25 Social Change and Development

Dr. Vijeta

Contents:

1. Introduction

2. Concept of Social Change and Development

3. Factors determining Social Change and Development

3.1. Demographic Factors

3.1.1. Positive Effects of Population Growth

3.1.2. Negative Effects of Population Growth

3.2. Biological Factors

3.3. Cultural Factors

3.4. Technological Factors

3.4.1. Sources of Technological Change

3.4.2. Impact of Technology

4. Summary

Learning Objectives:

To understand about-

Concept of Social Change
Social Change and Development
Factors determining Social Change and Development

1. Introduction

Social changes are considered to be a clear indication of the economic, social, and political changes in any society. The impact of the relationship between social changes due to demography is mutual. For example, it is can be noted that demographic changes such as increase in birth rates, which results in increase in the population working age, leads to social changes such as increase of unemployment. Nevertheless, it can be seen that social changes such as improvement of health care services and spread of education affect demographic phenomena such as: low mortality and fertility rates, high life expectancy. Urbanization also contributes to the redistribution of population despite the problems resulting from its high levels (Hendawy, 2017).

Social Development encompasses a commitment to individual and societal well-being, and the opportunity for citizens to determine their own and their society’s needs and to influence decisions that affect these. Social change incorporates public concerns in developing social policy and economic initiatives. Until relatively recently, social development was conceived in terms of a set of desirable results – higher incomes, longer life expectancy, lower infant mortality, more and better education etc. (http://worldanimal.net/our-programs).

2. Concept of Social Change and Development

The meaning of the term “Social Change” is the phenomena which brings overall change for human beings such as food, culture, environment or society with time though the process of different factors like demographic, biological, psychological or technological. It can be better understood as defined by Kingsley Davis, “By Social change is meant only such alterations as occur in social organizations, that is, structure and functions of society.” MacIver and Page, “Social change refers to a process responsive to many types of changes, to changes in man-made conditions of life” to changes in the attitude and beliefs of men and to changes that go beyond the human control to the biological and physical nature of things. Morris Ginsberg, “By social change is understood a change in social structure, i.e. the size of a society, the composition or balance of its parts or the type of its organization” (http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/society/social-change).

3. Factors determining Social Change and Development

Social change takes place in all societies and in all periods of time. Social changes are some potential factors responsible for bringing social change. Hence, it is multi-causal. Cause refers to a set of related factors which, taken together, are both sufficient and necessary for the production of certain effect. Here it is necessary to take up each factor by itself and to find out the way in which it affects social change. Some of these factors are-

1. Demographic

2. Technological

3. Cultural

4. Biological

5. Ideological

6. Educational

7. Economic

3.1. Demographic Factors: Demography plays an important role in the process of social change. The term “demography” has been derived from two Greek words, ‘Demos’ and ‘Graphs’ meaning the “people” and to “draw” or “write” respectively. The dictionary meaning of demography is the scientific study of human population, primarily with respect to their size, structure and their development. In the study of social change demographic factors have been viewed from two different angles. They are the qualitative and quantitative. Qualitatively speaking it refers to physical potentialities, mental abilities etc. that are determined by genetic order, though the hereditary quality of successive generation play some role in cultural determination, it cannot be ascribed the place of a deterministic cause of social change. But the demographic factor in its quantitative aspect has been playing the most decisive role in causing social change. The quantitative view of demography takes into account, the size, composition and density of human population that are determined by natural reproduction, migration and social mobility. This aspect has been acknowledged by many past as well as modern thinkers. There are three important factors that determine the rise, fall or density of population. They are: (a) High Fertility (High Birth rate). (b) Low Morality (Low Death Rate) (c) Migration. When there is high birth rate and the death rate is low, we find growth in population. Let us know few points regarding the causes of high birth rate. They are given in the following Fig-

Fig-1: Factors of High Birth Rate

Source: http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/society/social-change

