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Essay on social change: meaning, characteristics and other details.

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Introduction:

Change is the internal law. History and science bear ample testimony to the fact that change is the law of life. Stagnation is death. They tell us stories of man’s rise and growth from the Paleolithic age to the Neolithic age, then to the Stone Age and next to the copper age etc. On the stage of the world, scenes follow scenes, acts follow acts, and drama follows drama. Nothing stands still.

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The wheel of time moves on and on. The old dies and the young steps into the world. We ring out the old and ring in the new. A child changes into a boy, a boy into a youth and then into a man. The bud changes into a flower. The dawn turns into morning, morning into noon, noon into afternoon and afternoon into night.

It is said, “Today is not yesterday, we ourselves change. No change is permanent, it is subject to change. This is observed in all spares of activity. Change indeed is painful, yet needful”. Flowing water is wholesome, and stagnant water is poisonous. Only when it flows through and alters with changes, it is able to refresh and recreate.

Change is an ever-present phenomenon. It is the law of nature. Society is not at all a static phenomenon, but it is a dynamic entity. It is an ongoing process. The social structure is subject to incessant changes. Individuals may strive for stability, yet the fact remains that society is an every changing phenomenon; growing, decaying, renewing and accommodating itself to changing conditions.

The human composition of societies changes over time, technologies expand, ideologies and values take on new components; institutional functions and structures undergo reshaping. Hence, no society remains complete static. Incessant changeability is very inherent nature of human society.

A social structure is a nexus of present relationships. It exists because social beings seek to maintain it. It continues to exist because men demand its continuance. But the existing social structure is influenced by many factors and forces that inevitably cause it to change. Society is thus subject to continuous change.

The change of man and society has been the central and quite dominant concern of sociology right from the time when it emerged as branch of learning. The concern for social change is of great importance not only in studying past changes but also in investigating ‘future’ developments.

Meaning of Social Change :

Change implies all variations in human societies. When changes occur in the modes of living of individuals and social relation gets influenced, such changes are called social changes.

Social change refers to the modifications which take place in life pattern of people. It occurs because all societies are in a constant state of disequilibrium.

The word ‘change’ denotes a difference in anything observed over some period of time. Hence, social change would mean observable differences in any social phenomena over any period of time.

Social change is the change in society and society is a web of social relationships. Hence, social change is a change in social relationships. Social relationships are social processes, social patterns and social interactions. These include the mutual activities and relations of the various parts of the society. Thus, the term ‘social change’ is used to describe variations of any aspect of social processes, social patterns, social interaction or social organization.

Social change may be defined as changes in the social organization, that is, the structure and functions of the society.

Whenever one finds that a large number of persons are engaged in activities that differ from those which their immediate forefathers were engaged in some time before, one finds a social change.

Whenever human behaviour is in the process of modification, one finds that social change is occurring. Human society is constituted of human beings. Social change means human change, since men are human beings. To change society, as says Davis, is to change man.

Theorists of social change agree that in most concrete sense of the word ‘change’, every social system is changing all the time. The composition of the population changes through the life cycle and thus the occupation or roles changes; the members of society undergo physiological changes; the continuing interactions among member modify attitudes and expectations; new knowledge is constantly being gained and transmitted.

Defining Change:

The question to what social change actually means is perhaps the most difficult one within the scientific study of change. It involves the often neglected query of what ‘kind’ and degree of change in what is to be considered social change.

Most analysts of social change deal with this question implicitly somewhere in their theoretical system or in the context of the latter’s application to some empirical case. For the present purpose it should suffice to examine definitions that are frequently used to conceptualise change.

According to Jones “Social change is a term used to describe variations in, or modifications of any aspect of social processes, social patterns, social interaction or social organization”.

As Kingsley Davis says, “By Social change is meant only such alternations as occur in social organization – that is, the structure and functions of society”.

According to Maclver and Page, “Social change refers to a process responsive to many types of changes; to changes the man in made condition of life; to changes in the attitudes and beliefs of men, and to the changes that go beyond the human control to the biological and the physical nature of things”.

Morris Ginsberg defines, “By social change, I understand a change in social structure, e.g., the size of the society, the composition or the balance of its parts or the type of its organization”.

P. Fairchild defines social change as “variations or modifications in any aspects of social process, pattern or form.

B. Kuppuswamy says, “Social change may be defined as the process in which is discernible significant alternation in the structure and functioning of a particular social system”.

H.M. Johnson says, “Social change is either change in the structure or quasi- structural aspects of a system of change in the relative importance of coexisting structural pattern”.

According to Merrill and Eldredge, “Change means that large number of persons are engaging in activities that differ from those which they or their immediate forefathers engaged in some time before”.

Anderson and Parker define, “Social change involves alternations in the structure or functioning of societal forms or processes themselves”.

According to M.D. Jenson, “Social change may be defined as modification in ways of doing and thinking of people.

As H.T. Mazumdar says, “Social change may be defined as a new fashion or mode, either modifying or replacing the old, in the life of people or in the operation of a society”.

According Gillin and Gillin, “Social changes are variations from the accepted modes of life; whether due to alternation in geographical conditions, in cultural equipment, composition of the population or ideologies and brought about by diffusion, or inventions within the group.

By analyzing all the definitions mentioned above, we reach at the conclusion that the two type of changes should be treated as two facts of the same social phenomenon. Two type of changes are e.g. (i) changes in the structure of society, (ii) changes in the values and social norms which bind the people together and help to maintain social order. These two type of changes should not, however, be treated separately because a change in one automatically induces changes in the other.

For example, a change in the attitude of the people may bring about changes in the social structure. Towards the close of the 19 century, there was a tendency in the countries of Western Europe for families to grow smaller in size. There is a general agreement that this has been brought about mainly by voluntary restriction of births”.

In this case, a change in the attitude of the people is mainly responsible for change in the social structure. On the other hand, a change in the social structure may bring about attitudinal change among the members of the society. Transformation of rural society into industrial society is not simply a change in the structure of society. For example, industrialisation has destroyed domestic system of production.

The destruction of domestic system of production has brought women from home to factory and office. The employment of women gave them a new independent outlook. The attitude of independence instead of dependence upon men has become the trait of women’s personally. Hence, these two type of changes should not be treated separately but both of them should be studied together.

The problem of social change is one of the central foci of sociological inquiry. It is so complex and so significant in the life of individual and of society that we have to explore the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of social change in all its ramifications.

Characteristics of Social Change :

The fact of social change has fascinated the keenest minds and still poses some of the great unsolved problems in social sciences. The phenomenon of social change is not simple but complex. It is difficult to understand this in its entirety. The unsolved problems are always pressurising us to find an appropriate answer. To understand social change well, we have to analyse the nature of social change which are as follows:

1. Social Change is Social:

Society is a “web of social relationships” and hence social change obviously means a change in the system of social relationships. Social relationships are understood in terms of social processes and social interactions and social organizations.

Thus, the term social change is used to describe variation in social interactions, processes and social organizations. Only that change can be called social change whose influence can be felt in a community form. The changes that have significance for all or considerable segment of population can be considered as social change.

2. Social Change is Universal:

Change is the universal law of nature. The social structure, social organization and social institutions are all dynamic. Social change occurs in all societies and at all times. No society remains completely static.

Each society, no matter how traditional and conservative, is constantly undergoing change. Just as man’s life cannot remain static, so does society of all places and times. Here adjustment take place and here conflict breaks down adjustment. Here there is revolution and here consent. Here men desire for achieving new goals, and here they return to old ones.

3. Social Change occurs as an Essential law:

Change is the law of nature. Social change is also natural. Change is an unavoidable and unchangeable law of nature. By nature we desire change. Our needs keep on changing to satisfy our desire for change and to satisfy these needs, social change becomes a necessity. The truth is that we are anxiously waiting for a change. According to Green, “The enthusiastic response of change has become almost way of life.

4. Social Change is Continuous:

Society is an ever-changing phenomenon. It is undergoing endless changes. It is an “ongoing process”. These changes cannot be stopped. Society is subject to continuous change. Here it grows and decays, there it finds renewal, accommodates itself to various changing conditions.

Society is a system of social relationship. But these social relationships are never permanent. They are subject to change. Society cannot be preserved in a museum to save it from the ravages of time. From the dawn of history, down to this day, society has been in flux.

Social change manifests itself in different stages of human history. In ancient times when life was confined to caves (Stone Age), the social system was different from that of the computer age today. There is no fixity in human relationships. Circumstances bring about many a change in the behaviour patterns.

5. Social Change Involves No-Value Judgement:

Social change does not attach any value judgement. It is neither moral nor immoral, it is amoral. The question of “what ought to be” is beyond the nature of social change. The study of social change involves no-value judgement. It is ethically neutral. A correct decision on what is empirically true is not the same as correct decision on what ought to be.

6. Social Change is Bound by Time Factors:

Social change is temporal. It happens through time, because society exists only as a time-sequences. We know its meaning fully only by understanding it through time factors. For example, the caste system which was a pillar of stability in traditional Indian society, is now undergoing considerable changes in the modern India.

There was less industrialisation in India during 50s. But in 90s, India has become more industrialized. Thus, the speed of social change differs from age to age. The reason is that the factors which cause social change do not remain uniform with the changes in time.

7. Rate and Tempo of Social Change is Uneven:

Though social change is a must for each and every society, the rate, tempo, speed and extent of change is not uniform. It differs from society to society. In some societies, its speed is rapid; in another it may be slow. And in some other societies it occurs so slowly that it may not be noticed by those who live in them. For example, in the modern, industrial urban society the speed and extent of change is faster than traditional, agricultural and rural society.

8. Definite Prediction of Social Change is Impossible:

It is very much difficult to make out any prediction on the exact forms of social change. A thousand years ago in Asia, Europe and Latin America the face of society was vastly different from that what exists today. But what the society will be in thousand years from now, no one can tell.

But a change there will be. For example, industrialisation and urbanisation has brought about a series of interrelated changes in our family and marriage system. But we cannot predict the exact forms which social relationships will assume in future. Similarly, what shall be our ideas, attitudes and value in future, it is unpredictable.

9. Social Change Shows Chain-Reaction Sequences:

Society is a dynamic system of interrelated parts. Changes in one aspect of life may induce a series of changes in other aspects. For example, with the emancipation of women, educated young women find the traditional type of family and marriage not quite fit to their liking.

They find it difficult to live with their parents-in-law, obeying the mother-in-law at every point. They desire separate homes. The stability of marriages can no longer be taken for granted. The changing values of women force men to change their values also. Therefore, society is a system of interrelated parts. Change in its one aspect may lead to a series of changes in other aspects of the society.

10. Social Change takes place due to Multi-Number of Factors:

Social change is the consequence of a number of factors. A special factor may trigger a change but it is always associated with other factors that make the triggering possible. Social change cannot be explained in terms of one or two factors only and that various factors actually combine and become the ’cause’ of the change. M. Ginsberg observes: “A cause is an assemblage of factors which, in interaction with each other, undergo a change”. There is no single master key by which we can unlock all the doors leading to social change. As a matter of fact, social change is the consequence of a number of factors.

11. Social Changes are Chiefly those of Modifications or of Replacement:

Social changes may be considered as modifications or replacements. It may be modification of physical goods or social relationships. For example, the form of our breakfast food has changed. Though we eat the same basic materials such as meats, eggs corn etc. which we ate earlier, their form has been changed.

Ready-to-eat cornflakes, breads, omelets are substituted for the form in which these same materials were consumed in earlier years. Further, there may be modifications of social relationships. For example, the old authoritarian family has become the small equalitarian family. Our attitudes towards women’s status and rights, religion, co-education etc. stand modified today.

12. Social Change may be Small-scale or Large-scale:

A line of distinction is drawn between small-scale and large scale social change. Small-scale change refers to changes within groups and organizations rather than societies, culture or civilization.

According W.E. Moore, by small-scale changes we shall mean changes in the characteristics of social structures that though comprised within the general system identifiable as a society, do not have any immediate and major consequences for the generalised structure (society) as such.

13. Short-term and Long-term Change:

The conceptualization of the magnitude of change involves the next attribute of change, the time span. That is to say, a change that may be classified as ‘small-scale from a short-term perspective may turn out to have large-scale consequences when viewed over a long period of time, as the decreasing death rate since the 1960 in India exemplifies.

14. Social Change may be Peaceful or Violent:

At times, the attribute ‘peaceful’ has been considered as practically synonymous with ‘gradual’ and ‘violent’ with ‘rapid’. The term ‘violence’ frequently refers to the threat or use of physical force involved in attaining a given change. In certain sense, rapid change may ‘violently’ affect the emotions, values and expectations of those involved.

According to W.E. Moore, “A ‘true’ revolution, a rapid and fundamental alternation in the institutions or normative codes of society and of its power distribution, is rapid and continuous by definition and is likely to be violent, but may well be orderly as opposed to erratic”.

‘Peaceful’ has to do with the changes that take place by consent, acceptance or acquisition and that are enforced by the normative restraints of society.

15. Social Change may be Planned or Unplanned:

Social change may occur in the natural course or it is done by man deliberately. Unplanned change refers to change resulting from natural calamities, such as famines and floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruption etc. So social change is called as the unchangeable law of nature. The nature is never at rest.

Planned social change occurs when social changes are conditioned by human engineering. Plans, programmes and projects are made by man in order to determine and control the direction of social change.

Besides that by nature human beings desire change. The curiosity of a man never rests; nothing checks his desire to know. There is always a curiosity about unknown. The needs of human beings are changing day by day. So to satisfy these needs they desire change.

16. Social Change may be Endogenous or Exogenous:

Endogenous social change refers to the change caused by the factors that are generated by society or a given subsystem of society. Conflict, communication, regionalism etc. are some of the examples of endogenous social change.

