Chapter 16.1, 16.2, 16.4- Social Change: Modern and Postmodern Societies Flashcards
What is Social Change?
the transformation of culture and social institutions over time
What are the 4 defining Characteristics of Social Change?
- happens all the time
- often unplanned
- controversial
- some changes matter more than others
What are the 3 important sources of Culture that direct Social Change?
- Intervention (new social patterns, obj’s, & ideas)
- Discovery (people notice existing elements of the world)
- Diffusion (products, people, & info spread from one society to another)
How does Conflict direct Social Change and Who proposed this?
- Karl Marx
- social conflict (arising from class, race, &gender inequality) has resulted in social changes that have improved the lives of working people
How do Ideas direct Social Change and Who proposed this?
- Max Weber
2. ideas can spread and bring about change
How do Population Patterns direct Social Change?
migration between and within societies promotes change (ex: aging population results in changes of consumer products to meet the needs of elderly and family changes)
What is Collective Behaviour?
activity involving a large number of people that is unplanned, often controversial, and can bring about change
What is a Crowd?
a temporary gathering of people who share a common focus of attention and who influence one another
What is a Mob?
a highly emotional crowd that pursues a violent or destructive goal
What is a Riot?
a social eruption that is highly emotional, violent, and undirected
What is a Rumour?
unconfirmed info that people spread informally, by word of mouth or by using electronic devices
What is Fashion?
social patterns favoured by a large number of people
What is a Fad?
an unconventional social pattern that people embrace briefly but enthusiastically
What is a Social Movement?
an organized activity in which people set out to encourage or discourage social change
What do Alliterative Social Movements do?
seek limited change in specific individuals (ex: MADD)
What do Redemptive Social Movements do?
seek radical change in specific individuals (ex: Alcoholics Anonymous)
What do Reformative Social Movements do?
seek limited change in the whole society (ex: envr. movement)
What do Revolutionary Social Movements do?
seek radical change in the whole society (ex: communist party)
What is the Relative Deprivation?
a perceived disadvantage arising from some specific comparison
What is Mass Society?
a society in which prosperity and expanding bureaucracy have weakened traditional social ties
How is Modernity seen as according to Mass-society Theory (structural-functional approach)?
modernity is seen as… increasing the scale of life & increasing role of gov. and other formal organizations in carrying out tasks previously performed by families in local communities
How is Modernity seen as according to Class-society Theory (social-conflict approach)?
Modernity involves… rise of capitalism into a global economic system resulting in persistent social inequality (i.e., wealth is in the hands of few)
What is Social Character?
personality patterns common to members of a particular society
What is Social Character?
personality patterns common to members of a particular society
What is Traditional-directedness?
rigid conformity to time-honoured ways of living
What is Other-directedness?
openness to the latest trends and fashions, often expressed by imitating others
Who defined the Problems of Identity (traditional- & other-directedness) in Mass Society?
David Riesman
Who defined the Problems of Powerlessness in Class Society?
Herbert Marcuse
What is the Problem of Powerlessness?
modern society is… irrational bc it fails to meet the needs of so many people
(ex: technological advances reduce ppl’s control over their own lives & wealth and power is concentrated in the hands of few)