(a) From the above figure, it is found that population increases due to illiteracy, popularity of child marriage, widow remarriage, polygamy, craze for a male child, poverty and also because of lack of proper implementation of family planning programmes. The fall in death rate has also affected the growth of population. There are many causes of low mortality or low death rate. They are modern education and scientific knowledge to hygiene, better sanitation and therapeutic and preventive medicines, the increase of productivity which raises the standard of living, control of natural calamities, control of nutrition of mother, maternity facilities etc. (b) Excess growth of population accelerates the process of migration. Migration refers to the process of movement of population from one place to another for considerable period of time. It plays a significant role in population growth in the history for the past 100 years or more. There are four forms of migration. They are:

(i) Immigration: It refers to migration into a country.

(ii) Emigration: It refers to migration of a country.

(iii) In-migration refers to migration into a particular area.

(iv) Out-migration refers to movement out of a particular area.

There are many factors contributing to the process of migration. They are:

(a) Development of transport and communication.

(b) Natural calamities like earthquake, flood famine etc.

(d) Non-availability of land and vocational opportunities etc. So the changes in population have a far-reaching effect on society. It has both positive and negative effects (Mondal, http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/society/social-change).

3.1.1. Positive Effects of Population Growth:

(a) The growth of population has a direct bearing upon the availability and utilization of resources. (b) More population brings about more innovations and discoveries. (c) It encourages rapid growth in industrialization and urbanization. (d) The high birth rate and an alarming growth in population also stimulates attitude towards birth, death and family life. (e) Due to growth of population Acts are passed by the government for the control of population. For example, in India due to rapid population growth, the government has introduced family planning programmes. (http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/society/social-change).

3.1.2. Negative Effects of Population Growth: (a) The growth of population has decreased the standard of living of the people in the society. (b) The growth of population has given birth to a variety of problems like poverty, unemployment, child labor, crime, juvenile delinquency and beggary. (c) Increase in population leads to an increase of social differentiation and division of labour. (d) It brings destructive social conflict and disorganization in migrants line. (e) In the societies where the female population exceeds the male population, polygamy may flourish and on the other hand, if the number of males exceeds the females, polyandry is likely to prevail (http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/society/social-change).

3.2. Biological Factors:

Biological factor plays an important role in the causation of social change. An ordinarily biological factor refers to those which are concerned with the genetic constitution of the human beings. A biological factor includes both non-human beings such as animals, birds, herbs, insects, plants etc. and human beings. Human beings use animals, birds, plants and herbs according to the direction of his own culture. At the same time human beings protect themselves from different harmful elements. If there is increase or decrease of these animals, birds, plants etc. it will bring a number of changes in human society. Rapid decline of useful animals, birds and plants will also create a number of problems in human society and influences social change. Similarly rapid increase or decrease of population also brings a number of changes in society. Different biological process like human procreation, fertility and mortality also influence the rate of change in a society. Size, density, Migration, immigration etc. bring a number of changes in society. Rapid population growth influences our environment causes poverty, food shortage and multiple health problems and thereby brings changes in society. Migration accelerates the process of urbanization. Urbanization creates multiple problems like slum, quality of health and life style. Increasing urbanization and declining number of useful animal and birds affects our environment. Similarly the nature and quality of human beings in a society influences the rate of social change. Sociologist like Pareto opines that the biological evolution of mankind brings social changes. Elites in a society are determined by inherited biological instincts. Besides composition of population also influences social change. Both age composition and sex composition are very closely related to social change. Number of population in the productive age group deeply influences the rate and speed of social change. If the number of child and unproductive or ageing population increases, a country faces a number of economic problems. If the number of ageing population decreases, the youths may be deprived of wisdom and experience which resulted in slow change. Besides the process of natural selection, social selection also affects the rate and speed of social change. The process of natural selection works through twin alternatives like adaptation and annihilation. Here man is required to adapt to natural environment. But in social selection the forces created within human society and operating through human relationships creates situations that deeply affect the reproduction process and survival rates of population (Mondal, 2017).

