DOCSLIB.ORG

The Sociology of Social Change Sociology 325 Fall 2016

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Sociology of Social Change Sociology 325 Fall 2016 The Sociology of Social Change Sociology 325 Fall 2016 Instructor: Alexander Bryan Classroom: Lubar S250 Office: 718 Bolton Hall Office Hours: Monday, 12:30 – 2:00 PM Email: [email protected] Tuesday, 2:00 – 3:30 PM Course Description Our society seems to always be in a constant state of change, but what forces are responsible for social changes ranging from the industrial to the digital revolution? How do these changes play out on the individual and national levels? This course uses the tools of sociology to help explain how we got to where we are now and where we may be headed. The first portion of the course will explore influential types of sociological explanations of social change, including functionalist, conflict and interpretive perspectives. The second part of the course will apply these theoretical lenses to historical and contemporary instances of social change, such as the recent national legalization of same-sex marriage, and spread of information and communication technology. The third part of the course will look at processes of social change, from political reform to social revolution to technological innovation. The last unit will cover social change on a global scale in our increasingly interconnected world, looking at globalization processes, environmental change and its social implications, and diagnoses of our future. Class meetings will include many small group and full class discussions of readings and assignments. Active participation in discussions and in-class assignments is essential for students’ individual success and for the success of the class as a whole. Course Objectives Over the semester, students will • Develop an understanding of different sociological perspectives and theories of societal change • Apply these theoretical perspectives to specific historical and contemporary phenomena • Examine patterns across instances of historical change, and connect them to larger theoretical ideas • Critically assess sociological explanations of social change Expected time commitment UWM credit hour policy states: Study leading to one semester credit represents an investment of time by the average student of not fewer than 48 hours for class contact in lectures, for laboratories, examinations, tutorials and recitations, and for preparation and study; or a demonstration by the student of learning equivalent to that established as the expected product of such a period of study. So a 3-credit course such as this one requires a minimum of 144 hours of your time. • Classroom time: 37.5 hours ≈ 2.5 hours/week • Outside Preparation and Reading: 75 hours ≈ 5 hours/week • Major Papers/Exams Prep: 31.5 hours ≈ 2 hours/week Course Texts Harper, C.L. & Leicht, K.T., Exploring social change: America and the World, 6th edition Supplementary readings will be provided on the course D2L site Class Format Class will be comprised of discussion and lecture portions, as well as in-class assignments. Class lecture and discussion will draw from and expand on the material read for the day. The last portion of lecture will cover the readings for the next session by going over the reading prompts and highlighting certain aspects of the reading students should focus on. For discussion, students will be given reading guide questions each week which will then be used to guide both small group and class discussion during the next class meeting. Additionally, in class assignments will further assess students’ understanding of the material, and inform in-class discussions. Course Requirements In-Class assignments Over the semester, you will be given a number of in-class assignments to assess your understanding of the material or address questions or issues which may arise in class discussions. The format of these assignments will vary, but may include pop quizzes on assigned readings, or written reflections on class discussions/activities. There will be 12 - 16 in-class assignments collected over the course of the semester, and the assignments with the three lowest scores will be dropped Reading Response Papers There will be two short papers (3-4 pages, double spaced, 12 pt. font) based on readings or films from class. Each paper will draw connections between a textbook chapter and