Social Change

Change
How did the automobile change American society? Economics? Jobs? Shopping patterns?

Change
Our world changes very rapidly. Examples new material goods, styles of dress, ways of doing things, etc Why? There are many factors that influence change but we are going to look at:
Values and beliefs, technology, population, diffusion, physical environment, wars & conquest.

Values and Beliefs

Our society is a combination of many parts. A change in one part will bring about a change in another. If a society is based on values and beliefs changes in these areas can have large consequences.

Values and Beliefs

An ideology is a system of beliefs of ideas that justifies the social, moral, religious, political, or economic interests held by a group or by society. They are often spread through social movements a long term conscious effort to promote or prevent social change. Involve large numbers of people Examples prohibition, womens rights, peace movement, civil rights movements.

Technology
The knowledge and tools that people use to manipulate their environment are called technology. New technologies arise through discovery and invention. Discovery occurs when people recognize new uses for existing elements of the world or begin to understand them in new ways Oil Invention occurs when people use existing knowledge to create something that did not previously exist Examples? (Azincourt)

Population
A change in population size can bring about change. The American population is drastically different today than it was in the year 1900 food Affects economics More people need more goods which creates jobs. Creates space problems and increased demand for energy, food, housing, schools, stores, transportation. Changes also happen when the average age of the population changes Examples?

Diffusion
The process of spreading culture traits from one society to another is called diffusion. Lysol Example The more contact a society has with other societies, the more culture traits it will borrow. Examples? Material culture and technology diffuse more rapidly than ideas and beliefs. Adapting borrowed cultural traits is known as reformulation. - Easter Bunnies and Roman Monuments. Diffusion is always a two way process.

Physical Environment
Natural Disasters - Lead to? Level of food production (Grow your own or import?) Las Vegas How does it work? What if gas hit $10/gallon?

Wars and Conquests

Least common but bring about the greatest change in the least amount of time. Destroyed lives, buildings, infrastructure Great advancements in technology / WWII aviation. New Government or new economy. Changes in rights or economic policies.

Resistance to change
Social changes often result from a compromise between opposing forces. Bad language example Types of resistance
Ethnocentrism Cultural Lag Vested interests

Ethnocentrism
Change that comes from outside a society often meets with particularly strong resistance. People tend to believe that their own ideas and ways of doing things are best (Ethnocentrism) Made in China, Made in USA, Made in Japan, What is better: Ford, Chevy, Toyota, BMW?

Cultural Lag
Cultural Lag is a situation in which some aspects of the culture change less rapidly as other aspects of the same culture? Nonmaterial culture often lags behind material culture. American School Year Summer Break? Technology and education?

Vested Interests
A person who is satisfied with the way things are now is likely to resist change. People will resist any change that threatens their security or standard of living they have a vested interest to protect. Oil based transportation vs. green transportation.