3.3. Cultural Factors: In sociology the word ‘Culture’ denotes acquired behaviour which are shared by and transmitted among the members of the society. Man learns his behaviour and behaviour which is learnt is called culture. It includes all that man has acquired in the mental and intellectual sphere of his individual and social life. It is the expression of our nature, in our modes of living and thinking, in our everyday intercourse, in art, in literature, in recreation and enjoyment. According to White, “Culture is a symbolic, continuous, cumulative and progressive process.” Malinowski defines culture, “as the handiwork of man and as the medium through which he achieves his end.” Maclver and Page defines, “Culture is the realm of styles, of values, of emotional attachments, of intellectual adventures.” Culture, as is defined by Tylor, refers to, “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” Culture plays a very significant role in social change. No culture even remains constant. It always keeps on changing. So it is treated as an important source or instrument of social change. The very nature of culture makes it dynamic. The terms like continuous, cumulative adoptive, transmissive, etc. signify the elements of dynamism within the culture. Besides, there are host of other internal and external variables that interact upon the culture and cause changes within it. Change in culture takes place by three important factors. They are discovery, invention and diffusion. A discovery may be a material item or a non material item. But any discovery brings about social change only when it is widely used. An invention is the action of inventing something, typically a process or device generates and pressure for change in different parts of social life. Diffusion is the process by which cultural traits spread from one culture to another or from one part of culture to another. It is a two-way process. Because in this process one culture gives something to the other and at the same time takes something from it (Mondal, 2017).

3.4. Technological Factors:

The technological factors also play important role in causing social change. The technology implies an appropriate organization and systematic application of scientific knowledge to meet the human requirements. Technology is a product of utilization. When the scientific knowledge is applied to the problems of life, it becomes technology. Technology is fast growing. Modern age is the “Age of Technology”. According to W.F. Oshburn, “Technology changes society by changing our environments to which we In turn adopt. This change is usually in the material environment and the adjustment that we make with these changes often modifies customs and social institution initiates a corresponding social change (Mondal, http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/society/social-change).

3.4.1. Sources of Technological Change: There are mainly two important sources of technological change. They are:

(i) Inventions: Invention denotes creation of new ways of using existing knowledge or new ways of combining existing artefacts. A single invention in technology can produce a large scale change in society. One important example of invention is the invention of automobile.

(ii) Discovery. It means the new way of looking at the environment. Technological innovation originates also from another source called discovery. Example-Discovery of modern medicines is the result of discoveries in biology and partly the result of invention. Apart from these two, there are three technological factors which are mainly responsible for social change. They are: (a) Technological Innovations: The technological innovations have brought about revolutionary changes in man’s idea about the world and universe. The world is no more a mysterious creation for man because even in case of the natural calamities like flood, cyclone, earthquake and drought etc. are no more being viewed as the divine punishments against man’s bad deeds. No man has been able to find out their causes. As a result of which the degree of gaining control over them has increased. (b) Changes in production technology: Invention of new agricultural tools and chemical measures has led to the gradual development of an agrarian system. Industrialization has caused a number of changes in family, status of women, mode of living of people, religion and ideologies of people etc. It has also led to the growth of urban centers with new types of social organization. (c) Changes in transportation and communication: Rapid development in transportation and communication has greatly influenced the socio-cultural life. It has broken down the regional barriers. Due to transportation worldwide trade and commerce has been possible and communication technology has increased national awakening (Mondal, http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/society/social-change)