one of the assigned articles or documentaries from class. The first paper should connect any chapter and article or film from units one and two, and a hard copy will be due, in class, on October 12th. The second paper should follow the same format, drawing from materials in units three and four, and a hard copy will be due in class on December 7th. Late work will be penalized one full letter grade for every 24-hour window past the deadline. No exception to these policies will be granted without documentation of a legitimate verifiable reason, such as an illness or family emergency. Exams The class will have to exams, a midterm and final. The midterm will be in-class on Wednesday, October 26, and will comprise multiple choice, short answer and essay questions drawn from all of the material up to that point. The final exam will be held during exam week, on Tuesday, December 20th at 10:00 AM in the same room the class usually meets, Lubar S250. It will be cumulative, touching on some of the material from the first half of the course, concentrating more on the later readings, and follow a similar format to the midterm. Make-up exams will be given only for documented emergencies or required university activities, and should be discussed and scheduled ahead of time. Grading In-class assignments: 20% Papers: 20% Midterm: 30% Final: 30% Academic Integrity & Plagiarism You may not copy other authors’ words or ideas without giving them credit. Plagiarism includes directly quoting or paraphrasing another author without providing proper citation. We will touch on how to avoid plagiarism and how to appropriately use citations early in the semester. Failure to properly cite your work can result in receiving a failing grade in this course and may be reported to the Dean of the College of Letters and Science for further action. Reading Schedule Date Topic Readings Assignments due Wed., Syllabus and course Sept. 7 overview Unit 1: Explanations of Social Change Mon., Introduction to Chapter 1 in Harper and Leicht; Sept. 12 sociology of social The Cheapest Generation, Thompson & change Weissmann, The Atlantic (D2L) Wed., The causes and Chapter 2 in Harper and Leicht Sept. 14 patterns of social change Mon., Social theory and Chapter 3 in Harper and Leicht Sept 19 social change Wed., Marxist and Classes in Capitalism and Pre-capitalism, Sept, 21 Materialist Marx (D2L) explanations of social change Mon., Cultural and The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Sept. 26 interpretive Capitalism, Swedberg, The Montréal explanations of social Review (D2L); change Why Work?, Kolbert, The New Yorker (D2L) Wed., Functionalist Durkheim’s Evolutionary Conception of Sept 28 explanations of social Social Change, Hinkle (D2L) change Unit 2: Social change in the United States Mon., American social Chapter 4 in Harper and Leicht Oct. 3 trends Wed., American culture and Culture and Character: The Historical Oct. 5 individualism Conversation, from Habits of the Heart, Bellah et al. (D2L) Mon., Change in Chapter 5 in Harper and Leicht, Oct. 10 populations, families and work Wed., Change in A World Without Work, Thompson, The 1st Response Oct. 12 populations, families Atlantic (D2L) Paper Due and work Why Are So Many Millennials Having Children Out of Wedlock?, Fernandez- Campbell, the Atlantic (D2L) Mon., Trends in economics Chapter 6 in Harper & Leicht Oct. 17 and politics Wed., Trends in economics The Class Inversion of American Politics Oct. 19 and politics Accelerates, Brownstein, The Atlantic (D2L) Mon., Economics and How Trump and Sanders Tapped into Oct. 24 politics; America’s Economic Rage, Collinson, Review for midterm CNN (D2L) Wed., Midterm Oct. 26 Unit 3: Processes of Social Change Mon., Social Movements Chapter 7 in Harper and Leicht Oct. 31 Wed., Reform Movements Chapter 8 in Harper and Leicht; Nov. 2 The Next Civil Rights Movement?, Harris (D2L) Mon., Reform Movements The Gender Revolution: Uneven and Nov. 7 Stalled, England (D2L) Little Labor: How Union Decline is Changing the American Landscape, Rosenfeld (D2L) Wed., Revolutions Chapter 9 in Harper and Leicht Nov. 9 Mon., Revolutions How Erdogan Made Turkey Authoritarian Nov. 14 Again, Cook, The Atlantic (D2L) Small Change: Why the revolution will not be tweeted, Gladwell, The New Yorker (D2L) Wed., Technology, Chapter 10 in Harper and Leicht Nov. 16 innovation and networks Mon., Technology, Research in the