On the other hand, exogenous sources of social change generally view society as a basically stable, well-integrated system that is disrupted or altered only by the impact of forces external to the system (e.g., world situation, wars, famine) or by new factors introduced into the system from other societies. For example, technological transfer and brain drain, political and cultural imperialism may lead to the diffusion of cultural traits beyond the limits of single societies.

17. Change Within and Change of the System:

The distinction between kinds of change has been developed by Talcott Parsons in his analysis of change ‘within’ and change ‘of the system, i.e., the orderly process of ongoing change within the boundaries of a system, as opposed to the process resulting in changes of the structure of the system under consideration. Conflict theorists draw our attention to the fact that the cumulative effect of change ‘within’ the system may result in a change ‘of’ the system.

To conclude, some of the attributes most frequently used in describing change are: magnitude of change (small-scale, large-scale changes), time pan, direction, rate of change, amount of violence involved. These dimensions should not be taken as either/or attributes but rather as varying along a continuum from one extreme to another (e.g., revolutionary vs evolutionary).

Other categorization that have been devised involve division of changes on the basis of such characteristics as continuous vs spasmodic, orderly vs erratic and the number of people (or roles) affected by or involved in change.

Although no hard and fast categories have yet been developed into which we can fit different types of change, the use of the foregoing distinctions, may be helpful in clarifying one’s conceptualization of any type of change or at least, they can help one to understand the complexities involved in developing a definition of the subject of social change.

Social Evolution :

In explaining the concept of social change, sociologists from time to time used words and expressions like evolution, growth, progress, development, revolution, adaptation etc. discarding one in preference to the other.

Though the concept of evolution was known to the generation preceding the publication of Darwin’s “Origin of Species”, the notion of social evolution was taken directly from the theories of biological evolution. Evolution in biological science means the developing of an organism.

It is a process by which a thing continuously adopts itself to its environment and manifests its own nature. Consequently it is a change which permeates the whole character of the object. Many social theorists from Herbert Spencer to Sumner applied this conception of ‘organic evolution’ in various ways to the explanation of social change.

The term ‘evolution’ is borrowed from biological sciences to Sociology. The term ‘organic evolution’ is replaced by ‘social evolution’ in sociology. Whereas the term ‘organic evolution’ is used to denote the evolution of organism, the expression of ‘social evolution is used to explain the evolution of human society.

It was hoped that the theory of social evolution would explain the origin and development of man. Anthropologists and Sociologists wanted to find a satisfactory and significant explanation of how our society evolved.

They were very much impressed by the idea of organic evolution which explain how one species evolves into another, and wanted to apply the same to the social world. Hence, the concept of social evolution is quite popular in sociological discussion.

Sociologists adopted the word ‘evolution’ to convey the sense of growth and change in social institutions. Social institutions are the result of evolution. They began to work to trace the origin of the ideas, institutions and of the developments.

The term ‘evolution’ is derived from the Latin word ‘evolvere’ which means to ‘develop’ or ‘to unfold’. It is equivalent to the Sanskrit word ‘Vikas’. Evolution literally means gradually ‘unfolding’ or ‘unrolling’. It indicates changes from ‘within’ and not from ‘without’. The concept of evolution applies more precisely to the internal growth of an organism.

Evolution means more than growth. The word ‘growth’ connotes a direction of change but only of quantitative character e.g., we say population grows, town grows etc. But evolution involves something more intrinsic; change not merely in size but also in structure.

According to Maclver and Page, “Evolution involves something more intrinsic, a change not merely in size but at least in structure also”.

Ogburn and Nimkoff write, “Evolution is merely a change in a given direction”.

Ginsberg says, “Evolution is defined as a process of change which results in the production of something new but revealing “an orderly continuity in transition”. That is to say, we have evolution when” the series of changes that occur during a period of time appear to be, not a mere succession of changes, but a ‘continuous process’, through which a clear ‘thread of identity runs’.

Evolution describes a series of interrelated changes in a system of some kind. It is a process in which hidden or latent characters of a thing reveal themselves. It is a principle of internal growth. It shows not merely what happens to a thing but also what happens within it. “What is latent becomes manifest in it and what is potential is made actual.”

Evolution is an order to change which unfolds the variety of aspects belonging to the nature of changing object. We cannot speak of evolution when an object or system is changed by forces acting upon it from without. The change must occur within the changing unity.

Characteristics of Social Evolution :

According to Spencer, “Evolution is the integration of matter and concomitant dissipation of motion during which matter passes from an indefinite, incoherent homogeneity to a definite, coherent heterogeneity.” Society, according to his view, is also subject to a similar process of evolution; that is, changing from a state of ‘incoherent homogeneity’ to a state of ‘coherent heterogeneity.’

Evolution is, thus, a gradual growth or development from simple to complex existence. The laws of evolution which were initially fashioned after the findings of charters. Darwin, came to be known as social Darwinism during the nineteenth century.

Spencer’s point of view can best be illustrated by an example. In the beginning, the most primitive stage, every individual lived an individualistic life, trying to know and do things about himself alone.

Every man was more or less similar, in so far as his ignorance about organized social life was concerned. In this sense, the people were homogenous. At that stage, neither they were able to organize their social life, nor could they work together. There was no system; nothing definite, expect their incoherent or loose-group-formations.

Thus, they formed “an indefinite, incoherent homogeneity,” But gradually, their experiences, realizations and knowledge increased. They learnt to live and to work together. The task of social organisation was taken on, division of labour was elaborated; and each found a particular type of work which he could do best. All worked in an organized and definite way towards a definite goal. Thus, a state of “definite, coherent heterogeneity” was reached.

Herbert Spencer has prescribed four important principles of evolution. These principles are:

1. Social evolution is on cultural or human aspect of the law of change of cosmic evolution.

2. Hence, social evolution take place in the same way at all places and progress through some definite and inevitable stages.

3. Social evolution is gradual.

4. Social evolution is progressive.

In addition to this characteristics, other features of social evolution are clearly evident which are discussed below.

Evolution is a Process of Differentiation and Integration:

The concept of evolution as a process of differentiation cum-integration was first developed by the German Sociologists Von Baer and subsequently by Spencer and many others.

(i) In order to understand this statement, i.e. evolution takes place through differentiation and Integration; we have to study the history of a society over a long, period of time. Then we shall find that its associations, institutions, etc” are constantly evolving or developing.

In social evolution, new and ever newer circumstances and problems are constantly appearing. In order to cope with them, new associations and institutions are evolved. For example, a community in a town previously. When the town had been a small community, its management was the responsibility of a Panchayat or a town area committee.

Now that the town has become a big commercial centre, its management is in the hands of a dozer different committees. One of them looks after the educational facilities, another looks after the sanitation, a third is deputed to look after the octroi, while a fourth manages the markets and so on. In this way, this differentiation increases with the evolution of the town.

(ii) But without Integration, this differentiation cannot take one anywhere. Hence, synthesis along with differentiation is necessary. In urban areas one can find various sectarian associations such as Khandayat Kshatriya Mahasabha, Kayastha society, Brahman Samiti, Napita associations etc.

At the same time, one also can find institutions: ‘Arya Samaj’,” etc. which synthesize and compromise associations based on various caste and class distinctions. Today, while new nations are coming into being in the human society, equally strong efforts are being made to create a world society by compromising these nations.

(iii) By virtue of this double processes of differentiation and integration, the efficiency of the society is being constantly increased. Division of labour is the magic word of modern economic evolution. By an increase in the number of associations and institutions in society, work in various spheres is performed more successfully. And because of the process of synthesis, various spheres take advantage of each other’s efficiency also.

Maclver points it out in a very systematic manner. According to him, evolution or differentiation manifests itself in society by (a) a greater division of society by labour, so that thereby a more elaborate system of cooperation, because the energy of more individuals is concentrated on more specific tasks, a more intricate nexus of functional relationships, is sustained within the group; (b) an increase in the number and the variety of functional associations and institutions, so that each is more defined or more limited in the range or character of its service; and (c) a greater diversity and refinement in the instruments of social communication, perhaps above all in the medium of language.

Various sociologists have laid stress on one or another of these aspect of evolution. Thus, Emile Durkheim has insisted on the preeminent importance of the social division of labour as a criterion of social development. Other writers have taken the various aspects together and sought to show that society passes through a definite series of evolutionary stages.

Social Evolution does not always proceed by Differentiation:

Morris Ginsberg writes, “The notion that evolution is a movement from the simple to the complex can be and has been seriously disputed.” In every field where we find the forces of differentiation at work, there the opposite trends are also manifested. For example in the development of languages, where the process of differentiation has been stressed, we have many disconnecting facts.

The modern languages derived from Sanskrit Like Bengali, Gujarati, Telugu and Tamil cannot be compared in their structure with the richness and diversity of their origin. Here the process is not towards differentiation but towards simplification.

In the development of religion too, the transition from fusion to differentiation is difficult to see. On the whole we find that social evolution does not always proceed by differentiation.

However in spite of the various difficulties, the concept of evolution still retains its usefulness. Maclver has strongly supported the principle of social evolution. He has criticised the practice of believing social evolution to be imaginary. Social evolution is a reality. Maclver has given some arguments in favour of the reality of social evolution.

He emphasizes, if we open the pages of History, we find that in the beginning there was no differentiation of institutions within human society or the performance of diverse functions. But latter on, as culture and civilization progressed, differentiation increased and it is even now increasing. This historical fact is an evidence of the extent and element of reality in the principle of social evolution.

Social Evolution and Organic Evolution :

Though ‘social evolution’ is borrowed from the biological concept of ‘organic evolution’, still then these two terms are not one and the same. There are some basic differences between the two which are as follows:

Firstly, organic evolution implies the differentiation in the bodily structure, which is generally in the form of new organs to use for different purpose. But social evolution does not imply this. Man is the centre of social evolution.

He need not have to develop new organ to adjust himself with changed conditions of life. Because man has the capacity of inventing tools, making instruments and devising techniques to control the forces of nature and to adjust himself with the natural conditions. He can look before and after.

Secondly, in organic evolution, the transmission of qualities takes place through biological heredity, i.e. through ‘genes’. But social evolution takes place through ideas, discoveries, inventions and experiences. Here the changes are transmitted mostly through the mental ability and genius of man.

Thirdly, in case of organic evolution only the descending generation is affected by the structural modification, alterations. But in social evolution even the old as well as the new generations are affected by it. For example, invention of new techniques and devices is influencing the present as well as the future generations.

Lastly, the organic evolution is continuous. There can be no break in it. It is continuous because of the irresistible pressure within the organisation and of environment or natural forces. But such a continuity may not be observed in the case of social evolution. It is subject to disruption. It is an intermittent. It lacks continuity.

Social Change and Social Evolution :

Social change is an ever-present phenomenon everywhere. When we speak of social change, we suggest so far no law, no theory, no direction, even no continuity. Social change occurs in all societies and at all times. No society remains completely static. The term ‘social change’ itself is wholly neutral, implying nothing but differences that take place in human interactions and interrelations.

In explaining this concept of social change, modern sociologists from time to time used different words and expressions. Evolution is one of them. Many social theorists form Herbert Spencer to Sumner applied this conception of evolution in various ways to the interpretation of social change. But many modern theorists, particularly American, have abandoned the idea that social change takes place by evolutionary stages.

Evolution describes a series of interrelated changes in a system of some kind. It is a process in which hidden or latent characters of a thing reveal themselves. It shows not merely what happens to a thing but also what happens within it.

Evolution is an order of change which unfolds the variety of aspects belonging to the nature of changing object. We cannot speak of evolution when an object or system is changed by forces acting upon it from without.

The change must occur within the changing unity. Evolution is a process involving a changing adaptation of the object to its environment and a further manifestation of its own nature. Consequently, it is a change permeating the whole character of the object, a sequence in which the equilibrium of its entire structure undergoes modification.

According to Maclver, evolution is not mere change. It is an immanent process resulting in increased complexity and differentiation. He writes, “the Kernel of organic evolution is differentiation, a process in which latent or rudimentary characters take a distinct and variable form within the unity of the organism.”

Maclver further says, evolution or differentiation manifests itself in society by (a) a greater division of labour resulting in great specialization (b) an increase in the number and variety of functional associations, (c) a greater diversity and refinement in the means of social communication. “When these changes are proceeding, society is evolving”, concludes Maclver.

The concept of progress found notable expression in the writings of the French Philosophers such as Turgot, Condorcent and Fancis Bacon of the 18th century and has been a dynamic agent in the social activity of modern man. Sociologists such as Saint Simon, Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer were the earlier exponents of the idea of progress. According Comte, it was the intellectual elite who could bring about an era of progress.

Etymologically, the word progress means “moving forward.” But moving forward or backward, progress or regress are relative terms. If it be remarked that such and such country has progressed, no meaningful information can be extracted from such a statement unless the direction towards which progress has been made be known.

In this way, progress is not mere change. It is a change in particular direction. The word progress cannot be appended to change in every direction. For example, if the condition of agriculture in a particular country worsens and a famine results, it is undeniably a change, but it will not be called progress. Progress means moving forward in the direction of achievement of some aim.

Different thinkers have defined progress in different ways. The important definitions are as follows:

Maclver writes, “By progress we imply not merely direction, but direction towards some final goal, some destination determined ideally not simply by the objective consideration at work.

Lumely defines, “Progress is a change, but it is a change in a desired or approved direction, not in any direction.”

Ginsberg defines progress as “A development or evolution in a direction which satisfies rational criterion of value”.

According to Ogburn, “Progress is a movement towards an objective thought to be desirable by the general group for the visible future.

Burgess writes, “Any change or adoption to an existent environment that makes it easier for a person or group of persons or other organized from of life to live may be said to represent progress”.

Progress means an advance towards some ideally desirable end. Since progress means change for the better it definitely implies a value judgement of highly subjective character. For value, like taste, has no measuring rod.

A particular social change may seem to be progressive to one person to another it may seem retrogression, because they have different values. The concept of social progress is, therefore, subjective but it has reference to an objective condition.

