SociologicalSociologicalQuestionsQuestions

The Sociological QuestionsThe Sociological Questions• Sociologists tend to Sociologists tend to

focus on the massive focus on the massive shifts in the shifts in the behaviours and behaviours and attitudes of groups attitudes of groups and whole societies.and whole societies.

• They see change as They see change as an inevitable process.an inevitable process.

• They are preoccupied They are preoccupied with whether social with whether social change is patterned change is patterned and predictable, or and predictable, or arbitrary and irregular.arbitrary and irregular.

The Sociological QuestionsThe Sociological Questions

• The major question The major question that fascinates that fascinates sociologists is:sociologists is:

How does social How does social change come change come about?about?

The Sociological QuestionsThe Sociological Questions

• Sociology Sociology developed three developed three main ways of main ways of explaining social explaining social change:change:

• From decayFrom decay

• From cycles of From cycles of growth and decaygrowth and decay

• From progressFrom progress

The Sociological QuestionsThe Sociological Questions• From decay-From decay- social social

change was seen as change was seen as being caused by being caused by decline or decline or degenerationdegeneration

• From cycles of From cycles of growth andgrowth and decaydecay-- societies go societies go through cycles of through cycles of growth and decay.growth and decay.

• From progress-From progress- social social change occurs as a change occurs as a result of the result of the phenomenon of phenomenon of continuous progress. continuous progress.

• Each new society Each new society builds on the builds on the experiences of its experiences of its predecessors, and predecessors, and social institutions social institutions change as a result.change as a result.

The Sociological QuestionsThe Sociological Questions

• Since the Since the nineteenth century, nineteenth century, some social some social scientists began to scientists began to believe that social believe that social change was caused change was caused by a single factor or by a single factor or by interplay of by interplay of many factors. many factors.

The Sociological QuestionsThe Sociological Questions

• ReductionistReductionist theory- theory- social change social change occurred as a result occurred as a result of one factorof one factor

oror

• DeterministDeterminist theory- theory- a a specific factor specific factor determines the determines the nature of social nature of social change that takes change that takes place. place.

The Sociological QuestionsThe Sociological Questions• Sociologists believe that Sociologists believe that

human behaviour is human behaviour is generally patterned and generally patterned and therefore potentially therefore potentially predictable. It is important predictable. It is important for them to identify for them to identify patterns.patterns.

• People within societies tend People within societies tend to behave according to to behave according to societal societal normsnorms (customary (customary types of behaviour). types of behaviour). Therefore, the extent to Therefore, the extent to which a society will accept which a society will accept social change is social change is predictable.predictable.

• Modernistic societies are Modernistic societies are more likely to experience more likely to experience and accept change than and accept change than more traditional societiesmore traditional societies

The Sociological QuestionsThe Sociological Questions

• Sociologists tend to Sociologists tend to look at one or more look at one or more of four of four aspectsaspects of of social change in social change in their studies:their studies:

• Direction of changeDirection of change• Rate of changeRate of change• SourcesSources• ControllabilityControllability

Direction of ChangeDirection of Change

• Is it positive or negative Is it positive or negative change, and who says so?change, and who says so?

Rate of ChangeRate of Change

• Is the degree of change Is the degree of change slow, moderate or fast?slow, moderate or fast?

• Is it radical change over Is it radical change over a short period, or slow a short period, or slow change that will change that will continue for decades?continue for decades?

• Is the rate of change Is the rate of change slowing, staying steady, slowing, staying steady, or increasing?or increasing?

• What factors are What factors are affecting this rate? affecting this rate?

SourcesSources

• What factors are behind the influences?What factors are behind the influences?

• (they might be (they might be exogenousexogenous influences, influences, coming from another society into this coming from another society into this one, or one, or endogenousendogenous influences, coming influences, coming from within the society itself)from within the society itself)

Example Example Demographic Group Demographic Group

ControllabilityControllability

• To what degree is it To what degree is it possible to engineer or possible to engineer or restrict social change ? restrict social change ? (e.g. how to eliminate (e.g. how to eliminate gang-violence, child gang-violence, child abuse, poverty, the abuse, poverty, the divorce rate, teenage divorce rate, teenage smoking, drug-abuse, smoking, drug-abuse, etc.)etc.)