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
