SOCIAL CHANGE

Introduction
Society as a complex of social relationships never stands still. It is in a perennial state of flux.
The alteration in the nature, context and structure of groups and institutions and in the
relationship among men, groups and institutions, during a sequence of time, constitute the find of
social change. Changes in society are not isolated happenings or random and purposeless events.
They are in fact links in the continuous chain of events which follow a definite course and which
obey well formed laws of dynamics. Social change must be thought of as a continuous process.
This does not imply that role of social change is always the same. There have been period in
history in which social change is always seemed quite slow. However, in contrast to geological or
biological change, social transformation often occurs with amazing charity.

Meaning and Definitions

The word ‘Change’ denotes a difference in anything observed over some period of time. Social
change, therefore, would mean observable differences in any social phenomena over a period of
time. Social change refers to the modifications which take place on life patterns of people. It
occurs because all societies are in constant state of disequilibrium. Early sociologists viewed the
cultures of primitive people as completely static, but this view was abandoned with the
appearance of scientific studies of pre-literate cultures. Anthropologists now agree that primitive
cultures have undergone changes, although at such a slow pace as to give the impression of being
stationary. Social change may be defined as changes in the social organization, that is, the
structure and functions of society. It refers to all historical variations in human societies. It means
changes in political institutions, class struggle, economic systems, modes of living- in short all
fundamental relations of man to man. In other words, social change means human change, since
men are human beings.

Some of the definitions include:

• Kingsley Davis says, “to change society, is to change man”. According to Davis, “by
social change is meant only such alteration as occurring in social organization that is,
structure and function of society.”
• M.E. Jones defines social change as “social changes a term used to describe variations
in or modifications of any aspect of social processes, patterns, interactions or
organization.
• According to H. T. Majumdar, “Social change may be defined as a new fashion or
mode, either modifying or replacing the old, in the life of a people, in the life of a people,
or in the operation of a society”.
• For Gillin and Gillin, “Social changes are variations from the accepted modes of life;
whether due to alteration in geographical conditions, in cultural equipment, composition
of the population.
• McIver and Page define social change as, “social change refers to a process responsive
to many types of changes, to changes in the man-made conditions of life, to change is in
the attitude and beliefs of man and to the changes that go by and the human control to
the biological and physical nature of things”. McIver also refers to social change as
simply a change in the human knowledge.

On the basis of these definitions it ma be observed that social change refers to the modifications
which take place in the life patterns of people. It refers t changes in the institutional and
normative patterns of society.
Characteristics:
• Social Change is a Universal Phenomenon: Social change occurs in all societies. No
society remains completely static. This is rue to all societies, primitive as well as
civilized. Society exists in a universe of dynamic influences. The population changes,
technologies expand, material equipment changes, ideologies and values take on new
components and institutional structures and functions undergo reshaping. The speed and
extent of change may differ from society to society. Yet, no society remains unchanged
and static. All societies experience social change. Hence, social change is a universal
phenomenon.
• Social Change is a Community Change: Social change does not refer to the change in
the life of an individual. It is a change that occurs in the life of the entire community. In
other words, only that change can be called social change whose influence can be felt in a
community form. Social change is ‘social’ and not ‘individual’.
• Speed of Social Change is not Uniform: While social change occurs in all societies, its
speed is not he same n all the societies. In most societies it occurs so slowly that often not
noticed by those who live in them. Social change in urban areas is faster than in rural
areas.
• Definite Prediction of Social Change is not Possible: It is difficult to make any
prediction about the exact forms of social change. There is no inherent law of social
change according to which it would assume definite forms. We may say that on account
of the social reform movement, that untouchability will be abolished from the Indian
society; that the basis and ideals of marriage will change due to the marriage laws passed
by the government; that industrialization will increase the speed of urbanization but we
cannot predict the exact forms which social relationships will assume in future. Likewise
it cannot be predicted as to what shall be our attitudes, norms and values in future.
• Nature and Speed of Social Change is Affected by and Related to Time Factor: The
speed of social change is not uniform in each age or period in the same society. In
modern times the speed of social change is faster it was than before 1947. Thus, the speed
of social change differs from age to age. The reason is that the factors which cause social
change do not remain uniform with the change in times. Before 1947 there was less
industrialization in India, after 1947 India has become more industrialized. Therefore, the
speed of social change after 1947 is faster than before 1947.
• Social Change occurs as an Essential Law: Change is the law of nature. It may occur
either in the natural course or as a result of planned efforts. By nature we desire change.
Our needs keep on changing. To satisfy our desire for change and our changing needs
social change becomes a necessity. The truth is that we are anxiously waiting for a
change. According to Green, “The enthusiastic response of change has become almost a
way of life”.
• Social Change shows Chain-reaction Sequence: A society’s pattern of living is a
dynamic system of inter-related parts. Therefore, change in one of these parts usually
reacts on others and those on additional ones until they bring a change in the whole mode
of life of many people. For example, industrialism has destroyed the domestic system of
production. The destruction of domestic system of production brought women from the
home to the factory and the office. The employment of women meant their independence
from the bondage of man. It brought a change in their attitudes and idea. It meant a new
social life for women. It consequently affected every part of the family life.
• Social Change Results from the Interactions of a Number of Factors: Generally, it is
thought that a particular factor like changes in technology, economic development or
 climatic conditions causes social change. This is called monistic theory which seeks to
interpret social change in terms of one single factor. But the monistic theory does not
provide an adequate explanation of the complex phenomenon of social change. As a
matter of fact, social change is the consequence of a number of factors. A special factor
may trigger off change but it is always associated with other factors that make the
triggering possible. The reason is that social phenomena are mutually interdependent.
None stand out as isolated forces that bring about change in themselves. Rather each is an
element in a system. Modification of one part influences the other parts and these
influence the rest, until the whole is involved.
• Social Changes are Chiefly those of Modification or of Replacement: Social changes
may be broadly categorised as modifications or replacements. It may be modification of
physical goods or social relationships. There may also be modifications of social
relationships. The old authoritarian family has become the small equalitarian family; the
one room school has become a centralised school. Our ideas about women’s rights,
religion, government and co-education stand modified today.
• Social change is a Continuous Phenomenon: Social Change is a continuous
phenomenon since society undergoes endless changes. It has also been regarded as
temporal because it happens through time and denotes the time sequence. Innovation of
new things, renovation of existing behaviour, modification, and discarding of old
behaviour takes time. Social change must take place within a geographical or physical
and cultural context. Both these contents have impact on human behaviour and in turn
man changes them. Social change never takes place in a vacuum. It is environmental. The
sociological significance of the change consists in the fact that it includes the human
aspect. The composition of the society is not constant but changing. The social change
ultimately means human change. Change in one aspect of life may lead to a series of
changes in its other aspects. For example, change in rights, privileges and status of
women has resulted in a series of changes in home, family relations and structure. The
economic, and to some extent, the political pattern of both rural and urban societies.
Therefore, one social change may lead to series of other changes.

