Page 8 - DSOC403_SOCIOLOGY_OF_CHANGE_AND_DEVELOPMENT_ENGLISH

Sociology of Change and Development
Notes
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Parivartan and Vikas ka Samaj Shastra book
Parivartan and Vikas ka Samaj Shastra book
According to MacIver and Page, “Sociology is about social relationships, the network of relationships,
we call society.” In this way, MacIver and Page refers society as ‘network of social relationships’. Hence,
a change occurring in social relationships is social change.
Kingsley Davis opines, “By social change is meant only such alterations as occur in social
organisation, that is, structure and functions of society.” In this way, Davis has observed social
change as a complete structural-functional perspective. In other words, according to him, social
change is only recognized when a change occurs in various units of society, such as organisations,
communities, committees, groups etc and also due to these changes a change occurs in the
functionality of these societal units.
In view of Jenson, “Social change may be defined as modification in the way of doing and thinking of
people.” In this way Jenson includes social change inclusive of the changes in behaviour and ideas of
human being.
According to Johnson’s view point, “In its basic sense social change means change in social structure.”
Johnson has said that change in social values, organisations, communities and awards, people and their
feelings and capabilities can also be termed as social change.
According to Bottomore, social change can be inclusive of those changes which occur due
to changes in social organisation, social institutions, or their mutual relationships.
Based on all the above-mentioned definitions, it is concluded that social change includes those changes
that occur due to human activities, social processes, behaviours, organisations, traditions, functions,
and/or social structure. Social change may include the following facts:
(1) Social change is the change in organisation of the society and its functions.
(2) Social change is not recognised as a personal change in an individual or change in group of individuals,
but it is recognized only when majority or all people of the society accept the change in their lifestyle
and thought process.
(3) Social change is a universal truth; hence, change occurs in every era.
(4) Social change is related to change in human being’s social relationships.
1.2 Characteristics (Nature) of Social Change
Different scholars have told many characteristics of social change, which defi nes the concept of social
change in a more defined way. These characteristics are as follows:
1. Social nature: Social change is related to the change occurring in the entire society; however social
change is not the only change occurring at the individual level. In other words, social change is only
normalized when the change occurs within the units of the entire society, such as at caste, group,
community level etc. However, change occurring in any one unit of the society is not termed as a
social change.
2. Universal phenomenon: Social change is everlasting and universally acceptable. There is no society
in this world where change has not occurred. Although in different societies, the rate of change and
nature might be different because no two societies are same; their history, culture, nature etc have
diverse variedness that they cannot be each other’s replica; similar to the extremely slow rate of
social change during primitive societies and on the other hand in western countries, especially in
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