Social Change: Processes, Factors and Theories
Domain 6: Social Change - Processes, Factors and Theories
This domain tests explanation, not just description. You must distinguish processes such as modernisation and globalisation, identify factors, and compare theories without collapsing them.
Core rules
- Social change is alteration in social structure, institutions, norms and values over time. It is not automatically progress.
- Processes include evolution, diffusion (spread of traits), acculturation (cultural contact), industrialisation, urbanisation, modernisation, globalisation and social movements.
- Factors include technological innovation, demographic pressure, ecological change, ideology, education, state policy and conflict. Most real changes are multi-causal and have unintended consequences.
- Theories: evolutionary theories assume stages; cyclical theories assume rise and fall; functionalist theories stress adaptation and integration; conflict theories stress contradiction and struggle; symbolic interactionism studies changing meanings in everyday life.
Worked example
The Green Revolution raised wheat output through HYV seeds, irrigation, fertiliser and state price support. It changed village class relations: rich peasants consolidated land, labourers became more dependent on wages, and caste ties were renegotiated. Technology alone did not cause the outcome; markets, state policy and existing inequality shaped it.
Traps
Do not equate change with progress or with westernisation. Do not give a single-factor explanation for a complex change. Do not present functionalism and conflict theory as saying the same thing. Do not ignore resistance and unintended effects.