MELVIN SEEMAN – SOCIAL ISOLATION
 when social relationships become strained and the ability to interact in
social groups is limited
 social isolation leads to severe trust issues and the inability to perform
basic functions or fully participate in social living
 powerlessness – behaviour cannot determine the desired outcome
 meaninglessness – a diminished sense of the ability to predict future
outcomes
 normlessness – social norms are no longer an effective guide
 self-estrangement – an individual denies/negates personal interests and
engages in impersonal/external activities to satisfy needs