Crowdsourcing Age, a Nov. 21 innovation and Case Study. Hitlin, Pew (D2L) networks Shared, Collaborative and On Demand: The New Digital Economy, Pew (D2L) Thanksgiving Break Mon., Activism and creating Chapter 11 in Harper and Leicht Nov. 28 change The Renaissance of Student Activism, Wong, The Atlantic; (D2L) Hashtag Activism Isn't a Cop-Out, Berlatsky, The Atlantic (D2L) Unit 4: Global Social Change Wed., Development and Chapter 12 in Harper and Leicht; Nov. 30 Globalization Mon., Globalization, the Globalism’s Discontents, Stiglitz; Dec. 5 environment and Why Britain Left, Frum, The Atlantic change (D2L) Wed., Globalization and the Chapter 13 in Harper and Leicht; 2nd Response Dec. 7 environment Global Concern about Climate Change, Paper Due Broad Support for Limiting Emissions, Pew (D2L) Mon., Projecting future Chapter 14 in Harper and Leicht Dec. 12 change Wed., Review for final Dec. 14 exam Teus., Final Exam, at 10:00 AM in Lubar S250 Dec. 20 UNIVERSITY AND SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT POLICIES The Secretary of the University maintains a web page that contains university policies that affect the instructor and the students in this course, as well as essential information specific to conduct of the course. The link to that page is: http://www4.uwm.edu/secu/news_events/upload/Syllabus-Links.pdf Students with Disabilities.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Education for Social Change and Transformation: Case Studies of Critical Praxis
    Volume 15(2) / Spring 2013 • ISSN 1523-1615 • http://www.tc.edu/cice Education for Social Change and Transformation: Case Studies of Critical Praxis 3 Educating All to Struggle for Social Change and Transformation: Introduction to Case Studies of Critical Praxis Dierdre Williams and Mark Ginsburg 15 Theatre-Arts Pedagogy for Social Justice: Case Study of the Area Youth Foundation in Jamaica Anne Hickling-Hudson 35 Promoting Change within the Constraints of Conflict: Case Study of Sadaka Reut in Israel Karen Ross 53 Promoting Civic Engagement in Schools in Non-Democratic Settings: Transforming the Approach and Practices of Iranian Educators Maryam Abolfazli and Maryam Alemi 63 Teacher Education for Social Change: Transforming a Content Methods Course Block Scott Ritchie, Neporcha Cone, Sohyun An, and Patricia Bullock 84 Re-framing, Re-imagining, and Re-tooling Curricula from the Grassroots: The Chicago Grassroots Curriculum Taskforce Isaura B. Pulido, Gabriel Alejandro Cortez, Ann Aviles de Bradley, Anton Miglietta, and David Stovall 96 Education Community Dialogue towards Building a Policy Agenda for Adult Education: Reflections Drawn from Experience Tatiana Lotierzo Hirano, Giovanna Modé Magalhães, Camilla Croso, Laura Giannecchini, and Fabíola Munhoz 108 Chilean Student Movements: Sustained Struggle to Transform a Market-oriented Educational System Cristián Bellei and Cristian Cabalin CURRENT ISSUES IN COMPARATIVE EDUCATION Volume 15, Issue 2 (Spring 2013) Special Guest Editors: Dierdre Williams, Open Society Foundations Mark Ginsburg,
    [Show full text]
  • REFERENCES: Chanana, Karuna. Social Change Or Social Reform
    REFERENCES: Chanana, Karuna. Social Change or Social Reform: The Education of Women in Pre- Independence India. Vol. 2: Women in Indian Society, in Social Structure and Change, edited by A. M. Shah, B. S. Baviskar and E. A. Ramaswamy, 113-148. New Delhi: Sage Publications, 1996. Charlton, Bruce, and Peter Andras. The Modernization Imperative. Imprint Academic, 2003. Desai, I. P. The Western Educated Elites and Social Change in India. Vols. 1: Theory and Method - Evaluation of the Work of M. N. Srinivas, in Social Structure and Change, edited by A. M. Shah, B. S. Baviskar and E. A. Ramaswamy, 79-103. New Delhi: Sage Publications India, 1996. Deshpande, Satish. "Modernization." In Handbook of Indian Sociology, edited by Veena Das, 172-203. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2004. Harrison, David. The Sociology of Modernization and Development. New York: Routledge, 1988. Hutter, Mark. "History of Family." In The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, edited by George Ritzer, 1594-1600. