Page 290 - DSOC201_SOCIAL_STRUCTURE_AND_SOCIAL_CHANGE_ENGLISH

Unit 13: Factors of Social Change

Socio-Cultural Factors Notes
Socio-cultural factors have been the most important causal factors of social changes. Man is the most
important player of social change. In fact, man is the originator and the main agent of socio-cultural
changes. Social change has been caused by various human activities in the form of discovery, invention,
diffusion, social movements, and so on. Change is also caused by the attitudes and values of the
people toward innovation in a particular society. There are also variations of attitudes of individuals
within the society. Some individuals would consider the values of the society more seriously than
other fellowmen and vice versa.
Societies located at world crossroads areas of greatest intercultural contact have always been centres
of change. This is so because those societies in closest contact with other societies are more likely to
change more rapidly through the process of diffusion. There are also other agents for intercultural
contacts and diffusion such as war, trade, media, and tourism. On the other hand, isolated areas are
generally centres of stability, conservatism, and resistance of change. Ethnographic evidences show
that the most primitive tribes have been found among the most isolated communities.
Discoveries and inventions have contributed much to the process of social change. This truth is
increasingly realised in modem times after the introduction of modem technological know-how.
Discoveries and inventions are processes of innovations that can alter society. While discoveries are
the act of finding something that has always existed but that was not known earlier, inventions on
the other hand are devices constructed by putting two or more things together in a new way.
The discovery of America led to the massive migrations from Europe and the creation of a new
state— the United States of America. The discovery of penicillin also prevented from various diseases.
Again, the discovery of oil, and other minerals have also brought great social changes in the locality
where it is found. In the same way, the inventions of alphabet, modem state, etc. (social inventions),
automobile, telephone, etc. (material inventions) have caused enormous social changes.
13.2 Rate of Social Change

The rate of change is the speed at which change occurs in time and space. The rate of change has
never been the same or uniform at all times. In the remote past, change was observed to be very slow.
Whereas, in the recent times, change has become relatively very fast due to various factors, such as,
new technological inventions, diffusions, and social revolutions. New scientific and technological
revolution through new inventions paved way for the rapid change. For instance, industrial revolution,
which was a great breakthrough in the system of production and distribution of goods that has
brought great and rapid change in the modem times have been largely the result of scientific and
technological inventions.
Social and/or cultural revolution also contributes to the acceleration of social change aside from
technological/material revolution. Revolutionary social changes are large-scale changes in the
structure of a society or a state. Revolutionary changes generally mean major or complete alteration
in the entire basis of structure of a society including its various social institutions, culture, ideas, and
belief systems. Many revolutionary movements for socialism, democracy, nation-state/ self-
determination etcetera are also responsible for acceleration of social change.
However, we should keep in mind that the rates of change that are being discussed are not the same
for all societies. Even within the same society, there are variations in the rate of change. For instance,
changes in urban areas are observed to be faster than those in rural areas. In the same way, changes
will also be faster in the societies that are more open and receptive to change.
13.3 Impact of Social Change

The impact of social change on human society has been a major concern for social scientists, particularly,
sociologists. The impact can be understood in two levels—impact of the individual and group or
society. However, there are different views among sociologists on the nature of impacts on human
society.

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