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Unit 13: Factors of Social Change

also needs plants and animals indirectly for availing oxygen and other utilities through many Notes
processes, including photosynthesis. Besides, the biological environment also keeps on changing as
one animal species gains ground at the cost of some other species in the course of struggle for existence.
The struggle for existence of the species is also conditioned by geographic factors. The changes in the
ecological system affect man human lives ad changes the course of his struggle for survival. But
modem man has been able to overcome much of the instabilities through various means of gaining
control over the environment such as domestication of species and other technological know-how.
Human biological factors do affect social change in two ways in main— the genetic character of a
given population, and the quantity, density and composition of population. Although, the influence
of genetic character has not been as important as the latter, it cannot be sidelined altogether. The
intelligence level of Homo sapiens (human beings) from other lower animals (non-human beings) is
enough indication of the capability and potential of human faculty that bears on socio-cultural
development. The human genetic character plays roles in the determination of numbers, composition
and selection of population on one hand and hereditary quality of the successive generations. Human
beings are changing all the time. We are different from our parents in our physical make-up, intelligence
and behaviours. Every individual is not identical with the other either. Nevertheless, it is the change
of genetic character of the human beings, except for the process of mutation and variations in genetic
combination, mat determine the physical and mental make-up of human beings.
Population change, unlike genetic factors, is considered to be one of the most important factors of
social change. Growth in population and also it’s composition have been affecting various aspects of
socio-cultural lives. With the invention of new technologies and enhanced knowledge of health care
and sanitation, the rate of death has decreased greatly over the past two centuries. The decrease in
the death rate has caused an enormous increase in the size of population. Simultaneously, life
expectancy and life span have also increased. Thus, population change has itself become a social
change and factor of further social and cultural changes.
Migration brings about further change by creating a new environment setting after the contact of two
or more alien peoples and cultures with numerous new problems. Migration could also effect to the
processes of acculturation, cultural diffusion and/or social conflict. On the other hand, food
productivity would not improve that fast to be able to catch up with the growing population. There
is a general tendency in India that population increases faster than the food productivity or food
supply. Such incompatible situation could lead to other consequences, such as, an attempt to improve
food productivity by increasing the acreage under cultivation, farming technology or other sources
on one hand and migration, famine, disease or war on the other. There would also be tendency for
checking of population growth by possible means such as family planning among others. Thus, a
population change has itself become a social change and a factor of further social and cultural changes.
Geographical Factors
Geographic changes have been significant factors of social change. There are several instances where
social changes have been brought about by geographic factors. For instance, the complete annihilation
of the inhabitants of Pompeii by volcanic eruptions, the destruction of San Francisco by earthquake
and fire (in 1906), the migrations of the Irish population to the United States after the potato famine
in Ireland (in the 1840s), the migrations of the inhabitants of southern United States to Southern
California due to drought (in the 1930s) and so on. Natural disasters can cause both environmental
and social changes. Victims of a natural disaster may be left without friends, relative, or resources
besides their severe psychological trauma. They may have to abandon their community, or completely
rebuild it.
Ecological change is also a major source of social change in the modem times. Many ecological changes
have been induced by human beings. For instance, the size of a population of a geographic area and
the manner in which the people exploit its natural resources have much to do with ecological change
and social change. Over population of a region, overexploitation of a region/border area due to
social and political conflict, deforestation, construction of large dams, among others, for one reason
or another have caused enormous social and ecological problems in the contemporary world which
are found to be even greater factors of social change than migrations and disasters.

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