Criteria of Progress :

It is difficult to explain the criteria of progress which are relative to their temporal context. Social values determine progress. Whether any change will be considered as progress or not depends upon the social values. Social values change with time and place. The criteria of progress change with the change of social values. Hence, it is difficult to formulate a universally acceptable criterion of progress. However, the following can be tentatively suggested.

Health and Longevity of Life:

Average length of life is one index of progress whether the world is growing better. But it does not necessarily follow from this that a longer life must be more pleasurable and better.

In the opinion of some persons, wealth or economic progress is a criterion of progress.

Population:

Some people are of the view that an increase in population is a sign of progress. But over-population cannot be a sign of progress.

Moral Conduct:

According to some thinkers, moral conduct is the criterion of progress.

Since life has many facets, it is not possible to formulate any one criterion of progress. But is stated that the integrated development of society is the criterion of progress. Integrated development comprehends all mental, physical and spiritual aspects including above criteria.

Nature of Progress :

By analysing above definitions, we find that progress is a change, a change for the better. When we speak of progress, we simply not merely direction, but direction towards some final goal. The nature of the progress depends upon two factors, the nature of the end and the distance of which we are from it.

The modern writers today speak of social progress though they do not have a single satisfactory explanation of the concept. In order to have a better understanding of the meaning of progress, we have to analyse the following attributes.

1. Progress is Dependent upon Social Values:

Progress dependent upon and is determined by social values. It means that progress does not have precisely the same meaning at all times and places, because values change from time to time. There is no object which can uniformly or eternally be considered valuable irrespective of time and place.

Due to this reason, Maclver and Page have written, “The concept of progress is a chameleon that take on the colour of the environment when we feel adjusted to that environment, and some contrasting colour when we feel maladjusted.

2. There is a Change in Progress:

Change is one of its essential attributes. The concept of progress presupposes the presence of change. Without change, there can be no progress.

3. In Progress the Desired End is Achieved:

The progress is not mere change. It is a change in a particular direction. Broadly speaking, progress means an advance towards some ideally desirable end. It always refers to the changes that leads to human happiness. Not all changes imply progress.

4. Progress is Communal:

Progress from its ethical point of view, may be personal but from the sociological point of view, is communal since sociology is that science of society. In it, the individual is taken into consideration only as a part of society. Only that change, whose influence can be felt on entire community or society for its betterment or welfare, can be called social progress.

5. Progress is Volitional:

Progress does not come about through inactivity. Desire and volition are needed for progress. Efforts have to be made and when these efforts are successful it is called progress. It is an uphill task. It must be remembered that every effort is not progressive.

6. Progress is Variable:

The concept of progress varies from society to society, place to place and from time to time. It does not remain constant in all times and of all places. That which is today considered as the symbol or progress may tomorrow be considered and treated as a sign of regress. For example, in India, free mixing of young boys and girls may be interpreted as an indication of regress, whereas the same may symbolise progress in the Western Countries.

7. Criteria of Progress are Variable:

As stated earlier criteria of progress are relative to their temporal context. Social values determine progress. But social values change with time and place. Therefore, criteria of progress vary from place to place. Further, different scholars have prescribed different criteria of progress. For example, health and longevity have been considered as criteria of progress by some, while other have taken economic security, moral conduct as the criteria of progress.

8. Progress does not have a Measuring Rod:

The term progress is very much subjective and value-loaded. It is not demonstrable with a degree of certainty. We cannot show it to others unless they first accept our evaluations. We may or may not agree that there is progress, but we cannot prove it. Progress is a reality which is immeasurable and undemonstrable. Anything that cannot be demonstrated and measured scientifically cannot be rejected socially. It is especially true in the case of progress.

To conclude, progress conveys the sense of something better and improved. The advancement in technology was opposed to contribute to progress. But, these developments did not carry the sense of progress. It was advancement only in a particular direction.

The comprehensiveness of progress was missing. The extremes of poverty and health, of ignorance and enlightenment had continued to coexist as ever before. Progress as conceived over the ages past, is now considered to be illusive. The end of progress, it has come to be accepted, cannot be determined.

The ‘progress’ in the West did not meet all its ends. It did not bring the fulfillment, that was taken to be its true aim. For this, the use of the term progress was considered inappropriate. The application of the term fell into disfavour. More so, the growing belief that sociology should be value-free also discouraged the use of this expression.

Social Change and Social Progress :

Change is the basic content of both evolution and progress. But the term change is wholly neutral, only suggesting variation in a phenomena over, a period of time. The moment the specifications like direction, desirability, and value-judgement are added to change, another terminology ‘progress’ becomes necessary to describe the process of change.

Progress is not mere change. It is a change in particular direction. It cannot be appended to change in every direction. The word progress means moving forward in the direction and achievement of some desired goal. It is certainly a change, a change for the better not for the worse. The concept of progress always involves and implies value judgement. It is not possible to speak of progress without reference to standards. Not all changes imply progress.

But social change is a generic term, an objective term describing one of the fundamental processes. There is no value-judgement attached to it. It is true that some changes are beneficial to mankind and some are harmful.

But social change is neither moral nor immoral, but amoral. The study of social change involves no value-judgement, while the concept of social progress implies values judgement. Social progress means improvement, betterment, moving to a higher level from a lower level.

Social Evolution and Social Progress :

In the earlier theories of biological evolution, the concept of social evolution was intimately connected with social progress. For the social evolutionists of the nineteenth century from Auguste Comte to Herbert Spencer and Lester F. Ward, social evolution was, in effect, social progress. Modern sociologists, particularly Americans, do not hold this proposition.

They point out that evolution does not mean progress, because when a society is more evolved it does not necessarily follow that it is more progressive. If it would have been progressive, Maclver and Page remark that people in the more evolved society are better or better fitted to survive or more moral or more healthy than those we call primitive. Even if the opposite were true, it would not refute the fact that their society is more evolved.”

Social evolution should also be distinguished from social progress. Firstly L.T. Hobhouse says, evolution means a sort of growth while .social progress means the growth of social life in respect of those qualities to which human beings attach or can rationally attach value. The relation between the two is thus a ‘genus-species’ relation.

Social progress is only one among many possibilities of social evolution; any or every form of social evolution is not a form of social progress. For example, caste system in India is a product of social evolution. But it does not signify progress. Hobhouse concludes, “that it is good, the fact that society has evolved is no proof that it progressed.

Secondly, evolution is merely change in a given direction. It describes a series of interrelated changes in a system of some kind. It refers to an objective condition which is not evaluated as good or bad. On the contrary, progress means change in a direction determined ideally. In other words, it can be said, progress means change for the better not for the worse.

It implies a value-judgement. The evolutionary process may move in accordance with our notion of desirable change, but there is no logical necessity that it should. The concept of progress necessarily involves a concept of end. And the concept of end varies with the mentality and experience of the individual and the group.

The affirmation of evolution “depends on our perception of objective evidences, whereas the affirmation or denial of progress depends on our ideals.” It follows that evolution is a scientific concept and progress is an ethical concept. Evolution is a demonstrable reality; out the term progress is very much subjective and value-loaded and is not demonstrable with a degree of certainty.

While social evolution is clearly distinguished from social progress, we must not loose sight of their relationships. Ethical valuations or ideas (Progress) are socially determined and hence determine the objective phenomena (Evolution) of society. They have always been powerful in shaping and moving the world. In some manner they are active in every process of social change. “All social change has this double character.”

From the above analysis we find, though the above three concepts, social change, social evolution and social progress share many common reference points, they have different intellectual framework. They all articulate same consequential effects.

In all the three processes, one cause produces a number of effects, the effect and cause get intermixed to produce other new effects, again new connections between cause and effect are established and so on goes the process.

Factors of Social Change :

A sociological explanation of change refers not only to the structure that changes but also the factors that effect such a change. Social change has occurred in all societies and in all periods of time. We should, therefore, know what the factors are that produce change. Of course there is little consensus among the representatives of theoretical proposition on the sources.

Besides, the linear as well as the cyclical theorists paid little attention to the determinations of factors involved in social change. Morris Ginsberg has made a systematic analysis of the factors which have been invoked by different writers to explain social change.

Here, our analysis is confined to sociological implantation of the origins and causes of change. Cause will be defined here as set of related factors which, taken together, are both sufficient and necessary for the production of a certain effect.

Attempt has been made to take up each factors of social change by itself and find out the way in which it effects social change. These factors are treated independently, purely for purpose of understanding and we are not of the view that they can influence social change independent of other factors.

Technological Factor :

Technological factor constitute one important source of social change. Technology, an invention, is a great agent of social change. It either initiates or encourages social change. Technology alone holds the key to change. When the scientific knowledge is applied to the problems of life, it becomes technology. In order to satisfy his desires, to fulfill his needs and to make his life more comfortable, man builds civilisation.

The dawn of this new civilization is the single most explosive fact of our lifetimes. It is the central event, the key to the understanding of the years immediately ahead. We have already crossed the first wave (agricultural revolution). We are now the children of the next transformation i.e. the third wave.

We go forward to describe the full power and reach of this extraordinary change. Some speak of a “Looming Space Age”, “Information Age”, “Electronic Era”, or “Global ‘ Village”. Brezezinski has told us, we face a “Technetronic Age”. Sociologist Daniel Bell describes the coming of a “Post-Industrial Society”. Soviet futurists speak of the STR-‘The Scientific-Technological Revolution”. Alvin Toffler has written extensively about the arrival of a “Super Industrial Society”.

Technology is fast growing. Every technological advance makes it possible for us to attain certain results with less effort, at less cost and at less time. It also provides new opportunities and establishes new conditions of life. The social effects of technology are far-reaching.

In the words of W.F. Ogburn, “technology changes society by changing our environment to which we in turn adapt. This change is usually in the material environment and the adjustment that we make with these changes often modifies our customs and social institutions”.

Ogburn and Nimkoff have pointed that a single invention may have innumerable social effects. According to them, radio, for example, has influenced our entertainment, education, politics, sports, literature, knowledge, business, occupation and our modes of organisation. They have given a list consisting of 150 effects of radio in U.S.A.

The pace of change in the modern era is easily demonstrated by reference to rates of technological development. The technological revolution enabled human kind to shift from hunting and gathering to sedentary agriculture and later to develop civilizations.

Technological revolutions enabled societies to industrialize urbanize, specialize, bureaucratize, and take on characteristics that are considered central aspects of modern society. “Modern technology,” remarks the economic historian David Landes, “produces not only more, faster; it turns out objects that could not have been produced under any circumstances by the craft methods of yesterday.

Most important, modern technology has created things that could scarcely have been conceived in the pre-industrial era the camera, the motor car, the aeroplane, the whole array of electronic devices from the radio to the high speed computer, the nuclear power plant, and so on almost adinfinitum…. The result has been an enormous increase in the output and variety of goods and services, and this alone has changed man’s way of life more than anything since the discovery of fire…”

Every technological revolution has brought about increase in the world population. Development and advancement of agriculture resulted in the increase of population in the agricultural communities; rise of commerce gave birth to the populous towns, international trade and international contact and the industrial revolution set the human society on the new pedestal.

Technological changes have influenced attitudes, beliefs and traditions. The factory system and industrialization, urbanization and the rise of working class, fast transport and communication have demolished old prejudices, dispelled superstitions, weakened casteism, and has given rise to the class based society.

Ogborn even goes to the extent of suggesting that the starter in motor car had something to do with the emancipation of women in the America and Western Europe. Development in transport and communication has changed the outlook of the people.

Railways in India have played tremendous role in bringing about social mixing of the people. It has helped people to move out of their local environments and take up jobs in distant corners of the country. Movement of people from East to West and North to South has broken social and regional barriers.

There have come into existence new vocations and trades. People have begun to give up their traditional occupations and are taking to work in the factories and in the offices-commercial as well as Government. This has also made possible the vertical mobility.

A person can now aspire to take up an occupation with higher status than he could have ever thought of in the pre-technological days. Technology has brought about Green Revolution with abundance and variety for the rich.

The rapid changes of every modern society are inextricably interwoven or connected with and somehow dependent upon the development of new techniques, new inventions, new modes of production and new standards of living.

Technology thus is a great bliss. It has made living worthwhile for the conveniences and comfort it provides, and has created numerous vocations, trades and professions. While, giving individual his rightful place, it has made the collectivity supreme.

Technologies are changing and their social consequences are profound. Fundamental changes brought by technology in social structure are discussed as under:

1. Birth of Factory System:

The introduction of machines in the industry has replaced the system of individual production by the factory or mill system. It has led to the creation of huge factories which employ thousands of people and where most of the work is performed automatically.

2. Urbanisation:

The birth of gigantic factories led to urbanisation and big cities came into existence. Many labourers, who were out of employment in rural areas migrated to the sites to work and settled around it. As the cities grew, so did the community of ‘labourers and with it was felt the need for all civic amenities which are essential for society. Their needs were fulfilled by establishing market centers, schools, colleges, hospitals, and recreation clubs. The area further developed when new business came to it with the formation of large business houses.

3. Development of New Agricultural Techniques:

The introduction of machinery into the industry led to the development of new techniques in agriculture. Agricultural production was increased due to the use of new chemical manure. The quality was also improved by the use of superior seeds. All these factors resulted in increase of production. In India, the effect of technology is most apparent in this direction because India is preeminently an agricultural country.

4. Development of Means of Transportation and Communication:

With the development of technology, means of transportation and communication progressed at a surprising rate. These means led to the mutual exchanges between the various cultures. Newspapers, radios, televisions etc. helped to bring news from every corner of the world right into the household. The development of the car, rail, ship and aeroplane made transportation of commodities much easier. As a result national and international trade made unprecedented progress.

5. Evolution of New Classes:

Industrialisation and urbanisation gave birth to the emergence of new classes in modern society. Class struggle arises due to division of society into classes having opposite-interests.