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2007. Kamat, A. R. Essays on Social Change in India. Mumbai: Somaiya Publications Pvt. Ltd., 1983. Khare, R. S. Social Description and Social Change: from Functional to Critical Cultural Significance. Vol. 1, in Social Structure and Change, edited by A. M. Shah, B. S. Baviskar and E. A. Ramaswamy, 56-63. New Delhi: Sage Publications India Pvt Ltd, 1996. Mehta, V. R. Ideology, Modernization and Politics in India. New Delhi: Manohar Publications, 1983. Rudolph, Lloyd, and Susanne Rudolph. The Modernity of Tradition: Political Development in Inida. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1967. Singh, Yogendra. Essays on Modernization in India. New Delhi: Manohar, 1978.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Innovation and Its Relationship to Social Change: Verifying Existing Social Theories in Reference to Social
    SI-DRIVE Social Innovation: Driving Force of Social Change SOCIAL INNOVATION AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO SOCIAL CHANGE Verifying existing Social Theories in reference to Social Innovation and its Relationship to Social Change D1.3 Project acronym SI-DRIVE Project title Social Innovation: Driving Force of Social Change Grand Agreement number 612870 Coordinator TUDO – TU Dortmund University Funding Scheme Collaborative project; Large scale integration project Due date of deliverable April 30 2016 Actual submission date April 30 2016 Start date of the project January 1 2014 Project duration 48 months Work package 1 Theory Lead beneficiary for this deliverable TUDO Authors Jürgen Howaldt (TUDO), Michael Schwarz Dissemination level public This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no 612870. Acknowledgements We would like to thank all partners of the SI-DRIVE consortium for their comments to this paper. Also many thanks to Doris Schartinger and Matthias Weber for their contributions. We also thank Marthe Zirngiebl and Luise Kuschmierz for their support. SI-DRIVE “Social Innovation: Driving Force of Social Change” (SI-DRIVE) is a research project funded by the European Union under the 7th Framework Programme. The project consortium consists of 25 partners, 15 from the EU and 10 from world regions outside the EU. SI-DRIVE is led by TU Dortmund University / Sozialforschungsstelle and runs from 2014-2017. 2 CONTENTS 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 2 Social Innovation Research and Concepts of Social Change ............................ 8 3 Theories of Social Change – an Overview ........................................................ 14 3.1 Social Innovations in Theories of Social Change .......................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Module 7 Key Thinkers Lecture 36 Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer
    NPTEL – Humanities and Social Sciences – Introduction to Sociology Module 7 Key Thinkers Lecture 36 Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer The thoughts of Auguste Comte (1798-1857), who coined the term sociology, while dated and riddled with weaknesses, continue in many ways to be important to contemporary sociology. First and foremost, Comte's positivism — the search for invariant laws governing the social and natural worlds — has influenced profoundly the ways in which sociologists have conducted sociological inquiry. Comte argued that sociologists (and other scholars), through theory, speculation, and empirical research, could create a realist science that would accurately "copy" or represent the way things actually are in the world. Furthermore, Comte argued that sociology could become a "social physics" — i.e., a social science on a par with the most positivistic of sciences, physics. Comte believed that sociology would eventually occupy the very pinnacle of a hierarchy of sciences. Comte also identified four methods of sociology. To this day, in their inquiries sociologists continue to use the methods of observation, experimentation, comparison, and historical research. While Comte did write about methods of research, he most often engaged in speculation or theorizing in order to attempt to discover invariant laws of the social world. Comte's famed "law of the three stages" is an example of his search for invariant laws governing the social world. Comte argued that the human mind, individual human beings, all knowledge, and world history develop through three successive stages. The theological stage is dominated by a search for the essential nature of things, and people come to believe that all phenomena are created and influenced by gods and supernatural forces.
