Lecture 11 Pt.2 Flashcards
social change
the transformation of culture and social institutions over time
4 characteristics of social change
- social change is ubiquitous and ceaseless
- social change can be intentional but is usually unplanned
- social changes often genrates conflict, tension, and controversy
- some changes matter more than others
social change is ubiquitous and ceaseless
social change happens everywhere, and we always live in its ever-flowing grandness. social patterns related to death, however, have changed, seeing as life expectancy in the western world has increased by a lot. some societies change very quickly, and some cultural elements change more quickly than others
cultural lag theory
suggests that material culture usually changes faster than non-material culture
social change can be intentional but is usually unplanned
industrial societies actively promote many kinds of change, but the effect of new technologies can often not be foreseen. these unplanned outcomes, often very dangerous and quite unpredictable, are what we have seen as the growth of the modern risk society.
social change often generates conflict, tension, and controversy
most social change yields both positive and negative consequences. much change leads to generational tensions because each generation experiences the world differently
some changes matter more than other
some changes only have passing significance; other transformations last for generations
economic change
in industrial cpitalist societies, there is a struggle between spitalists and workers. many argue that the tension within capitalist economies bring about major changes
cultural change
three important sources of cultural change are inventions (new objects, ideas, and social patterns), discovery (such as medical advances), and diffusion (spread of cultural elements)
Change through ideas
Weber traced the roots of social change to the world of ideas. weber concluded that the disciplined rationality of Calvinist proponents was instrumental to the change that the industrial capitalism brought. ideal also fuels social movements, as social movements emerge from the determination to modity society, or if you have a sense of injustice
ideas and conflict
major conflicts have arisen from differences in ideas
the decline of small traditional communities
modernity involves the progressive weakening or destruction of cohesive communities in which humans have found solidarity. they offered each person a well-defined place and a strong sense of identity, belonging, and purpose
the expansion of personal choice
to people in traditional, pre-industrial societies, life is shaped by forces beyond human control. this grants these people a narrow range of personal choices. indivudualiation is the provess of expanding personal choice
increasing diversity in beliefs
in pre-industrial societies, strong family ties and powerful religious beliefs enforce conformity while discouraging diversity. modernization promotes a more rational, scientific worldview; tradition loses its force, and morality becomes a matter of individual attitude
future orientation and growing awareness of time
people in modern societies think more about the future, while pre-industrial people focus more on the past. modern people also organize daily routines according to precise units of time
Ferinand Tonnies
described modernization as the transition from Gemeinschaft to Gesellschaft, a process characterized by the loss of traditional community and the rise of individualism
Emile Durkheim
saw modernization as a society’s expanding division of labor. mechanical solidarity, based on shared activities and beliefs, is gradually replaced by organic solidarity, in which specialization makes people interdependent
Max Weber
saw modernity as the decline of a traditional worldview and the rise of rationality. Weber feared the dehumanizing effects of modern rational organization
Karl Marx
saw modernity as the triumph of capitalism over feudalism. capitalism creates social conflict, which Marc claimed would bring about revolutionary change leading to an egalitarian socialist society.
structural functional theory: medernity as mass society
- according to mass-society theory, modernity increased the scale of life, expanding the role of government and other formal organizations in carrying out tasks preiously performed by families in local communities
- cultural diversity and rapid social change make it difficult for people in modern societies to develop stable identities and to find meaning in their lives
social conflict theory: modernity as class society
- according to class-society theory, modernity involves the rise of capitalism into a global economic system, resulting in persistent social inequality
- by concertrating wealth in the hands of a few, modern capitalist societies generate widespread feelings of alienation and powerlessness
second modernity—Ulrich Beck
involves the collective patterns of life, progress and controlability, full employment, and exploitation of nature through globalization, individualisation, gender revolution, underemployment, and global risks
hyperglobalists
defend globalization, the nation-state becomes irrelevant, positive (neoliberal) vs. negative view (neo-Marxist)
scepticts
perceive that regionalization and globalization are already on the decline since the end of the 19th century. power is regional, central role for an nation-state