6. New Conceptions and Movements:

The invention of mechanism has also culminated in the generation of new currents in the prevalent thinking. ‘Trade Union’ movements, ‘Lockouts’, ‘Strikes”, “Hartals’, ‘Processions’, ‘Pen down’ became the stocks-in-trade of those who want to promote class interest. These concepts and movements become regular features of economic activity.

The effects of technology on major social institution may be summed up in the following manner:

Technology has radically changed the family organisation and relation in several ways.

Firstly, small equalitarian nuclear family system based on love, equality, liberty and freedom is replacing the old, authoritarian joint family system. Due to invention of birth, control method, the size of family reduced.

Secondly, Industrialisation destroying the domestic system of production has brought women from home to the factories and office. The employment of women meant their independence from the bondage of man. If brought a change in their attitudes and ideas. It meant a new social life for women. It consequently affected every part of the family life.

Thirdly due to technology, marriage has lost its sanctity. It is now regarded as civil contract rather than a religious sacrament. Romantic marriage, inter-caste marriage and late marriages are the effects of technology. Instances of divorce, desertion, separation and broken families are increasing.

Lastly, though technology has elevated the status of women, it has also contributed to the stresses and strains in the relations between men and women at home. It has lessened the importance of family in the process of socialisation of its members.

Technology has effected wide range of changes in our religious life. Many religious practices and ceremonies which once marked the individual and social life, have now been abandoned by them. With the growth of scientific knowledge and modern education, the faith of the people in several old religious beliefs and activities have shaken.

Economic life:

The most striking change due to technological advance, is the change in economic organisation. Industry has been taken away from the household and new types of economic organisation like factories, stores, banks, joint stock companies, stock-exchanges, and corporation have been setup. It has given birth to capitalism with all its attendant evils.

Division of labour, specialization of function, differentiation and integration all the products of technology. Though it has brought in higher standard of living, still then by creating much more middle classes, it has caused economic depression, unemployment, poverty, industrial disputes and infectious diseases.

Effects on State:

Technology has affected the State in several ways. The functions of the State has been widened. A large number of functions of family, such as educative, recreation, health functions have been transferred to the State.

The idea of social welfare State is an offshoot of technology. Transportation and communication are leading to a shift of functions from local Government to the Central Government. The modern Government which rule through the bureaucracy have further impersonalised the human relations.

Social life:

Technological innovations have changed the whole gamut of social and cultural life. The technological conditions of the modern factory system tend to weaken the rigidity of the caste system and strengthen industrializations. It has changed the basis of social stratification from birth to wealth. Urbanization, a consequence of technological advance, produces greater emotional tension and mental strain, instability and economic insecurity.

There is masking of one’s true feelings. Socially, the urbanites are poor in the midst of plenty. “They feel lonely in the crowd”. On all sides, one is confronted with “human machines which possess motion but not sincerity, life but not emotion, heart but not feelings”. Technology has grown the sense of individualism. It has substituted the ‘handi work’ with ‘head work’.

It is clear from the above explanation that technology has profoundly altered our modes of life and also thought. It is capable of bringing about vast changes in society. But is should not be considered as a sole factor of social change. Man is the master as well as a servant of the machine. He has the ability to alter the circumstances which have been the creation of his own inventions or technology.

Cultural Factor of Social Change :

Among all the factors, cultural factor is the most important which works as a major cause of social change. Culture is not something static. It is always in flux. Culture is not merely responsive to changing techniques, but also it itself is a force directing social change.

Culture is the internal life forces of society. It creates itself and develops by itself. It is men who plan, strive and act. The social heritage is never a script that is followed slavishly by people. A culture gives cues and direction to social behaviour.

Technology and material inventions may influence social change but direction and degree of this depends upon the cultural situation as a whole. “Culture is the realm of final valuation”. Men interpret the whole world. He is the master as well as the servant of his own inventions or technology.

To employ Maclver’s simile, technological means may be represented by a ship which can set sail to various ports. The port we sail to remains a cultural choice. Without the ship we could not sail at all. According to the character of the ship we sail fast of ‘slow, take longer or shorter voyages.

Our lives are also accommodated to the conditions on ship board and our experiences vary accordingly. But the direction in which we travel is not predestinated by the design of the ship. The port to which we sail, the direction in which we travel, remains totally of a cultural choice.

It should be noted that technology alone cannot bring vast changes in society. In order to be effective “The technology must have favourable cultural support”. When the cultural factor responds to technological change, it also reacts on it so as to influence the direction and character of social change.

It may be noted that culture not only influences our relationship and values but also influences the direction and character of technological change. For example, different countries like Great Britain, Soviet Union, U.S.A. and India may adopt the same technology, but in so far as their prevalent outlook on life differs, they will apply it in different directions and to different ends.

The atomic energy can be used for munition of war and for production purposes. The industrial plant can turn out armaments or necessaries of life. Steel and iron can be used for building purposes and for warships. Fire can be used for constructive and destructive purposes.

For a better understanding of the relationship between culture and technology, let us analyse here the concept of “cultural lag”.

Cultural Lag:

The concept of ‘cultural lag’, has become a favourite one with sociologists, it is an expression that has a particular appeal in an age in which inventions discoveries and innovations of many kinds are constantly disturbing and threatening older ways of living. In this context, it will serve also to introduce the principle that cultural conditions are themselves important agencies in the process of social change.

The concept of ‘cultural lag’ was first explicitly formulated by W.F. Ogburn in his treaties entitled ‘Social Change’. Lag means crippled movement. Hence, ‘cultural lag’ means the phases of culture which fall behind other phases that keep on moving ahead.

Ogburn’s idea of ‘cultural lag’ is perhaps one of the most important concept influencing the fact of discussion regarding technology and social change. Ogburn distinguishes between “material” and ‘non-material’ culture.

By ‘material culture’ he means things which are ‘tangible’, visible, seen or touched like goods, tools, utensils, furniture, machine. But the ‘non-material’ culture includes things which cannot be touched or tangible such as family, religion, skill, talent. Government and education etc.

According to Ogburn, when changes occur in ‘material culture’, those in turn stimulate changes in ‘non-material’ culture, particularly in what he terms the ‘adaptive’ culture. According to Ogburn, material culture changes by a process which is different in pace from changes in non-material culture.

The larger the technological knowledge of a society, the greater the possibility of a new combinations and innovations. Thus, material culture tends to grow exponentially. Because society cannot develop methods of controlling and utilizing new technology before the technology is accepted and used. There exists a “cultural lag” in creating controls and altering social relationship related to new conditions brought about by new technology.

Cultural lag is due to man’s psychological dogmatism. He is wedded to certain ideologies regarding sex, education and religion. On account of his dogmatic beliefs and ideologies, he is not prepared to change his social institutions. The failure to adopt social institutions to the changes in the material culture leads to cultural lag.

But Maclver points out that “unfortunately it is often adopted without adequate analysis and consequently it has not been developed in a clear and effective manner. According to him, the distinction is not a workable one. Nor again should be assumed that, it is always the ‘material’ or that the main problem is one of adapting the ‘non-material’ to the ‘material’ culture.

Maclver also observes that the term ‘lag’ is not properly applicable to relations between technological factors and the cultural patterns or between the various components of the cultural pattern itself. He has used different words like, ‘technological lag’, ‘technological restraint’, for the resulting imbalance in the different parts of culture.

Kingsley Davis, in his ‘Human Society’ holds that the aspect of culture cannot be divided into material and non-material and that this distinction in no way helps us to understand the nature of technology. Other sociologists, Sutherland, Wood Ward and Maxwell, in their book ‘Introductory Sociology’ point out that Ogburn is guilty of over simplifying the processes of social change.

Social change is a complex phenomenon. The rate, speed and direction of social change is not the same everywhere. So it cannot be explained by simply saying that change first takes place in material culture and thereafter in non-material culture. Ogburn has taken an over simple materialistic view of society.

In spite of various shortcomings, Ogburn’s theory of cultural lag has been proved to be beneficial for the understanding of the cultural factor in bringing about social change. It has been acknowledged by all that there is an intimate connections between the technological advance and our cultural values.

Hence, we may note here that our culture, our thoughts, values, habits are the consequences of technological changes; the latter also is the consequences of changes of the former. Both technology and cultural factors are the two important sources of social change. The two are not only interdependent but also interactive. Man does not simply want a thing but he wants a thing which may also be beautiful and appealing to his senses.

Dowson and Gettys, in introduction to Sociology’, rightly remark, “Culture tends to give direction and momentum to social change to set limits beyond which social change cannot occur.

It is the culture which has kept the social relationship intact. It makes people think not of their own but also of the others. Any change in cultural valuation will have wider repercussion on the personality of the individual and the structure of the group. Every technological invention, innovation, new industrial civilization or new factor disturbs an old adjustment.

The disturbance created by mechanism was so great that it seemed to be the enemy of culture, as indeed all revolutions seem. The wealth-bringing machine brought also, ugliness, shoddiness, haste, standardization. It brought new hazards, new diseases, and industrial fatigue.

That was not the fault of the machines and power plants. It was due to the ruthlessness and greed of those who controlled these great inventions. But human values or cultural values reasserted themselves against economic exploitation. Culture began, at first very slowly, to redirect the new civilization. It made the new means of living at length more tractable to the uses of personality and new arts blossomed on the ruins of the old.

To conclude, social systems are directly or indirectly the creation of cultural values. So eminent sociologist Robert Bierstedt has rightly remarked, “What people think, in short, determines in every measure… what they do and what they want”. Thus, there a definite relation is a definite relation between changing beliefs and attitudes and changing social institutions. So Hobhouse says, there is “a broad correlation between the system of institutions and mentally behind them”.

Demographic Factor of Social Change:

The demographic factor plays the most decisive role in causing social change. The quantitative view of demography takes into account the factors that determine the population: its size, numbers, composition, density and the local distribution etc.

The population of every community is always changing both in numbers and in composition. The changes in population have a far-reaching effect on society. During the 19th century, the population of most countries of Western Europe fell down. During the same time also, the death rate of these countries declined. This double phenomenon is unprecedented in the history of man.

Population changes have occurred all through human history. It is due to various reasons such as migration, invasion, and war, pestilence, changing food supply and changing mores. There was depopulation and overpopulation in times past. The swift and steady decline of both the birth rate and death in the past 70 years or so witnesses to a great social transformation.

In a society where the size or number of female children is greater than the number of male children, we will find a different system of courtship, marriage and family disorganisation from that where the case is reverse. Women command less respect in that community where their numbers are more.

It has always been recognised that there exists a reciprocal relation between population and social structure. The social structure influences population changes and is affected by them. It is beyond doubt that economic conditions and population rates are interdependent. Increasing 254 Social Change interaction results from an increase in the size and density of population. Increase in population also leads to an increase of social differentiation and a division of labour.

With the changes in size, number and density of population, changes take place in composition. The most important reasons for the contemporary population explosion are the tremendous technological changes on the one hand and a most spectacular advance in controlling the diseases by science and preventive medicines on the other hand.

Advancement in science and technology is indirectly boosting the world population by delaying the death rate. For example, take the case of ‘Malaria’. This disease was responsible for the death of million of people in India and other countries.

But it has now been completely eliminated by destroying the malaria carrying mosquitoes with the use of pesticides. Surgery too has advanced so much today. The vital organs of human body such as kidney and heart can be transplanted or replaced when worn out.

The growth of population has given birth to a great variety of social problems such as unemployment, child labour, wars, competition and production of synthetic goods. It has led to urbanization with all its attendant evils.

Countries with growing population and relatively limited resources have an incentive to imperialism and to militarism. These attitudes in turn, encourage a further increase of population. Increase in population threatens the standards of living and thus inspires a change of attitude.

Due to unprecedented growth of population in the 19th century, the practice of birth control took a new development. This practice (use of contraceptive), in turn, had many repercussions on family relationships and even on attitudes towards marriage.

With a change in population, there is also a change in a pattern of ‘consumption’. Societies having large number of children are required to spend relatively large amounts of money on food and education. On the other hand, societies with large proportions of elderly people have to spend relatively more amount on medical care.

In some cases, population changes may initiate pressures to change political institutions. For example, changes in the age, sex or ethnic composition of a people of then complicates the political process of country.

Besides, there is a close relationship between the growth of population and the level of physical health and vitality of the people. Because there are many mouths to feed, none gets enough nutritious food to eat, as a result chronic malnutrition and associated diseases become prevalent.

These, induce physical incompetence, apathy and lack of enterprise. Due to these people’s low level of physical well-being, they are socially backward and unprogressive. They show their indifference to improve their material welfare. An underfed, disease-ridden people are lethargic people.

Moreover, if the growth of population is checked, it would mean a higher standard of living, the emancipation of women from child-bearing drudgery, better care for the young and consequently a better society.

Demographers have shown that variation in the density of population also affects nature of our social relationship. In a low population density area, the people are said to exhibit a greater degree of primary relationship whereas in the area of high density of population, the relationship between people is said to superficial and secondary. In the opinion of Worth, high density areas witness the growth of mental stress and loneliness of life.

The importance of demography as a factor of social change has been realised by various sociologists and economists. An eminent French sociologist, Emile Durkheim, went on to the extent of developing a new branch of sociology dealing with population which he called “Social Morphology” which not only analyses the size and quality of population but also examine how population affects the quality of social relationships and social groups.

Durkheim has pointed out that our modern societies are not only characterised by increasing division of labour but also specialisation of function. The increasing division of labour and specialization of function have a direct correlation with the increasing density of population. He stresses on the fact that in a simple society with comparatively lesser number of people, the necessity of complex division of labour is less felt.

This society, according to Durkheim, is based on “mechanical solidarity”. But as the groups grow in size and complexity with the increase in population, the “services of the experts” are more required. The society, according to him, moves towards “organic solidarity”. There is, so to say, a drift from mechanical to organic solidarity.

