Sanderson’s Propositions

SOC 370: Social Change

Dr. Kimberly Martin

I. • Evolutionary processes occur at every level of

social organization.• Increasing complexity is a common result of

evolution, but is not inevitable.• There are both similarities and differences

between social and biological evolution.    

II.

• There are regularities/generalities in social history that can be explained causally (nomothetic approach),

• Stability and change are both part of these regularities,

• Social change is not teleological (progressing toward a given end)

III.   • The main causal factors of soc evol are

demographic, ecological, technological, and economic.

• Causal factors operate probabilistically - "A makes B more likely" (not "A always leads to B").

• These factors are primary because they relate to meeting basic human needs.

• Different patterns of social change occur because of different combinations of these factors.

IV.   

• Much of soc evol results from attempts at adaptation (individuals trying to meet their needs).

• Not all of these attempts work (or keep working). Adaptedness refers to those that work.

• Individuals are egoistic (focused on self-interest) and this is important in understanding social evolution.

V.    • Individuals create social structure and change

but not necessarily as they intend.• Individuals act partly in response to structures

and changes that they have created.• Individuals always act within the constraints of

their biopsychology and social structure.

VI. • The social structures created by individuals are

the units of evolution.• Social change is a response to a balance of

endogenous and exogenous factors.• Endogenous factors are those existing within a

society.

• Exogenous factors are those that result from contact between different societies.

VII.   • Soc evol is sometimes slow (gradualist) and

sometimes rather sudden (punctualist).• Soc evol is faster and more punctualist now than

in previous eras.

VIII.

• Evolutionary analysis is a form of historical analysis that in many cases only has access to modern data (synchronic data = data from a single point in time),

• By recording what happens now and in the future, extrapolations from synchronic data can be replaced by studies of actual change (diachronic data = data across time)

Study Guide

• Teleology Adaptation

• Synchronic data Egoistic individuals

• Diachronic data Demography

• Gradualist Economy

• Punctualist Ecology

• Endogenous Technology

• Exogenous Nomothetic