Essay: Understanding Social Change

Sample Essay – Social Change

Social change is characterized by a shift in the mechanisms embedded in the social structure; other features include alterations of cultural symbols, standards of behavior, social organizations, and value systems (Barringer, 1965). It involves major alteration with the given changes in time in regard to behavior patterns and cultural values and norms.

Note that the major alterations profoundly impact society, and this is why this issue is considered of significant importance by sociologists today. These major alterations having a prolonged impact on society cover the Industrial Revolution, the era of a slave-free environment and affirmative action. In other words, growth in the industries, the eradication of slavery and the feminist movement characterize social change.

It is worth noting that in the historical development of sociology as a discipline, certain models of social change have been borrowed from other academic disciplines. Evolution has been used as a model to elucidate certain processes in Biology, especially biological changes.

In this sense, the concepts in social change took an evolutionary dimension. Other models have, however, been considered with respect to social change, but evolution has predominantly persisted as the core principle.

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