M. David Heer, in his book “Society and Population”, has developed a “theory of demographic transition”. The theory was popularised just after the end of World War-II. It has provided a comprehensive explanation of the effects of economic development both on fertility and mortality decline.

Schneidar and Dornbusch, in their book “Popular Religion”, have pointed that decline in mortality rate evokes several changes in social structure. They have stressed on the point that due to decline in mortality rate in USA since 1875, negative attitude towards religious beliefs have been cultivated by the people.

They also point out that in a society wherein children die before reaching the age of five, parents may not develop a strong emotional attachment to their children and also in a high mortality society, arranged marriages are common, but in a low mortality society love marriages become the dominant feature. Again when mortality rate is high, individual tends to have a weaker orientation towards the future and stronger orientation towards the present.

Thomas Robert Malthus, an English cleargyman, mathematician and economist, was one of the earliest demographers. In his work, “An Essay on the Principles of Population”, published in 1978, he mentioned that under normal conditions, population would grow by geometrical progression, whereas the means of subsistence would grow by arithmetical progression. The imbalance or lag or gap between the two would create a lot of problems for society.

That is why, Malthus has pleaded for two types of checks which can keep the population down. He spoke of hunger and disease as positive check, and late marriage and enforced celibacy as the preventive check.

From the above analysis, we find that demographic factor has been contributing to the great transformations in society’s socioeconomic and political structure throughout human history. For example, most countries in Asia where more than half world population is now living, is characterised by high birth rate. These countries in general and Indian society in particular, are passing through a critical period of great poverty, unemployment and moral degeneration.

The gap between the living standards of general masses of these countries and that of the developed countries is widening. The gap is cruelly frustrating the third world country’s hopes for development.

With the current rate of population increase, it is expected that the total requirements for future health, education, housing and many other welfare needs are bound to increase. This will certainly bring the drastic changes not only in the microstructures, but also in macrostructures of Indian society.

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Social Change: Definition, Characteristics, Causes, Types, and Examples

Humans are social beings. We exist in a social world and observe norms, rules and traditions that are all social constructs. Therefore social change is a concept that is threaded to the very root of society. Similar to the Earth completing a strenuous rotation around the Sun every year, society undergoes social change. It shapes and shifts how we perceive the world and its social interactions. Comparing society from the 19th century to the current 21st will present itself with drastic changes. For starters, women’s rights was a concept a majority of men refused to believe in and blatant racism towards people of colour was an accepted part of one’s daily routine. Social change is what has brought about so many alterations to the functioning of society.

What does Social Change mean?

According to sociologists, social change is a constantly occurring phenomenon. It is the process through which social structures and institutions are reconstructed, undergoing a cultural transformation. Society is built upon certain value systems that maintain social order and shifts in the root of these value systems- human interaction- lead to the disruption of the maintained social order. Disruption is always acquainted with negativity, however, as society is constantly developing and innovating, change and disruption is not only inevitable but needed. Social change can result in positive or negative outcomes.

According to M. E Jones, social change occurs when social processes, social patterns, social interactions or social organisations encounter modifications from their everyday functioning. Marx, on the other hand, looked at social change as the consequence of class struggle- the conflict was the primary means for change. He believes that the economy is the most significant causing factor for change. Many sociologists have correlated the relationship between technology and social change. In earlier years, societies were largely nomadic and depended on manual human labour to hunt and gather for food on a daily basis. As humans evolved and built contraptions that eased the process of cultivation and agricultural production, societies began to claim land and mark territories. Lenski believed that these technological advancements are what caused societies to shift, and it is possible to observe how technological advancements affect the very thread of society to this day.

Theories of Change

Classical and early modernists focused their narratives on social change on the stability aspect rather than change. Change is planned and is introduced to bring stability to society. Modernists theorists, on the other hand, view social change as a result of changes in the environment and other external factors.  Symbolic interpretivists believe that social interaction creates social structures and leads to the alteration of existing and new structures. Postmodernists tend to reject the idea of describing social structures as definable entities and see social change as a response to the present discourse. 

Characteristics of Social Change

            Idrani (1998) and Anele (1999) observed and attributed certain characteristics to social change.

• As mentioned earlier, social change is a phenomenon tied to the very root of human society, therefore it is inevitable and unavoidable. Social change may take place without society being acutely aware of the process.
• Social change is not a concept tied down to one society, it is not unique to particular geographical locations or subsets of society but occurs across all societies. No society remains static and unchanging, micro and macro events take place to shift the way they function. Therefore it must be looked at as a universal phenomenon.

Multi-leveled

• As discussed above, change occurs both on a micro and macro level. Certain definitions of social change look at the concept to understand how social structures evolve and introduce new social institutions. However, social change takes place on all levels and is not restricted to evolutionary change.
• Especially in the present day, given how interwoven and connected one society is with another, social change is contagious in the sense that change in one society can inflict change in another.
• There is no fixed time duration during which social change occurs, its rate depends on this issue at hand and can be rapid or gradual [revolutionary or evolutionary].
• This is perhaps the most important characteristic of social change. Social change can be measured and detected based on scale, brevity and repetition.

There are various reasons why societies undergo social change. Change can be brought about due to technological developments, social institutions, social conflict or the environment. These factors can be viewed as the agents of social change. Technology has become an integral part of society ever since the late 19th century and human dependence on technological development is only growing. It is no surprise that technology can be a reason for social change. Technology can be argued to be the bridge that allows us to exist in such an interconnected world, it acted as the thrust for globalization. Without the internet and the introduction of cellular phones and digital devices, we would not have a hybrid global society.

Advancements in technology also led to the improvement of the medical and agricultural world, both of which have multitudes of benefits. High-tech medical equipment now makes it easier for doctors to treat critically ill patients and have also eased the process of childbirth,  greatly reducing the number of deaths during childbirth. The development of large agricultural fields and equipment have made it easier to grow to produce in bulk for commercial purposes. Food scientists are also finding ways to create hybrid fruits and vegetables which are packed with nutrients. The impact of technology extends towards culture as well. Different cultures come into contact with and influence each other. Globalisation is a key example of how technology has brought about cultural change.

However, it is important to observe how technology has created a digital divide and is furthering the inequalities faced by marginalised and underprivileged sections of society. Those with access to the internet and digital resources can arm themselves with information while the rest are left to their own devices or a lack of one.

Social institutions are organised systems within society that follow certain social rules and norms. Social change can affect social institutions just as the reverse- social institutions triggering social change- takes place. Industrialisation is an example of how social change affected social institutions. Previously the family, being a large unit, would take care of agriculture, education and so on. However, as industrialisation progressed, families broke into smaller units and social institutions such as schools and industries began to take up their roles.

Natural disasters can uproot societies and it takes a while to build them back to what it was before. These disasters also highlight the importance of environmental activism and urge individuals to show more care and support to the land they live in. Activists such as Greta Thunberg have immensely contributed to creating awareness of environmentalism. It has put large organisations and industries under the spotlight and expose how the present way of functioning is causing immense damage to the earth. It has also led to smaller changes such as switching from plastic bags to cloth bags and plastic straws to metal ones.

Social conflict is perhaps the most easily observable cause for social change and usually results in large-scale protests and public demonstrations. With the help of the internet, social change exists and can be executed in the digital world as well. Social conflict can occur due to class-based struggles, gender issues, racism and ethnic discrimination. It all highlights how the majority is in dominance and exploits and harasses the marginalised. Wars are major events that are discussed when talking about social conflicts in the past.

Types and examples of social change

This can be compartmentalised into two categories: evolutionary and revolutionary social change. Evolutionary social change refers to those changes that take place gradually and over a long period of time. Most often we do not recognise the change taking place because at that point in time it is not very significant or observable. For example, the shift from agrarian societies to industrial ones did not take place within a short period of time, it took gradual processes and time for society to completely shift to one that is based around industrial jobs. Even today, in the 21st century, there are still third-world countries and underdeveloped areas where industrialisation has not entirely hit. Another example of an evolutionary change would be regarding women’s rights. It took a long and arduous fight to bring women to where they are now in terms of politics, social and financial standing. We did not earn the right to vote and own property over a few months of protest. It was a slow and gradual process and although the steps taken at the time were dramatic and significant, it was similar to pushing an iron boulder up a hill as no immediate changes were being made. Similarly, the LGBTQ community have been fighting for trans and gay rights for a long time now and it is only recently that laws have been passed that allow queer individuals to exist and enjoy the same things as cishet individuals do.

            Revolutionary change, on the other hand, occurs like rapid-fire and its results can be viewed over a short period of time. These kinds of changes are more present today in the digital world because of how accessible news and platforms to share information are. The Arab Spring is an example of revolutionary change. It began in 2010 and the movement lasted till 2013. The Arab Spring is a series of anti-government protests, uprisings and demonstrations that fought and challenged authoritarian regimes. It began in Tunisia and spread to almost every Arab nation and it can be argued to have caused the most significant change in the middle east since it was decolonised. The #MeToo movement is another social movement that brought about a revolutionary change as it led to bills and laws being passed to be more stringent about the persecution of harassers on-site. Similarly, the BLM caused an international uproar and demanded those who were guilty of committing such treacherous acts of racism be punished.

            Change can manifest as a positive or negative reaction depending on the context. As mentioned earlier, technological advancements have brought about immense development but at the same time, has created a vast digital divide. It is important to look at social change from a holistic perspective and understand how social change can occur at a micro-and macro-level simultaneously. Change is inevitable so it would be futile to halt the process. Moreover, with how fast-paced the 21st century is, change is required. This ensures that social institutions and structures are kept in check and help with the growth of society and all its people.

Also Read: Social Roles and Examples

Prathyusha Madhu

Prathyusha Madhu is a student at FLAME University, currently pursuing Psychology and Sociology. Her interests lie in poetry and music.

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67 Introduction to Social/Community Change Writing

Amy Minervini

by Amy Minervini

Writing for change is the practice of exploring topics that are meaningful to you, your community, and other stakeholders. You will use rhetorical elements, informative and persuasive skills, and audience analysis to highlight issues and injustices that warrant change. To begin to think about this type of writing, ask yourself a number of questions: What issues in your daily life, in your neighborhood or city, or in the news impact you and others? Why is this particular issue problematic? What changes could be made that would help to be a part of the solution? Who is in charge of making these decisions? What is the best way to reach these individuals or groups? What formats or mediums will be the best way to garner support and effect change? Letter writing — whether to the school board, local officials, newspaper editors, or legislators — is an effective modality to promote actionable change. Service-learning programs and blogging, too, are excellent ways to make a difference in your sphere and in the world.

Key Characteristics

Writing for social change generally exhibits the following:

• Advocates for change through individual, community, or legislative efforts
• Lays out a foundation or a fact pattern that show an injustice has been done or an issue or perspective has been overlooked
• Might engage in brief storytelling or description to help frame an issue or hook the reader/audience
• Incorporates an ethos of restoration and hope
• Awareness of and critique of bias that seeps in
• Acknowledgement of opposing views
• Mindful of intent, medium, audience, and the media (if necessary)

What’s in this Chapter

• Writing Letters to the Editor
• Writing Letters to Elected Officials
• Writing for the Public: Blogging
• Discussion & Writing Prompts

Introduction to Social/Community Change Writing Copyright © 2020 by Amy Minervini is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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20.1 Understanding Social Change

Learning objectives.

• Understand the changes that accompany modernization.
• Discuss the functionalist and conflict perspectives on social change.

Social change refers to the transformation of culture, behavior, social institutions, and social structure over time. We are familiar from Chapter 5 “Social Structure and Social Interaction” with the basic types of society: hunting-and-gathering, horticultural and pastoral, agricultural, industrial, and postindustrial. In looking at all of these societies, we have seen how they differ in such dimensions as size, technology, economy, inequality, and gender roles. In short, we have seen some of the ways in which societies change over time. Another way of saying this is that we have seen some of the ways in which societies change as they become more modern. To understand social change, then, we need to begin to understand what it means for a society to become more modern. We considered this briefly in Chapter 5 “Social Structure and Social Interaction” and expand on it here.

Modernization

Modernization refers to the process and impact of becoming more modern. More specifically, it refers to the gradual shift from hunting-and-gathering societies to postmodern societies, as outlined in Chapter 5 “Social Structure and Social Interaction” , and perhaps especially to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century.

The terms modern and modernization have positive connotations; it sounds good to modernize and to be modern. Modernization implies that progress has been made and is continuing to be made, and who would not want progress? Yet modernization also has a downside, as we will see in this section and in the later discussion of the environment.

A related problem with the terms and concepts of modern and modernization is that many people think of Western nations when considering the most modern nations in the world today. This implies that Western society is the ideal to which other societies should aspire. While there are many good things about Western societies, it is important to avoid the ethnocentrism of assuming that Western societies are better because they are more modern. In fact, one reason that many people in the Middle East and elsewhere dislike the United States is that they resent the “Westernization” of their societies from the influence of the United States and other wealthy Western nations. When they see Coca-Cola and Pepsi logos and the McDonald’s golden arches in their nations, they fear Western influence and the loss of their own beliefs and traditions.

These caveats notwithstanding, societies have become much more modern over time, to put it mildly. We thus cannot fully understand society and social life without appreciating how societies have changed as they have become more modern. Not surprisingly, sociologists have recognized the importance of modernization ever since the discipline of sociology began in the 19th century, and much of the work of sociology’s founders—Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, Karl Marx, and others—focused on how and why societies have changed as they became more modern.

We can draw on their efforts and related work by later sociologists and by anthropologists to develop an idea of the differences modernization has made for societies and individuals. Several dimensions and effects of modernization seem apparent (Nolan & Lenski, 2009).

First, as societies evolve, they become much larger and more heterogeneous . This means that people are more different from each other than when societies were much smaller, and it also means that they ordinarily cannot know each other nearly as well. Larger, more modern societies thus typically have weaker social bonds and a weaker sense of community than small societies and place more of an emphasis on the needs of the individual.

