Ch. 18- Social Change, Collective Action, Social Movement Flashcards
American dream
the ideology that an individual of low social and opportunity in the U.S cam, through hard work, and perseverance, climb to the top of the social hierarchy.
Social revolution
a revolution that involves a fundamental change in social practices (as distinct from a political revolution, which involves the overthrow of one type of political regime by another).
evolutionary view of social change
a perspective on social change that implies a gradual transformation through a series of stages of increasing complexity (as distinct from the revolutionary view of social change, which assumes that a revolution is necessary for social change to occur).
Standardization
a characteristic of the industrial age whereby everything was produced en masse, following the same guidelines and design protocol and resulting in identical products.
Social change
the alteration of social structures with respect not only to institutions and actions but also to changes in cultural elements, such as norms, beliefs, and values.
Cultural lag
the phenomenon whereby cultural elements, such as religious beliefs, change more slowly than structural elements, such as technological innovations.
Differentiation
separation of major social functions so that each is the specialized responsibility of an appropriate social institution.
Metanarratives
all-encompassing, macro-social theories of development
Social relations of production
the relationships between the main groups engaged in the production of goods for sale- workers and those who supervise them on behalf of capitalist owners.
Rationalization
the process by which traditional institutions and values are replaced by those based on rational calculation regarding the most efficient means to achieve empirical ends.
Networks
the components of an interconnected system through which social actors are organized toward the attainment of goals.
Welfare state
a state in which the government takes responsibility for its citizens’ well-being.
Legitimizing movements and identities
social movements that are generated through institutions of civil society that are outside of the state, yet have legitimate access to state power.
Resistance movements and identities
social movements that are based on the identity of excluded groups and are the product of resentment toward dominant institutions and alienation from mainstream ideologies.
Project movements and identities
social movements that use available cultural resources to create new identities that redefine one ’ s position in society and try to change the overall social structure.
