What do you mean by Social Change ? Explain the main factors
We observe change is all around us but we do not refer to all of it as social change. Here, we look at social change as alterations that occur in the social structure and social relationships. Social change refers to an alteration in the social structure of a social group or society. Thus, physical growth of a person from year to year or change of seasons does not fall under the concept of social change. We will discuss the meaning of social change and the important factors of social change.
Meaning and definition of Social Change
Social changes according to, International Encyclopaedia of Social Science (IESS. 1972), are the change in the nature, social institutions, social behaviours or social relations of a society. These alteration may occur in norms, values, cultural products and symbols in a society. This alteration in the structure and function of a social system, institutions and patterns of interaction, work, leisure activities, roles and other aspects of society can be altered over the time as a result of the process of social change. relationships. Hence social change is a change in social relationships.
In the words of Jones,
“Social change is a term used to describe variations or modifications of any aspect of social processes, social patterns, social interactions, or social organisation.” Thus social change is a in the social organisation.
Davis has written that
“By social change is meant only such alterations as secure in social organisation-that is, the structures and functions of society.” Social change can be observed in every society. Describing social change in detail,
Merrill and Eldredge have said,
“Social change means that large number of persons are engaging in activities that differ from those which they or their immediate forefathers engaged in some time before.
A vast and complex network of patterned human relationships composes society, in which all men participate. “Human beings constitute human society.” Thus whatever apparent alteration in the mutual behaviour between individuals takes place is a sign of social change. This fact of social change can be verified by glancing at the history of any society.
Factors
Some writers regard diffusion to be the main factor of social change while some other writers consider invention in a similar capacity. Actually both diffusion and invention have role in the social change which besets relationship. Some of the main factors which trigger social changes are cultural, technological, demographic, environmental, biological and other factors. Details of these factors are as follows :-
Cultural Factors
In the opinion of Max Weber, the main cause of social changes is cultural factors. He has tried to prove his theory by a comparative study of religious and economic institutions. Actually no one can deny that changes and variations in culture inevitably influences social relationships. Dawson and Gettys have written that culture gives speed and direction to social changes and determines the limits beyond which social changes cannot occur. But this does not warrant the conclusion that there is no distinction between social and cultural changes. Maclver and Page have distinctly indicated that “Social change is therefore, a distinct thing from cultural or civilization changes.”
Technological Factors
The technological factors have immense influence on social changes. Ogburn writes, “Technology changes society by changing our environments to which we in turn adapt. The changes is usually in material environment and the adjustment we make to changes often modifies customs and social institutions.” In this way the incessant increase, in new machines and methods due to new discoveries had very great influence upon social relationships. The form of society is undergoing change as a result of the development in and invention of electric, steam and petrol-driven machines for production, the means of transport and communication and various mechanical appliance in everyday life. Even institutions like family and marriage have not remained immune to the effect of these developments. The apparent effects of technological advance are labour organisation, division of iabour, specialization high speed of life, increase in production, etc. Hence in Modern age technological factors are among the predominant causes of social changes.
Biological Factors
Biological factors too have some indirect influence upon social changes. Among the biological factors, qualitative aspect of the population is related to heredity. The qualitative aspect of population is based upon powerful and great men and their birth which is dependent to a large extent upon heredity and mutation. Hence, biological factors play a part in social changes to the extent.
Demographic Factors
Even changes in the quality and rise of the demography have an effect upon the social organization as well as customs and traditions, institutions, associations, etc. Increase and decrease of population and changes in the ratio of men and women, young and old have an effect upon social relationships. The ratio of men to women in a society has great effect upon marriages, the family and the condition of women in society. In the same way, the birth and death rates etc. also influence social changes.
Environmental Factors
The geographists have emphasized the impact of geographical environment upon human society. Huntington has explained that an alteration in the climate is the sole cause of the evolution and devolution of civilization and culture. Even if we discard these claims of the geographists, we cannot deny that floods, earthquakes, excessive rain, drought, changes of season, etc., significantly affect social relationships, and we modify these relationships based on such natural occurrences.
Psychological Factors
Gillin and Gillin regard psychological factors as important elements in social change. The cause of social changes is the psychology of man himself. Man is always trying to discover new things in every sphere of his life and is always anxious for novel experiences. As a result of this tendency, the mores, traditions, customs, etc. of every human society are perpetually undergoing change. This does not mean that man always considers the new to be superiors to the old. While he is always attending to what is new and unique he also wants to preserve what is old. The form of social relationship is constantly changing in the process of interaction between these two tendencies. New customs and methods which replace the old traditional customs are being formed. Old traditions are respected but time demands change and adaptation to changing conditions. Actually changes is the law of life. When changes do not occur at the appropriate time revolutions take place, wars are fought, epidemics spread and changes are violently introduced.
Other Factors
In addition to the above mentioned factors another factor of social changes is the appearance of new opinions and thoughts. For example, change in the attitudes towards dowry caste system, female education, etc. have resulted in widespread social variations ad modifications. Actually a majority of the social revolutions take place as a result of the evolution of new way of thinking. Similarly war is also a cause of social change because it influences the population, the economic situation, ratio of males to females, etc. In the same ways change are introduced by the advent of great men as Gandhi, Karl Marx, etc.
