Social Change & Culture

According to John J. Macionis in the 2010 edition of Social Problems, social change is how culture and social institutions change over time. Using this definition, culture and social change are inextricably linked. Changes such as inventions and social movements have a large impact on culture.

Function

On a basic level, social change can include any force that impacts a society, which will always influence culture. For example, the invention of clocks in Europe changed how that society viewed and organized time.

Types

The impact of social change on culture can also be seen in social movements such as the civil rights movement in the United States. For example, the civil rights movement of the 1960s changed the way U.S. culture views race and racial inequality. It also impacted other cultural views, such as those concerning women and homosexuals.

Considerations

Social change is not always positive; rather, it can have both positive and negative influences on culture and society. For instance, the invention of the car increased mobility and gave people many new freedoms. However, cars also contribute to global warming and are responsible for many fatal accidents.

References

• Social Problems, 4th Ed., Macionis, John J.; 2010.
• "Social Forces;" Movement of Movements: Culture Moves in the Long Civil Rights Struggle; Larry Isaac; September 2008

Resources

• American Sociological Association