Social change and the environment Flashcards
Social change
Changes in human interaction and relationships that transform cultural and social institutions
Modernization
The transformation from a traditional, rural, agrarian society to a secular, urban, industrial society
Dialectical process
The unification of opposites in the complex relation of parts to the whole
Invention
an object or concept’s initial appearance in society
Discovery
New findings about previously unknown or unrecognized aspects of a culture
Diffusion
The process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system
Cultural Lag
A situation in which elements of nonmaterial culture change, but elements of material culture do not
Postmodern society
A cultural perspective that emphasizes a more fluid society in that it is subject to varying interpretations, skepticism, and amendment
Alienation
When humans feel disconnected or estranged from some part of their nature or from society
Sustainable environment
Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Environmental sociology
The study of the relationship between societies and their natural environment