According to cultural anthropologists the source change is to be found in diffusion and invention.
Therefore, we get two groups among them- diffussionist and inventionist. According to
diffusionist, social and cultural changes take place due to cultural diffusion. Diffusion refers to
the introduction of a behaviour modification from either culture. It denotes the spread of elements
of culture either singly or in a complex, from one local group to another local group. According
to them since invention do not take place all the time and in all the societies in the same manner.
Every society borrows the cultural elements of another of society to achieve progress. According
to inventionist the source of social change is to be found in the inherent capacity of the people to
make inventions. They have said that inventions constitute the major source of social change.
Invention, whether in the field of social organization or the cultural framework refers to the
arrangement of known traits into new patterns. These inventions whether material or non-material
have led to the profound social changes. Therefore, the source of social change is to be found
both in diffusion and invention.

Factors or Causes of Social Change

There are several factors that account for the social change in a given society. Some important
factors of social change have been discussed below:
1. Technological Factor: - Technology of a society consists of the devices, knowledge and
skills by which man controls and utilizes the physical and biological phenomena. It has now
come to be commonly assumed that technology of a people is the key to the understanding of
 the entire society. Technological advancement increases the total goods available to the
population. Thus, every technological advancement provides new opportunities and
establishes a new condition of social and individual life at the same time. Therefore,
technological advancement is a crucial factor effecting social change.
2. Ideological Factor: - generally speaking, the term ideology refers to a set of interrelated
beliefs, values and norms that justify the pursuit of a given set of goals through a given set of
means. Ideologies have shaped the nature and course of social change. Social theorists have
recognized the role of ideology as a major component of social change.
3. Demographic Factor: - Demographic factor is an important factor of social change. By
demographic factor we mean the changes in the size and density of population. It has been
recognized that there exists a reciprocal relationship between population and social structure.
The demographic factor affects social structure, thereby bringing about social change.
4. Social Conflicts:- Social conflict promotes social change as society attempts to
accommodate itself to a wide variety of demands for social, economic, political and cultural
reforms. These demands lead to conflict in the society. For instance, the conflict between the
labour and the management contributes to a variety of changes in society.
5. Cultural Factors: - Cultural factors constitute the mother source of social change. The
different elements and ingredients of culture are themselves subjected to change. As they
change with time, they also initiate change in social order. Thus, any cultural change
involves social change as the social and the cultural are intimately related.
6. Environmental Factors:- the changes in the environment have profound influences on
culture and social structure. For instance, on earthquake, a volcanic eruption, and other
natural disasters obviously have an influence over social life. The changes in the nature of
the natural environment producing social changes arises from the interaction of man with his
environment. Thus, environmental factors also contribute to social change.