Chapter 15: Social Change: Technology, Social Movements, and the Environment What is Social Change? Example? A shift in the characteristics of culture and society. What causes Social Change? 1 2 Theories of Social Change 1. Cultural Evolution 2. Natural Cycles 3. Struggle for Power (Marx) 4. Religion (Weber) 5. Technological change (Ogburn) How Does Social Change Take Place? 1. Cultural Evolution each society evolves from simpler to more complex forms. As they evolve, they reach a higher state (e.g., Tonnies introduced the concepts: gemeinschaft and gesellschaft or traditional and fast-changing). This is the most positive view of social change. 3 4 How Does Social Change Take Place? 2. Natural Cycles assumes that civilizations are like organisms. Born Mature Decline What causes Social Change? 3. Struggle for Power Marx proposed a recurring power struggle causing continual social change. Thesis Antithesis Synthesis Thesis (eventually change would reach a state of classless society where there is no longer a power struggle & change is no longer needed) 5 6
Marx did not anticipate changes within the legal/government system nor growth in the middle class. What causes social change? 4. Max Weber proposed religion as a cause of social change Weber and the Protestant Ethic --Desire to save and invest in order to create conspicuous consumption and a sign of heaven to come. 7 8 In some cases Religion has been viewed as preventing social change: What causes Social Change? Religion as opium of the people (Marx) Hinduism supports the caste system in Indian culture (supports social inequalities) 5. Ogburn s Theory social change is the result of technological changes. 9 10 Examples: Plow allowed for agricultural society Steam engine allowed for Industrial revolution Microchip has allowed for information revolution Computers in: Medicine The Workplace Business and Finance War and Terrorism The Internet --communication and information gathering. 11 12
New technologies are created by: Invention combining elements and materials to form new ones Discovery new way ofseeing reality The spreading of new technologies: Diffusion spread of a discovery or invention Cultural Lag cultural elements lagging behind technological change 13 14 Everett Rogers Diffusion of Innovations What is a social movement and how is it related to social change? A large number of people who organize to promote or resist social change. 15 16 At the heart of social movements lies a sense of injustice. There are proactive and reactive social movements. A proactive social movement promotes social change. A reactive social movement resists social change. What would be an example? Religious conservative groups What would be an example? 17 18
How might the mass media affect social movements? The leaders of social movements try to manipulate the mass media in order to influence public opinion. Use of propaganda (cont.) Propaganda the presentation of information in an attempt to influence people (includes: name calling, glittering generalities, transfer, testimonials, plain folk, card stacking, band wagon). Can you think of an example? 19 20 Five Stages in the development of Social Movements: What would you guess is the first stage in the emergence of a social movement? Five Stages in the development of Social Movements 1. Initial unrest and agitation many social movements die at this point 2. Resource mobilization money raised to inform public of situation 21 22 3. Formal organization 4. Institutionalization may establish offices in Washington D.C. 5. Organizational decline and possible resurgence --example: March of Dimes Example of a Social Movement: Protect the Environment Step 1. Unrest and agitation: Damage to the environment has created concern and caused people to mobilize. 23 24
Causes of unrest and agitation: Acid rain (industries pollute air) Greenhouse effects (pollution prevents cooling of earth) Shrinking of ice caps (As ice melts and aquifers are drained, Earth's distribution of mass is changing and with it the position of the planet's spin axis) Demographic effects: environmental problems experienced by the poor more than others (hazardous waste sites) 25 26 Social Movement to Protect the Environment 2. Resource mobilization --money raised to inform public of situation --Propaganda (Example of a Social Movement: Protect the Environment) 3. Organization A variety of organizations have emerged each with their own strategy. Examples include: Green Peace (below); Sierra Club; Environmental Defense Fund 27 28 Some organizations are militant (e.g., ecosabotage) actions taken to sabotage the efforts of people thought to be legally harming the environment. (example of a Social Movement: Protect the environment) 4. Institutionalization --offices in Washington D.C. 5. Organizational decline has not yet occurred. 29 30
Environmental sociology is more than the environmental movement its focus is on the relationship between human societies and the environment. The goal is to study how humans affect the physical environment, and how the environment affects humans. Social Movements in the 1960s: the Civil Rights Movement; Environmental Movement; and Feminism Movement: Or: Crash Course US History #40 (15:14 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkxfb1sma38 Wangari Maathai & The Green Belt Movement in Africa (8:00 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqu7joxkgvo 31 32 Activism 2.0 - Rebirth of the Environmental Movement: Emily Hunter at TEDxUTSC (16:37 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksb2qtdairw&lis t=ply8rhtxboovqklgl16pgahchimxx2flvy TEDxChCh - Linh Do - Defying Social Norms for Social Change (10:52) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32gpv32hkhe Western Couples vs Chinese Couples https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nk3wbuvm-u (7:00 minutes) Culture Differences: What Chinese don t like in America https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stielxdbeie (10:48 minutes) 33 The End 35