    [Show full text]
  • DOCUMENT RESUME SO 000 040 Bibliography on Planned Social
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 040 109 SO 000 040 TITLE Bibliography on Planned Social Change (with Special Reference to Rural Development and Educational Development). Volume II, Books and Book Length Monographs. INSTITUTION Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis. Dept. of Political Science. SPONS AGENCY Agency for International Development, Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 1 Jan 67 NOTE 215p. EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF-$1.00 HC-$10.85 DESCRIPTORS Abstracts, Annotated Bibliographies, Area Studies, *Bibliographies, Books, Developing Nations, Economic Change, *Economic Development, *Educational Development, Essays, Foreign Countries, Research Reviews (Publications), *Rural Areas, Rural Development, Rural Economics, Social Change, *Social Development, Socioeconomic Influences, Technical Assistance IDENTIFIERS *Rural Development Research Project ABSTRACT This selected bibliography has included works that are both familiar and unfamiliar to researchers in the field. Doctoral theses have been excluded to control the size of this document. Many entries are annotated. The table of contents is organized both topically (political development, education, agriculture, social development, economic development, technical assistance) and geographically (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, New Guinea, New Zealand, U.S.S.R.). Materials can be most easily located by using this table, since a detailed index and search system has not been provided for this volume.(See SO 000 039 and SO 000 041 for Volumes I and III.) (SBE) Cr CENTERforCOMPARATIVE POLITICAL. ANALYSIS BIBLIOGRAPHY ON PLANNED SOCIAL CHANGE (With Special Referenceto Rural Development and Educational Development) /,1 VOLUMEII Books and Book Length Monographs Department of Political Science University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FRO M THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Change: Mechanisms and Metaphors
    Social Change: Mechanisms and Metaphors Kieran Healy∗ August 1998 ∗Department of Sociology, 2–N–2 Green Hall, Princeton University, Princeton N.J. 08544. Email at [email protected]. Please do not cite or distribute without permis- sion. Thanks to Miguel Centeno, Sara Curran, Paul DiMaggio, Patricia Fernandez–Kelly, Frank Karel, Lynn Robinson, Brian Steensland, Steve Tepper, Bruce Western and Bob Wuthnow for suggestions, discussion and comments. Research for this paper was funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 1 2 Kieran Healy Contents Introduction 3 The Varying Fortunes of Social Change 4 The Legacy of the Nineteenth Century . 4 Social Change as Modernization . 5 The Analysis of Change 8 Prediction . 8 Metaphors of change . 11 Organic development . 11 Ecological competition and selection . 11 Diffusion and contagion . 12 Path dependence and hysteresis . 13 Complexity and self–organization . 14 Mechanisms and causes . 15 Sources of Social Change 16 Demography . 16 Technology . 17 Economic change . 20 Planned change . 21 Organizations . 23 Institutions . 25 Culture . 28 Conclusion 31 Appendix: An Annotated Bibliography 34 Demography and social change . 34 Technology and change . 38 Economic and political change . 41 Planned change and community change . 49 Organizational change . 54 Gender and social change . 62 Institutions and change . 66 Culture and social change . 69 Complexity theory . 76 Social theory and social change . 80 Social Change: mechanisms and metaphors 3 Introduction Good social science should be able to explain how and why things change. Questions about change can be posed directly, as when we wonder whether religious observance is declining in America, or try to explain why large corporations first appeared at the end of the nineteenth century.
