Why societies change

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Modernization describes the processes that increase the amount of specialization and differentiation of structure in societies resulting in the move from an undeveloped society to developed, technologically driven society Irwin By this definition, the level of modernity within a society is judged by the sophistication of its technology, particularly as it relates to infrastructure, industry, and the like. However, it is important to note the inherent ethnocentric bias of such assessment.

Why do we assume that those living in semi-peripheral and peripheral nations would find it so wonderful to become more like the core nations? Is modernization always positive? One contradiction of all kinds of technology is that they often promise time-saving benefits, but somehow fail to deliver.

How many times have you ground your teeth in frustration at an Internet site that refused to load or at a dropped call on your cell phone? Despite time-saving devices such as dishwashers, washing machines, and, now, remote control vacuum cleaners, the average amount of time spent on housework is the same today as it was fifty years ago.

While once businesses had to travel at the speed of the U. Further, the Internet bought us information, but at a cost. The morass of information means that there is as much poor information available as trustworthy sources. There is a delicate line to walk when core nations seek to bring the assumed benefits of modernization to more traditional cultures. For one, there are obvious procapitalist biases that go into such attempts, and it is short-sighted for western governments and social scientists to assume all other countries aspire to follow in their footsteps.

Additionally, there can be a kind of neo-liberal defense of rural cultures, ignoring the often crushing poverty and diseases that exist in peripheral nations and focusing only on a nostalgic mythology of the happy peasant. It takes a very careful hand to understand both the need for cultural identity and preservation as well as the hopes for future growth. There are numerous and varied causes of social change. Four common causes, as recognized by social scientists, are technology, social institutions, population, and the environment.

All four of these areas can impact when and how society changes. And they are all interrelated: a change in one area can lead to changes throughout. Modernization is a typical result of social change. Modernization refers to the process of increased differentiation and specialization within a society, particularly around its industry and infrastructure. While this assumes that more modern societies are better, there has been significant pushback on this western-centric view that all peripheral and semi-peripheral countries should aspire to be like North America and Western Europe.

ABC News. CBS News. Center for Biological Diversity. Freidman, Thomas. Irwin, Patrick. Klein, Naomi. New York: Picador. Megan Meier Foundation. Miller, Laura. Mullins, Dexter. Indicators of School Crime and Safety: National Center for Education Statistics, U. Department of Justice: Washington, DC. Sullivan, Melissa. Skip to main content. Social Movements and Social Change. SCI exercises its influence by bringing together social activists with philanthropists around the world.

These are lofty goals to be sure, and they demand our constant attention and unrestricted imagination to envision a better world. You may think that's great, but wonder why you should care, why you should take time out of your incredibly busy schedule to take action and more importantly, how you can even go about helping to create positive social change.

I'd like to suggest that it's not that hard if we begin at the most basic level, that of relationship building. When we listen respectfully to others who have different opinions and life experiences than our own, we take the first step in listening; we accept that there are myriad perspectives and points of view on most issues of concern. If we truly want to be a participant in real change, we cannot stop at acceptance, but we must have conversations that push and pull, that asks us to give and take.

And if we are willing to do that, we can find those points of agreement and come together on them. We needn't concede those points that define our values but find ways to work together towards positive change that reflects our shared values. It is the art of principled compromise that has the power to create a more lasting change. Global Citizens Circle has for over four decades brought together diverse groups of people for challenging discussions on issues ranging from conflict resolution and reconciliation to education reform and economic equality.

We've seen Catholics and Protestants from Northern Ireland sit down together and discuss their shared hope for peace. We've hosted South African exiles who were once labeled "terrorists" in their own country and who later became leaders of that country.

All societies go through these types of changes at one point. Consider a modern society and reflect on what it looked like hundreds of years ago. Often, society is unrecognizable. Throughout history, sociologists have wrestled with different ideas and models.

There are three main theories of social change: evolutionary, functionalist, and conflict. The evolutionary theory of social change gained prominence in the 19th century. At first, social evolutionists asserted that all societies must go through the same sequence of progress.

Modern theorists believe that change is multilinear. Societies can evolve in different ways and different directions. The functionalist theory of social change teaches that society is like a human body. Each part is like an organ. Emile Durkheim , a major leader in the social sciences, believed that all parts of a society must be harmonious.

When one part suffers, all the other parts must adjust. The functionalist theory believes that society always works toward stabilization. This means social change. The theory also fails to factor in race, class, and gender. The conflict theory states that society is by nature unequal and competitive.

Karl Marx spearheaded this theory. More often than not, the rich and powerful control the rest of society by exploiting vulnerable groups. This sows conflict, provoking people to action. Social change occurs as a result. The conflict model evolved over the years.