3.4.2. Impact of Technology: No device, technological or otherwise, whether originating within a society or borrowed from outside, obviously set up a network of effects. The status of the individual is no more ascribed rather achieved. Changes in technology have resulted in some fundamental changes in social structure. The impact of technological changes are-(a) Industrialisation: Industrialisation refers to the process by which industries have been set up. It has given birth to the factory system and replaced domestic system. The invention of machines has led to the creation of big factories which employ thousands of people and where most of the work is performed automatically. It has created new social class and has improved the condition of women. It has affected the nature, character and the growth of economy. (b) Urbanization: Industrialisation has led to urbanization. As a result of industrialisation people have started moving towards the industrial areas, the areas neither very far from the cities nor from the villages with the hope of getting employment in those industries and factories. Hence only when a large portion of inhabitants in an area comes to cities, urbanization is said to occur. Towns like Kanpur, Jamshedpur and Ahmadabad in India owe their birth to the factories established there. (c) Modernization: It is a process by which adoption of the modern ways of life and values take place. It has brought about remarkable changes in social relationship and installed new ideologies in the place of traditional areas. It has changed the social structure, which adds impetus to the growth of science and technology. As a result of which the rate of change increases rapidly. Modernization processes have not only brought changes within the framework of industrialism, but also affected change in the roles of family, position of caste and tribe in the realm of power structure, emergence of new factions, dominant caste in villages, acceptance of bureaucracy at different levels of administration, new social movements, labour movements, urban growth (including emergence of slums) and industrial demographic changes. These social changes are found in various sectors of nation’s life. There are, in other words, impacts of modernization on social life.Education is the most powerful pillar of modernization. It is through it that hierarchical social structure is changed and there emerges social mobility and equality (Mondal, http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/society/social-change)

4. Summary

Social changes are considered to be a clear indication of the economic, social, and political changes in any society. The impact of the relationship between social changes due to demography is mutual. Social change incorporates public concerns in developing social policy and economic initiatives. Until relatively recently, social development was conceived in terms of a set of desirable results – higher incomes, longer life expectancy, lower infant mortality, more and better education etc. The meaning of the term “Social Change” is the phenomena which brings overall change for human beings such as food, culture, environment or society with time though the process of different factors like demographic, biological, psychological or technological. Social change takes place in all societies and in all periods of time. Social changes are some potential factors responsible for bringing social change. Demography plays an important role in the process of social change. Biological factor plays an important role in the causation of social change. Change in culture takes place by three important factors. They are discovery, invention and diffusion. The technological factors also play important role in causing social change. The technology implies an appropriate organization and systematic application of scientific knowledge to meet the human requirements. Technology is a product of utilization. When the scientific knowledge is applied to the problems of life, it becomes technology. Technology changes society by changing our environments to which we In turn adopt. This change is usually in the material environment and the adjustment that we make with these changes often modifies customs and social institution initiates a corresponding social change.

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References

Hendawy, G.M. 2013. Social Changes and Their Impact on the Demographics of the Population of the Sultanate of Oman. A Paper presented & published in The Geography and Contemporary Global Changes Conference, College of Arts and Humanities, Taibah University, Almadinah Almunawwarah, KSA, 1-4/4/2013.
http://worldanimal.net/our-programs/strategic-advocacy-course-new/module-1/social-change/social-development-change
Mondal, P.2017. Social Change: Characteristics and Factors. www.yourarticlelibrary. http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/society/social-change-characteristics-and-factors-5285-words/6169/
Mondal, P. 2017. Modernization and Social Change in India. www.yourarticlelibrary. http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/essay/modernization-and-social-change-in-india/39866/
So, A. Y. (1990). Social change and development: Modernization, dependency and world-system theories (No. 178). Sage.
McMichael, P. (2011). Development and Social Change: A Global Perspective: A Global Perspective. Sage Publications.
Servaes, J. (Ed.). (2008). Communication for development and social change. SAGE Publications India.
de Sardan, J. P. O. (2005). Anthropology and development: Understanding comtemporary social change. Zed Books.

Suggesting Readings

Foster, G. M. (1969). Applied anthropology. Little, Brown and Company.
Ghimire, K. B. (2013). Social change and conservation (Vol. 16). Routledge.
Mondal, P.2017. Social Change: Characteristics and Factors. www.yourarticlelibrary. http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/society/social-change-characteristics-and-factors-5285-words/6169/