    [Show full text]
  • The Development of Sociology in the United States
    THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIOLOGY IN THE UNITED STATES ——— JOHN LEWIS GILLIN University of Wisconsin ——— ABSTRACT The origin of sociology in the United States. — Why sociology arose in the United States following the Civil War. Character of early sociology in the United States. Characterization of the sociology of the pioneers Ward, Sumner, Small, Giddings, Ross, Cooley, Thomas. Tendencies in early American sociology. Development of sociology in the United States since the pioneers. Relation of sociology to social work. Sociology as a university subject. Hesitancy to use the term “sociology” in university curricula. The progress of sociology. ——— Sociology is usually supposed to have begun with Comte. As a matter of fact, however, there were a number of presociological movements, in which certain men manifested the beginning of the sociological attitude. To a sociologist it looks as if those responsible for the abolition of slavery in the British colonies had sociological insight. Chalmers, in his objective study of dependency in his parish in Edinburgh, and in his policy based on that study, showed a sociological attitude. Pinel, who as the result of his study of the results of the traditional methods of treating the insane, struck off the restraints and adopted humane methods, attacked the problem as a modern sociologist. Beccaria, in so far as he faced frankly the effects of age-old methods of treating the criminal and suggested other methods based upon a study of results, was a sociologist. The striking thing about all of these examples is that the men mentioned adopted a new attitude in the study of social problems.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Change and Public Engagement with Policy and Evidence
    Social change and public engagement with policy and evidence Katherine Stewart, Talitha Dubow, Joanna Hofman, Christian van Stolk For more information on this publication, visit www.rand.org/t/RR1750 Published by the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif., and Cambridge, UK © Copyright 2016 RAND Corporation R® is a registered trademark. RAND Europe is a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to help improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. Limited Print and Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited. Permission is given to duplicate this document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions. Support RAND Make a tax-deductible charitable contribution at www.rand.org/giving/contribute www.rand.org www.rand.org/randeurope Acknowledgements The project team would like to thank Jirka Taylor, for his thoughtful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. We would also like to thank Jess Plumridge, for her assistance with the cover design and graphs. This report was prepared for Sense about Science and the Nuffield Foundation. i Foreword by Professor Tom Ling This is a good time to step back and reflect on how the public engage with policy and evidence.
    [Show full text]
  • A Social Change Model of Leadership Development
    A SOCIA.L ) CHANBE DEVELOPMENT G u D E B o o K V er s on I II Higher Education Research I nstitute, University of California, Los Angeles Funded by Dwight D. Eisenhower Leadership Development Program u.s. Department of Education ©The Regents of The University of California TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Contributors 1 Celebrating Individualism and Collaboration: A Musical Metaphor 4 A Note to Potential Users of the Guidebook 8 Preface 10 Preamble 16 The Model 18 The "Seven C's" 29 Consciousness of Self 31 Congruence 36 Commitment 40 Collaboration 48 Common Purpose 55 Controversy with Civility 59 Citizenship 65 Initiating and Sustaining a Project 70 A Challenge to Administrators, Faculty, and Others Interested in Student Leadership Development 74 Questions Often Asked About the Model 75 Appendices 79 Case Studies 81 How to Use the Case Study Materials 84 Case 1: Service to the Institution 86 Case 2: Latina Students Legislate Change 90 III TABLE OF CONTENTS (CON'T) Page Case 3: Policy Management and Leadership 94 Case 4: Organizing a Feminist Conference 98 Ten Brief Vignettes for Case Studies 101 Resources 109 Self and Group Reflection 111 Selected Relevant Organizations 119 Selected Bibliography 125 Airlie House Participants 135 Examples of Applications 139 Leadership for a New Millennium 141 The Art of Diversity: A Case Study 144 Using the Model with Graduate Students in Student Affairs 147 Videos 157 IV CONTRIBUTORS We have developed this Guidebook in collaboration with the other members of The Working Ensemble!. Their names (with institutional affiliations) appear in alphabetical order. Marguerite Bonous-Hammarth, University of California, Irvine Tony Chambers, Michigan State University Leonard S.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 17: Social Change and Collective Behavior
