Social Change and Movement

Question 1

Define social change

Answer 1

Social Change is the way in which culture, interaction and innovation change social institutions over time

Significant alteration over time in behavior patterns and culture

Question 2

Describe the three types of resistance to social change

Answer 2

Futility
- Is the claim that a reform cannot work because the social problem is unsolvable

Perversity
- Is the claim than any attempts to fix a problem would actually compound the issues the change was trying to address

Jeopardy
- Is the claim that attempting to solve a problem will only draw attention away from other, more important issues

Question 3

What are the Aberle’s 4 types of social movements

Answer 3

Alternate Social Movements

• How much change: Limited
• Who is changed: specific individuals

Redemptive Social Movements

• How much change: Radical
• Who is changed: specific individuals

Reformative Social Movements

• How much change: Limited
• Who is changed: Everyone

Revolutionary Social Movements

• How much change: Radical
• Who is changed: Everyone

Question 4

Elaborate on Alternate Social Movements

Answer 4

• Want to create a change in specific people’s thoughts, practices, and beliefs regarding a specific issue
• Their goal is to encourage a small defined change in the way a particular group of people think and act in order to solve a problem
• Example: No shark fins

Question 5

Elaborate on Redemptive Social Movements

Answer 5

• Focus on specific individuals but the amount of change sought is radical, rather then limited
• Religious movements are examples of redemptive social movements that require a radical change in life style

Question 6

Elaborate on Reformative Social Movements

Answer 6

• Seek to change a society’s thoughts and actions, but only in a limited way
• These social movements can be progressive or favoring or promoting change
• Regressive or seeking to stop change
• Example: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle or Coastal Cleanup

Question 7

Elaborate on Revolutionary Social Movements

Answer 7

• Sometimes called the transformative social movement seeks to change the thoughts and actions of all society in radical fashion
• Attempt to totally restructure society