As societies become more modern, they begin to differ from nonmodern societies in several ways. In particular, they become larger and more heterogeneous, they lose their traditional ways of thinking, and they gain in individual freedom and autonomy.

Thomas Hawk – Big City Turn Me Loose and Set Me Free – CC BY-NC 2.0.

We can begin to appreciate the differences between smaller and larger societies when we contrast a small college of 1,200 students with a large university of 40,000 students. Perhaps you had this contrast in mind when you were applying to college and had a preference for either a small or a large institution. In a small college, classes might average no more than 20 students; these students get to know each other well and often have a lot of interaction with the professor. In a large university, classes might hold 600 students or more, and everything is more impersonal. Large universities do have many advantages, but they probably do not have as strong a sense of community as is found at small colleges.

A second aspect of modernization is a loss of traditional ways of thinking. This allows a society to be more creative and to abandon old ways that may no longer be appropriate. However, it also means a weakening or even ending of the traditions that helped define the society and gave it a sense of identity.

A third aspect of modernization is the growth of individual freedom and autonomy. As societies grow, become more impersonal, and lose their traditions and sense of community, their norms become weaker, and individuals thus become freer to think for themselves and to behave in new ways. Although most of us would applaud this growth in individual freedom, it also means, as Émile Durkheim (1895/1962) recognized long ago, that people feel freer to deviate from society’s norms and thus to commit deviance. If we want a society that values individual freedom, Durkheim said, we automatically must have a society with deviance.

Is modernization good or bad? This is a simplistic question about a very complex concept, but a quick answer is that it is both good and bad. We see evidence for both responses in the views of sociologists Ferdinand Tönnies, Weber, and Durkheim. As Chapter 5 “Social Structure and Social Interaction” discussed, Tönnies (1887/1963) said that modernization meant a shift from Gemeinschaft (small societies with strong social bonds) to Gesellschaft (large societies with weaker social bonds and more impersonal social relations). Tönnies lamented the loss of close social bonds and of a strong sense of community resulting from modernization, and he feared that a sense of rootlessness begins to replace the feeling of stability and steadiness characteristic of small, older societies.

Weber (1921/1978) was also concerned about modernization. The hallmarks of modernization, he thought, are rationalization, a loss of tradition, and the rise of impersonal bureaucracy. He despaired over the impersonal quality of rational thinking and bureaucratization, as he thought it was a dehumanizing influence.

Durkheim (1893/1933) took a less negative view of modernization. He certainly appreciated the social bonds and community feeling, which he called mechanical solidarity , characteristic of small, traditional societies. However, he also thought that these societies stifled individual freedom and that social solidarity still exists in modern societies. This solidarity, which he termed organic solidarity , stems from the division of labor, in which everyone has to depend on everyone else to perform their jobs. This interdependence of roles, Durkheim said, creates a solidarity that retains much of the bonding and sense of community found in premodern societies.

We have already commented on important benefits of modernization that are generally recognized: modernization promotes creativity and individual freedom and autonomy. These developments in turn usually mean that a society becomes more tolerant of beliefs and behaviors that it formerly would have disapproved and even condemned. Modern societies, then, generally feature more tolerance than older societies. Many people, undoubtedly including most sociologists, regard greater tolerance as a good thing, but others regard it as a bad thing because they favor traditional beliefs and behaviors.

Beyond these abstract concepts of social bonding, sense of community, and tolerance, modern societies are certainly a force for both good and bad in other ways. They have produced scientific discoveries that have saved lives, extended life spans, and made human existence much easier than imaginable in the distant past and even in the recent past. But they have also polluted the environment, engaged in wars that have killed tens of millions, and built up nuclear arsenals that, even with the end of the Cold War, still threaten the planet. Modernization, then, is a double-edged sword. It has given us benefits too numerous to count, but it also has made human existence very precarious.

Sociological Perspectives on Social Change

Sociological perspectives on social change fall into the functionalist and conflict approaches. As usual, both views together offer a more complete understanding of social change than either view by itself (Vago, 2004). Table 20.1 “Theory Snapshot” summarizes their major assumptions.

Table 20.1 Theory Snapshot

The Functionalist Understanding

The functionalist understanding of social change is based on insights developed by different generations of sociologists. Early sociologists likened change in society to change in biological organisms. Taking a cue from the work of Charles Darwin, they said that societies evolved just as organisms do, from tiny, simple forms to much larger and more complex structures. When societies are small and simple, there are few roles to perform, and just about everyone can perform all of these roles. As societies grow and evolve, many new roles develop, and not everyone has the time or skill to perform every role. People thus start to specialize their roles and a division of labor begins. As noted earlier, sociologists such as Durkheim and Tönnies disputed the implications of this process for social bonding and a sense of community, and this basic debate continues today.

Several decades ago, Talcott Parsons (1966), the leading 20th-century figure in functionalist theory, presented an equilibrium model of social change. Parsons said that society is always in a natural state of equilibrium, defined as a state of equal balance among opposing forces. Gradual change is both necessary and desirable and typically stems from such things as population growth, technological advances, and interaction with other societies that brings new ways of thinking and acting. However, any sudden social change disrupts this equilibrium. To prevent this from happening, other parts of society must make appropriate adjustments if one part of society sees too sudden a change.

Functionalist theory assumes that sudden social change, as by the protest depicted here, is highly undesirable, whereas conflict theory assumes that sudden social change may be needed to correct inequality and other deficiencies in the status quo.

Kashfi Halford – More Riot Police – CC BY-NC 2.0.

The functionalist perspective has been criticized on a few grounds. The perspective generally assumes that the change from simple to complex societies has been very positive, when in fact, as we have seen, this change has also proven costly in many ways. It might well have weakened social bonds, and it has certainly imperiled human existence. Functionalist theory also assumes that sudden social change is highly undesirable, when such change may in fact be needed to correct inequality and other deficiencies in the status quo.

Conflict Theory

Whereas functional theory assumes the status quo is generally good and sudden social change is undesirable, conflict theory assumes the status quo is generally bad. It thus views sudden social change in the form of protest or revolution as both desirable and necessary to reduce or eliminate social inequality and to address other social ills. Another difference between the two approaches concerns industrialization, which functional theory views as a positive development that helped make modern society possible. In contrast, conflict theory, following the views of Karl Marx, says that industrialization exploited workers and thus increased social inequality.

In one other difference between the two approaches, functionalist sociologists view social change as the result of certain natural forces, which we will discuss shortly. In this sense, social change is unplanned even though it happens anyway. Conflict theorists, however, recognize that social change often stems from efforts by social movements to bring about fundamental changes in the social, economic, and political systems. In his sense social change is more “planned,” or at least intended, than functional theory acknowledges.

Critics of conflict theory say that it exaggerates the extent of social inequality and that it sometimes overemphasizes economic conflict while neglecting conflict rooted in race/ethnicity, gender, religion, and other sources. Its Marxian version also erred in predicting that capitalist societies would inevitably undergo a socialist-communist revolution.

Key Takeaways

• As societies become more modern, they become larger and more heterogeneous. Traditional ways of thinking decline, and individual freedom and autonomy increase.
• Functionalist theory favors slow, incremental social change, while conflict theory favors fast, far-reaching social change to correct what it views as social inequalities and other problems in the status quo.

For Your Review

• If you had to do it over again, would you go to a large university, a small college, or something in between? Why? How does your response relate to some of the differences between smaller, traditional societies and larger, modern societies?
• When you think about today’s society and social change, do you favor the functionalist or conflict view on the kind of social change that is needed? Explain your answer.

Durkheim, É. (1933). The division of labor in society . London, England: The Free Press. (Original work published 1893).

Durkheim, É. (1962). The rules of sociological method (S. Lukes, Ed.). New York, NY: Free Press. (Original work published 1895).

Nolan, P., & Lenski, G. (2009). Human societies: An introduction to macrosociology (11th ed.). Boulder, CO: Paradigm.

Parsons, T. (1966). Societies: Evolutionary and comparative perspectives . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Tönnies, F. (1963). Community and society . New York, NY: Harper and Row. (Original work published 1887).

Vago, S. (2004). Social change (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Weber, M. (1978). Economy and society: An outline of interpretive sociology (G. Roth & C. Wittich, Eds.). Berkeley: University of California Press. (Original work published 1921).

Sociology Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Social Change: Understanding Its Dynamics and Impact

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Social Issues Topics: Exploring the Challenges Shaping Our World

Did you know that social issues are not just distant problems affecting others? They are deeply intertwined with our lives and have a profound impact on our daily experiences, shaping the very fabric of our society. From systemic inequality to environmental degradation, these issues have the power to shape the course of history and determine the well-being of generations to come. Get ready to dive into the fascinating realm of social issues topics! In this article, we'll explore their complexities, understand why they matter, learn how to write compelling essays about them and discover a captivating list of the most important social issues examples of our time. This thought-provoking journey will challenge our beliefs and inspire us to take meaningful action for a better future. So, let's dive in and get started!

What Are Social Issues

Social issues are the threads that intricately weave through the fabric of our society, demanding our attention, empathy, and action. They are the challenges and complexities that affect individuals, communities, and even entire nations, often leaving a profound impact on people's lives. These issues stem from the interconnectedness of our world, where various factors like politics, economics, culture, and individual experiences intersect, creating a tapestry of social problems that need to be addressed.

Social issues encompass a wide range of concerns, encompassing everything from poverty and inequality to gender discrimination, environmental degradation, and access to healthcare and education. They represent the barriers that prevent individuals from thriving, the disparities that hinder progress, and the injustices that undermine equality and human rights.

Take poverty, for example. It is not merely a lack of financial resources; it is a pervasive condition that robs individuals of their dignity, opportunities, and hope for a better future. Poverty intertwines with education, as limited access to quality education perpetuates the cycle of disadvantage. It intersects with healthcare, as inadequate medical services disproportionately affect the most vulnerable members of society. And it connects with inequality as wealth disparities widen and prevents social mobility.

As per our essay writing service , to address social issues today, it is crucial to recognize that they are not isolated problems. They are intertwined and interdependent, requiring holistic solutions that encompass multiple dimensions. It takes collective efforts from individuals, communities, governments, and organizations to foster change. Raising awareness, advocating for policy reforms, and promoting equality are essential steps toward ensuring that marginalized groups benefit and creating a more just and equitable society.

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Understanding the Importance of Social Issues in Today's World

Social issues are not abstract concepts confined to textbooks or news headlines. They are pressing challenges that affect real people and demand our attention. By actively engaging with these issues, we have the opportunity to shape a more equitable and compassionate world for ourselves and future generations.

The importance of social issues in developing countries lies in their impact on human rights, well-being, and social progress. By addressing these issues, we strive to build inclusive societies where everyone has equal opportunities and can live a dignified life. It is not only a matter of justice and compassion but also essential for sustainable development and peaceful coexistence.

Moreover, social issues highlight the power of collective action and advocacy. They remind us that we have a shared responsibility to stand up for what is right and work towards positive change. Thanks to the advancements in technology and communication, it is now easier than ever to raise awareness, mobilize communities, and bring about transformative social movements. Social media platforms have become powerful tools for amplifying marginalized voices and shedding light on systemic injustices.

How to Write an Essay About Social Issues

So you've got an assignment on social issues essay topics, huh? Don't worry; we've got your back! Writing about social issues may seem like a tough nut to crack, but trust us; it's a crucial part of academic writing. Social issues are basically problems that affect a whole bunch of people in society. We're talking about everything from politics and economics to education and health and so much more. But hey, no need to stress! Our custom writing experts are here to give you some awesome tips to help you rock that essay and make it super interesting. Let's dive in, shall we?

Choose Your Topic Wisely

Let's begin by taking the first step, my friend! It's all about choosing a topic for research papers that resonates with your heart and feels like a natural fit for your mind. When you opt for a subject that genuinely sparks your personal interest, the research and essay writing process, complete with the proper format of academic paper , will become a delightful adventure.

Engage in brainstorming sessions to generate ideas and conduct thorough investigations to gather factual information. Now, here's a nifty trick: if the chosen issue seems a bit overwhelming with its multiple dimensions, no worries! Just narrow down your focus to a specific aspect. For example, if you're tackling poverty, you can zoom in on the causes, the consequences, or even strategies to alleviate it. The world is your oyster, so let's get cracking!

Support Your Opinion with Examples

When you're writing a research paper about examples of social issues, it's really important to include research and data that support your position. This helps the reader understand why your perspective is necessary and what evidence you have to back it up. For instance, if you're discussing the impact of poverty, you can provide statistics on the number of people in need, how poverty and health problems affect education, and the connection between poverty and crime. Including these kinds of details, just like in economics essay topics , will make your essay more persuasive and engaging.

Keep It Simple

Ensuring your essay is simple and easy to understand is crucial. Instead of using complex words, opt for simpler alternatives that convey the same meaning effectively. By keeping your essay readable, you make it more engaging and easier for the reader to follow. Avoid employing jargon or technical terms that might confuse your audience. Instead, use plain language and take the time to explain any intricate terms or concepts, making the essay accessible to all readers. Following these guidelines on how to write an essay on social issues will help you effectively communicate your ideas and engage your audience.

Revise and Edit

Before you submit your essay, it's important to take a few steps to ensure its quality. Start by checking its structure, making sure it flows smoothly and logically. Verify that your arguments are well-supported and presented in a cohesive manner. Give your essay a thorough review to catch any spelling or grammar mistakes. Additionally, pay attention to formatting, ensuring consistency throughout the entire piece. It can be beneficial to have someone else read your essay and provide feedback as well. Taking these precautions will help you present polished and well-crafted topics for essays .

Social Issues Essay Example

For students seeking a practical example of a well-structured and insightful social issues essay, the pursuit of global citizenship stands as a compelling topic to explore. Through this example, you can gain inspiration and guidance for your own social issues essays, understanding how to construct a compelling argument and convey the importance of promoting positive change in society.