    Chapter Social Change and 1177 Collective Behavior Sections 1. Social Change 2. Theoretical Perspectives on Social Change 3. Collective Behavior 4. Social Movements Learning Objectives After reading this chapter, you will be able to • illustrate the three social processes that contribute to social change. • discuss how technology, population, natural environ- ment, revolution, and war cause cultures to change. • describe social change as viewed by the functionalist and confl ict perspectives. • discuss rumors, fads, and fashions. • compare and contrast theories of crowd behavior. • compare and contrast theories of social movements. 566 Applying Sociology Social change occurs in all societies and in many ways. Today, many Americans may be especially aware of the changes technology brings. News stories tell of workers losing their jobs in the steel industry or of others who must learn computer skills to survive. The photo at left shows a dramatic example of social change in action: the March on Washington of August 28, 1963. That day, more than 250,000 people gathered to demand that the government pass a major civil rights bill and take other actions to end racial discrimination. Since that day, Americans have seen other groups organize to bring about social change— women, Latinos, gay men and women, and other groups, as well. We often assume that the societies of the past stood still. Sociology teaches us, however, that change comes to all societies. Whether by borrowing from other cultures or discovering new ways of doing things, societies change —though industrialized societies tend to change at a faster pace. In this chap- ter you will read about the many ways change is introduced in a culture and how its effects ripple through a society.
    [Show full text]
  • Modernization Theory and the Comparative Study of Societies: a Critical Perspective Author(S): Dean C
    Society for Comparative Studies in Society and History Modernization Theory and the Comparative Study of Societies: A Critical Perspective Author(s): Dean C. Tipps Reviewed work(s): Source: Comparative Studies in Society and History, Vol. 15, No. 2 (Mar., 1973), pp. 199-226 Published by: Cambridge University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/178351 . Accessed: 26/03/2012 13:14 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Cambridge University Press and Society for Comparative Studies in Society and History are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Comparative Studies in Society and History. http://www.jstor.org ModernizationTheory and the ComparativeStudy of Societies:A CriticalPerspective DEAN C. TIPPS Universityof California, Berkeley Use of the term 'modernization' in its present connotations is of relatively recent origin, becoming an accepted part of the vocabulary of American, if not international, social science only in the decade of the 1960s. Despite its relatively rapid rise to currency, the popularity of the term does not appear to be matched by any widespread consensus concerning its precise meaning. The proliferation of alternative definitions has been such, in fact, that the ratio of those using the term to alternative definitions would appear to approach unity.
    [Show full text]
  • 67 Sociology in a Rapidly Changing Society K. A. BUSIA, GHANA Visiting Professor of Sociology, Institute of Social Studies
    Sociology in a Rapidly Changing Society K. A. BUSIA, GHANA Visiting Professor of Sociology, Institute of Social Studies, The Hague THE emphasis on social change is a recognition of the predominant social fact of our time. Social changes are taking place in all countries in the world. In Africa and Asia, as in America and Europe, science and technology, and the contacts of peoples and cultures present challenges, opportunities and urges to achieve higher standards of living, larger freedom and higher human dignity, social welfare and social justice. In some countries, the efforts to achieve all these goals simultaneously have resulted in social changes that have the dimensions of a revolution which profoundly affects every aspect of national life : its culture, politics, economics,. religion, morality and social relations, as well as most realms of individual personality. This situation dictates the problems of sociology, as of the other social scienceg; for sociology is inevitably involved in the social situation, and its problems are dictated by the social setting. The concern of sociology with social change is not new. From the time of Comte to the present day, sociologists have studied and reflected upon the phenomenon of social change. They have tried to answer the questions that men have asked about society. Why does it change, and where does the change tend ? P Sociologists have provided many theories in an endeavour to the cause or the direction of social explain change. ' Comte thought he had discovered in social change a relation between intellectual and social development which he stated in his well-known theory that history showed that human thought passed through three stages : the theological, the metaphysical and the positive.
    [Show full text]