Sociological Theory Of Social Change

Change has been a challenge for social scientists. It is such an evident feature of social reality that has attracted much attention of social-scientific theory regardless of its conceptual starting point to address it (University of California Press, 2004). This is because change comes with certain degree of enlightment with new social, economic and political issues. Sociologists, for instance are regularly concerned with social change (see Spencer 1890; Durkheim, 1928; Rostow, 1960; Merton, 1968; Pareto, ). The entire thinking of early sociologists was dominated by a conception of man and society as the alienation between the subject (nature) and object (human) continue to diminish since the age of the Enlightment. In other words, it is the

It is concerned not primarily with how change happens naturally or intentionally but rather with how social theorists interpret and enhance the theoretical understanding of change in terms of what makes change happen, consequential effect of change and how to effectively manage change in order to bring about order in the society. To achieve this goal, the paper is subdivided into several sections which include; introduction, concept of social change, social change theories and

Here are some examples of influential people who caused changes in the world (good and bad): Martin Luther King, Jr.; Adolf Hitler; Mao Tseng Tug; Mohandas Gandhi & Nelson Mandela

3. The need for adaptation

The need for adaptation within social systems, for example: the development of efficient bureaucracies is an adaptive response of firms to a competitive economic environment.

4. Environmental factors

Change can be through the impact of environmental factors such as drought and famine. The degree of natural disasters between different countries and regions also lead the different social changes between the countries. The shift from collecting, hunting and fishing to agriculture may have happened because, in some areas, the human population grew too large to be sustained by existing resources.

5. Economic & political advantage

International shifts in economic or political advantage also have great impacts on social change. For example, ‘Globalisation’ & ‘the WTO’ are key factors in our modern society affecting the global economy, political structures and dynamics, culture, poverty, the environment, gender etc.

6. Demographic