5 Social Issues of Today

Today's society is facing a multitude of social issues that have a significant impact on people's lives. Here is a list of some of the most pressing social issues that affect people worldwide:

• Climate change and global warming : The effects of climate change are already being felt around the world, with rising sea levels, more frequent natural disasters, and changes in weather patterns. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other human activities are contributing to this issue, and it is essential that we take action to reduce our carbon footprint.
• Income inequality : The gap between the rich and the poor is widening, with the wealthiest 1% of the world's population owning more than half of the world's wealth. This inequality can lead to social unrest, and it is important that we address this issue by promoting fair wages, progressive taxation, and other policies that support economic equality.
• War : Armed conflicts continue to plague different regions around the world, resulting in significant humanitarian crises. Wars not only cause immense suffering, displacement, and loss of life but also have far-reaching consequences on infrastructure, economies, and social stability.
• Gender equality : Despite progress in recent years, gender inequality remains a significant issue in many parts of the world. Women still face discrimination in the workplace, unequal pay, and limited access to education and healthcare. It is crucial that we continue to work towards gender equality and empower women to achieve their full potential.
• Mental health issues and addiction : Mental health issues and addiction are becoming increasingly prevalent in today's society, affecting people of all ages and backgrounds. The stigma surrounding mental health can prevent people from seeking help, and it is important that we raise awareness and provide access to affordable and effective treatment options.

Social Issues Essay Topics

Are you feeling stuck while searching for fascinating subjects or a comprehensive list of social issues that can also serve as perfect dissertation topics ? We understand the challenge you're facing, but don't worry! Selecting the right topic is crucial for crafting an exceptional essay and earning your degree from a reputable American college or university. To ignite your creativity, we've compiled a comprehensive list of captivating social issues for you to explore. Get ready to dive in and discover that perfect idea for your next academic project!

👀 Interesting Social Issues Essay Topics

• Income inequality and its impact on modern society.
• The role of social media in shaping public opinion and activism.
• Mental health stigma and its effects on individuals and communities.
• The challenges faced by refugees and their integration into new societies.
• The impact of technology on interpersonal relationships.
• Gender inequality and the fight for gender equity.
• The effects of climate change on vulnerable communities.
• The basic ethical principles of genetic engineering and human enhancement.
• The impact of globalization on cultural identity.
• The role of education in reducing poverty and social inequality.
• The criminal justice system and its approach to rehabilitation versus punishment.
• The implications of automation and artificial intelligence on employment.
• The impact of media portrayal on body image and self-esteem.
• The effects of racial discrimination and strategies for achieving racial equality.
• The challenges and opportunities of multiculturalism in contemporary society.

🎲 Peace and War Topics

• Causes and origins of the Russia-Ukraine war: Explore the underlying factors that led to the outbreak of the conflict, such as historical, political, and ethnic tensions.
• International response to the Russia-Ukraine war: Analyze the reactions and actions taken by various countries, regional organizations, and global institutions in response to the conflict.
• The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the challenge of achieving lasting peace.
• The Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan: Historical context, current status, and potential solutions.
• The ongoing tensions in the Korean Peninsula: Assessing the prospects for peace and denuclearization.
• The Syrian Civil War and its Regional and global implications.
• The Israel-Palestine conflict: Historical background, current dynamics, and prospects for peace.
• The war in Afghanistan: Challenges, consequences, and prospects for stability.
• The conflict in South Sudan and the impact on regional security.
• The war on terror: Assessing the effectiveness of counterterrorism strategies and the implications for civil liberties.

🔬 Social Science Topics

• The impact of microaggressions on marginalized communities and its implications for mental health.
• Exploring the social and cultural factors that influence body image dissatisfaction among different ethnic groups.
• The role of social capital in fostering community resilience and disaster preparedness.
• Investigating the relationship between cultural heritage preservation and sustainable development.
• Analyzing the influence of social networks on political participation and civic engagement.
• Exploring the social implications of virtual reality technology on empathy and perspective-taking.
• Investigating the role of humor and laughter in social interactions and psychological well-being.
• Analyzing the effects of eco-anxiety on environmental attitudes and behavior.
• The impact of social media accounts activism on social movements and policy change.
• Exploring the cultural and societal implications of the sharing economy and collaborative consumption.

🏙 Migration and Immigration Topics

• The experiences and challenges faced by LGBTQ+ migrants and refugees.
• Analyzing the role of migrant remittances in economic development and poverty reduction in sending countries.
• Exploring the impact of immigration policies on family dynamics and the well-being of immigrant families.
• Investigating the role of social networks in facilitating successful integration of immigrants into host societies.
• The effects of climate change-induced migration and its implications for global governance and social justice.
• Analyzing the influence of cultural identity preservation among second-generation immigrants.
• The impact of labor migration on gender roles and dynamics within migrant communities.
• Exploring the role of language acquisition and proficiency in the social integration of immigrants.
• Investigating the intersections of migration, health, and access to healthcare services.
• Analyzing the economic, social, and cultural contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs to host countries.

🌳 Environmental Social Issues Essay Topics

• The intersection of environmental justice and social equity: Analyzing the disproportionate impacts of environmental degradation on marginalized communities.
• The role of indigenous knowledge and practices in sustainable resource management.
• The impact of consumerism and overconsumption on the environment and social well-being.
• Exploring the social and economic implications of climate-induced migration and displacement.
• The influence of environmental education and awareness on individual and collective environmental behaviors.
• Analyzing the relationship between environmental degradation and public health, focusing on air and water pollution.
• The role of corporate social responsibility in promoting environmental sustainability and addressing social concerns.
• Investigating the social implications of plastic waste and exploring strategies for reducing single-use plastics.
• The impact of urbanization on ecosystems and the social well-being of urban communities.
• Analyzing the social dimensions of renewable energy transitions and the equitable distribution of benefits.

💖 LGBT Topic Ideas

• The historical evolution of LGBT rights movements: From Stonewall to present-day advocacy.
• Exploring the experiences and challenges faced by transgender individuals in healthcare systems.
• Analyzing the representation of LGBT characters in media and its impact on social perceptions.
• The intersectionality of race, gender, and sexuality in the LGBT community.
• Investigating the effects of conversion therapy on the mental health and well-being of LGBT individuals.
• Exploring the experiences of LGBT youth in educational settings and the impact of supportive environments.
• The role of LGBT support organizations and community centers in fostering social inclusion and well-being.
• Analyzing the impact of religious beliefs and attitudes on the acceptance of same-sex marriage.
• Exploring the experiences and challenges of older LGBT adults and the importance of inclusive care and support systems.
• The impact of policies and legislation on LGBT rights and equality, both nationally and internationally.

🏛 Social Justice Essay Topics

• Exploring the concept of reparations for historical injustices and its role in achieving social justice.
• The impact of language and communication barriers on access to justice for marginalized communities.
• Analyzing the social justice implications of algorithmic bias in artificial intelligence systems.
• Examining the role of art and creative expression in advancing social justice movements.
• The intersection of disability rights and social justice: Challenges and advancements.
• Exploring the impact of gentrification on communities and strategies for promoting equitable development.
• Analyzing the role of restorative justice in addressing harm within educational institutions.
• The impact of colonialism on indigenous communities and the pursuit of social justice.
• The role of community organizing in promoting grassroots social justice initiatives.
• Examining the social justice implications of mass incarceration and advocating for criminal justice reform.

🔗 Discrimination and Prejudice Topics

• The effects of racial profiling on marginalized communities and its implications for social justice.
• Analyzing the psychological mechanisms underlying implicit bias and its impact on decision-making processes.
• The intersectionality of discrimination: Exploring how multiple forms of discrimination (race, gender, sexuality, etc.) intersect and compound.
• Discrimination and prejudice in the workplace: Examining challenges and strategies for promoting diversity and inclusion.
• Exploring the effects of religious discrimination on individuals and communities.
• The impact of ageism on older adults and strategies for combating age-related discrimination.
• Analyzing the social and psychological consequences of fat shaming and weight-based discrimination.
• Discrimination against individuals with disabilities and the importance of accessibility and inclusive practices.
• The role of the media in perpetuating stereotypes and its influence on discrimination.
• Examining the effects of prejudice and discrimination on mental health and well-being.

🔪 Violence Topics 

• The role of violence in sports: Examining the impact of aggression and its consequences in athletic competitions.
• Violence against healthcare workers: Analyzing the prevalence, causes, and strategies for ensuring safety in healthcare settings.
• The impact of violence on refugee and displaced populations: Exploring the challenges and interventions for addressing violence in these contexts.
• Violence in the digital realm: Investigating online harassment, cyberbullying, and the psychological effects on victims.
• The relationship between animal cruelty and violence towards humans: Exploring the link and implications for social well-being.
• The effects of violence in video games: Analyzing the debate and research surrounding its potential influence on real-life aggression.
• The role of violence in hazing rituals and initiation ceremonies: Understanding the dynamics and potential harm caused.
• Exploring violence in marginalized communities: Addressing the underlying factors and strategies for promoting community safety.
• Silent Suffering: Unmasking the Reality of Domestic Violence
• Violence in the workplace: Examining the impact of bullying, harassment, and assault on employees and organizational well-being.

👩‍🦯 Humanity Topics

• The power of empathy and compassion in fostering understanding and social harmony.
• Exploring the ethics of artificial intelligence and its impact on human dignity and autonomy.
• The role of forgiveness in healing personal and societal wounds.
• Analyzing the concept of human rights and its universality across different cultures and contexts.
• The pursuit of global citizenship and its potential for promoting peace and cooperation.
• Exploring the intersection of technology and humanity: Examining the benefits and challenges of the digital age.
• The impact of cultural diversity on societal progress and innovation.
• Analyzing the concept of altruism and its role in creating a more compassionate world.
• The importance of intergenerational connections and the wisdom of older generations in shaping our future.
• Examining the concept of identity and the balance between individuality and collective belonging.

Wrapping Up

Social issues are like a cosmic web, connecting countless lives worldwide. This article has been your guide, exploring their intricacies and significance while equipping you to create a powerful social issues essay. Remember, every essay has the power to inspire change.

And here's a little nugget of wisdom: some of the most remarkable social movements in history were sparked by a single person's words on paper. Yes, you heard that right! So, my friend, now you know how to start an essay , so get ready to unleash the power of your pen and leave your mark on the world. Together, we can be the catalysts for a brighter tomorrow!

Are You Ready to Challenge the Status Quo?

Order your eye-opening social issue essay now and ignite a revolution!

Related Articles

Social Change and Its Impact on Environment

Introduction.

Many people have experienced social changes that the environment has impacted. Alteration implies all variations in human societies that can lead to positive or negative outcomes. When transformation occurs in the modes of living of persons and social relations get affected, such alteration is called social changes. For instance, today’s environmental problems are linked to social changes and the cultural drivers that shape power relations and unequal control over capitals. Humans are also believed to be the primary cause of environmental pollution on Earth. Therefore, one can analyze social change, its sources, and how it is linked to the environment.

Social change is defined as the revolution of culture, social institutions, behavior, and social structure over time. Horticultural, pastoral, hunting-and-gathering, postindustrial, and industrial are the most familiar basic types of society. These groups differ in technology, inequality, size, gender roles, and economy. In any given large number of individuals engaged in activities that vary from those in which their immediate fathers have been involved in some time before, social change is found (Caruso 380). The industrial revolution and the feminist movement are aspects that have been involved in social changes. Many scholars have focused on how social activities have been used in societies to bring social change. Moreover, communities have guaranteed that they are modern to limit social challenges experienced by some individuals.

Modernization

Modernization has also become a significant factor that has impacted social changes. Many societies have focused on improving how people interact irrespective of their differences. For instance, technology has been used to develop communities and ensure that all people are valued and appreciated. Social changes have been encountered following the increased modernization. For example, the industrial revolution has impacted how people perform various tasks in society and the different activities they practice. Evolvement has been encountered, which has led to people becoming more extensive and more diverse. Today, many communities are more creative and have abandoned the old ways that are no longer necessary. Thus, modernization is an essential aspect that can be analyzed when focusing on social change.

Social Movements

Although knowledge, environmental conditions, population, and racial injustice may contribute to social change, it is when community members band together to form social movements that real change occurs. This term applies to group practices aimed at bringing about or resisting immediate changes in an existing group. Social activities had the most significant impact on society’s trajectory. When people break free from conventional boundaries, they can influence substantial changes in social policy and systems. Even though the initiative was successful, social movements affected public sentiment.

Relative Deprivation

When people of a country are unhappy with their social, political, or economic circumstances, they demand reform. Social scientists have long recognized that people’s understanding of their needs, not their actual living circumstances, is at fault. Relative deprivation is the opposing viewpoint that there are differences between desires and realities. This group is dissatisfied because they feel they are not as entitled or lucky as a reference group (Grasso et al. 400). For example, a middle-class family may feel poor when comparing their home to an upper-class neighbor. To convert social unrest into social movements, citizens must believe they are entitled to the right or status. These people can form a social movement only if they believe that collective action will benefit. Some sociologists have argued that this theory approaches critique from a unique perspective. For example, some individuals have argued that various aspects determine human behaviors, and people do not have to feel deprived to act. This theory, however, fails to explain why certain people’s personal experiences of oppression led them to change society while others did not.

Sources of Social Change

Culture and technology.

Technology has become one of the significant aspects impacting how people live in the community. For starters, it forms various cultures and distinguishes them from one another. A concentrated student can access information via a conference halfway worldwide without leaving their physical homes due to the introduction of computers and teleconferencing technology. Instant contact has been created by the internet and smartphones, making the planet appear to be a small village (Caruso 385). This technological innovation has minimized the barriers that historically divided people based on their socioeconomic status. Scholars studying abroad would send a letter home a decade ago, and it could take up to three weeks for it to arrive. After that, they would have to wait for three weeks for a response from their parents. However, this has changed since mobile phones and computers are now available in even the most distant areas of the globe.

