2: Social change Flashcards
Example 1 population growth and ageing population
Report made on those ages 65 and over
Population projections made
Example 1 population projections
Give an indication of the future size and age structure of the population based on mid-year population estimates and assumptions
Office for National Statistics publishes population projections on a national and regional level
Demographic projections widely used for resource allocation and planning
Example 2 childbirth and families
Mums in UK get older and fewer
Fertility rates decreased across all age groups
Example 2 average age of mother
1971: 23.7
2019: 30.7
Example 3 shifting economy and UK services developments
Growth of the service industry and decline of other sectors
Social change definition
Process of changes in the structure/social order society
Indicators of social change
Demography
Economic life
Culture
Politics
Longer perspective on social change; modernity
Fundamental social change from pre-modern to modern society
Big 3 at the heart of the study: Marx, Weber, Durkheim
Different approaches Marx/Weber
Reasons for change controversially debated
Change towards modernity
Associated with development of modern capitalism
Industrialisation
Science and reason
Democracy/development nation state
Rise of modern society
Enlightenment
Age of reason: scientific study becomes more popular and influential in Europe
Secularisation/demystification
Democratization/human rights
‘Sapere Aude’ Kant
New inventions
Questioning of traditional/old authorities
Control over nature
Early theories of social change
Comte
Evolutionary theories
Conflict theories
Comte’s theory of social change
Society is dynamic, in flux
Develops through series of progressive stages
Evolutionary theories of social change
H. Spencer
Growing population/structural differentiation of society
Conflict theories of social change
Social changes brought about by inner conflicts of society/class/antagonism/power struggle
Further theories of social change
Functionalism
Functionalism Durkheim/Parsons
Society complex web structure of interlinked and connected functions
Consistent search for balance equilibrium
Alternative views
Feminist theory
Intersectionality
New theories of social change
Daniel Bell
Change from goods-producing to service economy
Dominance of professional/technical class
Theoretical knowledge is key
Future orientation
Scientific decision-making
Weber’s view on social change
Feels ambivalent about change from pre-modern to modern society
Critique of modernisation of society seen as a rationalisation/bureaucratisation
Disenchantment of the world: entzauberung
Iron cage of rationality
Mcdonaldisation of society
Process by which the principles of fast-food restaurants are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world
Efficiency/calculability/predictability
Control/replacement of human by non-human technology
The information society
Wealth based on service industries, knowledge production and information technology
Information revolution
Globalisation
Bell’s key argument; technological changes radic`ally altered society