Cars were also introduced and had an impact on people’s lives. Moreover, individuals developed the speed and efficiency of automobiles. The social and physical landscape of the United States and other developed countries was therefore impacted by automobiles. Correspondingly, roads and highways were constructed, the population grew, and families started to live further apart. Furthermore, the introduction of vehicles resulted in the deaths of many people due to traffic collisions. As the planet becomes a smaller location, different cultures’ chances come into contact with one another. Different societies adopt some of the customs, beliefs, and other community elements, resulting in social change.

Cultural Lag

Cultural lag is another essential factor of social change that can be analyzed in various areas. According to Caruso (381), cultural lag can broadly impact a community’s culture in multiple ways. Typically, it involves the first changes and the following social variation. For example, industries were constructed during the industrial revolution, leading to more dangerous working environments. Additional industrial accidents were registered, but the injured workers were not paid because the current law of negligence permitted them to prosecute the person whose carelessness caused the damage, usually a coworker. Additionally, negligent employees were mainly from low-income families who would not compensate them if they were disciplined. Workers in some countries started suing the firms whose unsafe workplaces caused their harm.

The Environment

There are four reasons why the environment is a sociological topic. First, human activities are the leading causes of environmental problems; these activities are good topics for sociological study. Secondly, ecological issues, like many other social issues studied by sociologists, have a direct effect on individuals. Thirdly, explanations for the environmental problems necessitate improvements in economic and environmental policies, the impact of which is strongly influenced by social and political factors. Finally, many ecological problems represent social inequity based on race, ethnicity, and social status. Hence, these aspects indicate that the climate is a sociological problem. Humans should focus on environmental concerns, and people must develop ways of limiting some of the conservational problems.

Additionally, the more individuals neglect the sociological aspects of environmental degradation; the more likely the proposed solutions will fail. Thus, the environment has a significant impact on how people live and can be associated with social change. Other natural calamities such as floods and hurricanes have also impacted people’s lives, whereby individuals are forced to relocate to other areas. Therefore, these aspects contribute to social change since humans have to adapt to their new environment. Moreover, people have different beliefs and behaviors in various communities. Thus, new settlers have to experience a change when in a new environment.

Air Pollution

Air pollution has become one of the significant threats in the modern world. Many people have died due to health complications steered by greenhouse gases. Many companies and individuals are using fossil fuels, which has led to increased air contamination in various states. Not only are the wealthy industrial states affected by this problem but also developing countries. India and China have the most severe air pollution problems. People in developing countries’ cities with high particulate matter levels, including carbon and nitrates, have mortality rates 155-405 times higher than those in healthier towns (Peng et al. 78). Air pollution is expected to decrease life expectancy by 8.6 months in Europe (Peng et al. 89). Thus, these issues have forced people to migrate to other areas, whereby they experience social changes.

Environmental Justice and Environmental Racism

The Environmental Justice Crusade has extended the environment’s definition to include where people live, work, play, study, and pray. The organization focused on just protecting and conserving natural possessions. The movement is multi-generational, multi-racial, and global, intending to foster environmental, economic, and social justice by identifying the direct connection between economic, environmental, and health problems and pushing for a safer, cleaner community and workplace (Kern et al. 952). This justice is understood when everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential without being hampered by environmental racism or discrimination.

Environmental injustice refers to how marginalized communities are disproportionately burdened with hazardous waste facilities and other forms of contamination that degrade life quality. Increased waste in communities has led to health complications, whereby some conditions such as lung diseases and cancer are being recorded. Many people from low socioeconomic living in polluted areas are developing various health disorders, which has led to many deaths. Consequently, these areas’ challenges can lead to social changes and force individuals to move to other regions.

To sum up, social change is being experienced globally due to various aspects such as modernization and environmental factors. For instance, through modernization, communities abandoned traditional ways of life and adopted modern ones. Social movements helped individuals to break free from conventional boundaries. Relative deprivation is the opposing viewpoint that there are differences between desires and realities. Sources of social change include culture and technology and cultural lag. The environment is one of the critical topics of sociology since it involves human interaction with the environment. Issues such as immigration have been experienced due to environmental aspects. These immigrants have to experience new changes affecting culture, religion, and beliefs. The public should also be educated on the importance of ensuring that the environment is conserved to prevent some issues such as pollution, which can lead to adverse effects on human health. Issues such as greenhouse gases emission can be limited to curb air contamination that can lead to various conditions and lead to social changes. Thus, social change can be linked to the environment due to various aspects that people experience in the community.

Works Cited

Caruso, Loris. “Digital Innovation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Epochal Social Changes?.” Ai & Society , vol. 33, no. 3, 2018, pp. 379-392. Web.

Grasso, Maria T., et al. “Relative Deprivation and Inequalities in Social and Political Activism.” Acta Politica, vol. 54, no.3, 2019, pp. 398-429. Web.

Kern, Leslie, and Caroline Kovesi. “Environmental Justice Meets the Right to Stay Put: Mobilizing Against Environmental Racism, Gentrification, and Xenophobia in Chicago’s Little Village.” Local Environment , vol. 23, no. 9, 2018, pp. 952-966. Web.

Peng, Minggang, et al. “Actual Air Pollution, Environmental Transparency, and the Perception of Air Pollution in China.” The Journal of Environment & Development, vol. 28, no.1, 2019, pp. 78-105. Web.

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321 Social Change Topics To Your Essay About

Social change topics address issues that affect society, its ethical, moral, and cultural issues in several ways. However, it’s worth noting that what people consider a social change in a specific country or timeframe can differ in another timeframe or country. Research papers and essays about social change cover various topics to address different issues.

This article lists interesting topics about social change. It is helpful because many learners need help finding suitable titles for their research papers and essays. That’s because they have many ideas to consider when choosing the topics to explore in their projects. But first, let’s understand social change better.

What Is Social Change?

Social change is the transformation of societal values, norms, attitudes, and behaviors over time. It encompasses changes in social institutions, structure, and culture. People often use this term to describe advancements in social organization, science, and technology that cause societal beliefs and values shifts. Also, social change can arise from government policy and grassroots movement initiatives.

Additionally, social movements like feminist and civil rights movements can cause social change. It’s worth noting that social change can have positive or adverse effects. Positive changes include improved access to education, human rights, and gender equality. Negative changes include increased environmental degradation, inequality, and a decline in collective well-being.

Social change is vital in society, and people can use it to establish meaningful progress. It helps create a just and more equitable society where people can pursue their dreams to reach their full potential. Understanding social change enables people to determine the best ways to establish a fair world where everybody can thrive.

How To Write Successful Essays On Social Issues Topics

Writing a social change essay can be exciting and challenging. Here’s how to write a successful essay on a social change topic:

• Choose a topic: Choose your topic wisely to enjoy writing your essay and earn a superior grade. Ideally, pick an issue that resonates with your personality. Also, consider something experts have discussed in the research literature or the media.
• Research: Investigate the topic you choose to write about using credible and reliable information sources. Your educator wants more than your opinion. Therefore, ensure you have relevant examples and strong evidence from verifiable sources to support your argument.
• Outline: Once you have gathered relevant information, outline your paper. An essay outline is a framework highlighting the information you will add in the introduction, body, and conclusion. It establishes a roadmap to guide you when writing the essay.
• Write the introduction: Start your paper with a catchy introduction that tells the readers what to expect in the other sections. Also, add a thesis statement telling the readers your main point and stance.
• Write the body paragraphs: Write several body paragraphs discussing both sides of the argument or issue. Back up every point with the evidence you gathered from reliable sources during your research. Also, explain how the ideas relate to your main argument.
• Write the conclusion: Conclude your paper by summarizing the main points and your stance on the issue. Also, you can suggest future studies while stating the limits of your research.

After writing the paper, remember to edit or proofread it before submitting it. Maintain a straightforward tone in your essay so readers can understand the information.

Top Social Change Essay Topics

Students have many social change ideas to consider when writing academic papers. However, some of these issues stand out. Here are the top ideas you can explore in your essays:

• Should society consider social media addiction a mental health disorder?
• Why do some people doubt the global warming issue?
• Should society accept vaccines without adequate testing?
• Will humans fight poverty by increasing the minimum wage?
• Does mandatory military service violate human rights?
• How can the community help fight for positive social change?
• What are the impacts of adult education on social change?
• The effect of terrorism on social change in the United States
• Should African American women advocate for social change?
• What are the main social change agents in modern society?
• What contributes to the ever-increasing social change?
• What’s the role of corporate social responsibility in combating climate change?
• Can educating children living with disability bring about social change?
• Can social media bring much-needed social change?
• How contemporary globalization aids in social change
• How entrepreneurship affects social change
• Can empowering women lead to positive social change?
• The consequences of social and economic change in the U.S
• The impacts of social change on crime rates
• What describes social change better in human history?
• The positive and negative effects of social change
• Notable human projects that have enhanced social change
• The primary causes of social change in modern society
• How nonviolent movements affect social change
• Can religion encourage social change?
• How effective is reggae music in bringing social change?
• Is now the best time to bring about social change?
• How can you become a social change agent?
• How social change affects politics
• How has social media introduced a new wave of social change?

These are some of the best social change issues to explore in your research papers. Nevertheless, they require sufficient time to investigate and organize information to write winning essays.

Technology And Social Issues Essay Topics

Technology plays a vital role in social change. It affects various aspects of modern society. Here are technology-related topics to consider when researching and writing about social change:

• Social media safety- Why users should worry about safety
• Home offices and trends arising from digitization
• How good are networking and social media for society?
• How social media presence is becoming excessing in people’s lives
• How to defend your data from malware, DDoS attacks, and phishing
• How AI programs and their diversity affect businesses
• Is the internet making humans stupid?
• How tech companies affect the public infrastructure
• The impacts of overwhelming advertising on social media and websites
• Backup recovery: How to prevent criminals from hacking your system
• How online shopping websites benefit businesses
• How to avoid overwhelming your site visitors with excessive plugins
• How deep fakes affect reality perception
• How automating processes helps businesses
• Can AI and robots replace humans in some businesses?
• Why modern society needs faster internet
• Digital reality: How the community can embrace the culture of working online
• Ways to manage productivity levels among company employees
• How cryptocurrency changes financial awareness in modern society
• Can social media reduce or increase the sense of loneliness?
• The positive effects of social media on Humans’ Well-being
• Does social media affect self-esteem among young people?
• How social media affects your sleep quality
• How to prefight or prevent bloggers’ burnout
• How social media impacts anxiety, insecurity, and stress levels
• Signs that you should consider your social media use
• Should schools ban social media and phones in classrooms?
• Colleges and schools should teach cybersecurity- Discuss
• Destructive bots- Is this concept a DDoS attack?
• What are the impacts of allowing criminals to access your data?

Explore these topics if you’re interested in technology and its impacts on social change. However, select a title you can comfortably research and organize information into a winning paper.

Environment And Social Change Ideas

Some environmental issues can bring about social change. And you can explore such issues in your research paper. Here are ideas to consider when writing about the environment and social change:

• Various methods society can use to filtrate and conserve water
• Water shortage- A real problem impacting social change in many regions
• Nitrous oxide- How it impacts greenhouse effects in various societies
• Warmer soil and CO2 storage- What it means for society
• How marine phytoplankton extinction will affect society
• How safe is tap water for modern society?
• Why are poisonous substances like formaldehyde dangerous to society?
• Analyzing society’s awareness level and its impact on the environment
• The increasing asthma issues: How to protect children from this disease
• How to influence social and climate change by avoiding flights
• Exploring environmental conditions: How to sensitize society about water, air, and soil
• How community contributes to water pollution
• What effects does indoor air quality have on society’s health?
• How can fighting poverty enhance social and climate change
• How to ensure your community does not contribute to environmental degradation
• How society contributes to soil degradation and ways to prevent it
• How to encourage wildlife conservation in society
• Should the government control poaching by society members?
• Why do some communities doubt that global warming is a significant issue?
• How losing biodiversity will affect future societies
• Statistics about extinct species- Why should they concern the community?
• Should governments ban ivory items in society to protect endangered species?
• Should society teach children to embrace sustainable energy?
• Restoration and conservation- How communities can enhance forest recovery
• How nuclear power plants benefit modern society
• Can society embrace ethical methods to control overpopulation?
• How can society prevent the impact of severe deforestation in tropical forests?
• Financial issues and policies that the community should settle when implementing new technologies
• Can the community reduce air pollution by using fossil fuel alternatives?
• Deaths that air poisons cause in modern society
• How industrial activities and deforestation increase air pollution
• Should society think about climate change?
• How communities increase CO2 levels by burning fossil fuels

These topics address issues that affect the environment and societies. Consider them if you’re interested in researching and writing about your surroundings and the community.

Best Topics About Change In Society

Picking an essay topic you’re comfortable researching and writing about is invigorating. It enables you to complete the task faster without compromising your grade. Here are the best issues on social change to consider for your papers:

• Has the digital era brought about changes in social norms?
• Social change and youth life in developed nations
• Exploring social change and distance learning
• The relationship between leadership, advocacy, and social change
• Comparing advocacy and social change
• Social change theories- Their role and conflict in nursing
• Were Eleanor Roosevelt and Mohandas Gandhi genuine agents of social change?
• Women and men- What are their roles in social change and leadership?
• Investigating social change, insecurity, communication, and risks
• How the media encourages social change
• Social change and development- What’s the correlation?
• Industrial Revolution- Work, culture, and social change
• How parenthood causes social change
• The role of nurses in global healthcare and social change
• Social change- How it caused electoral reforms in the U.S
• Exploring the true nature of modern social change
• Is the use of satire in films a social change tool?
• Social marketing- Does it contribute to social change?
• The implication of social change theories in workplaces and organizations
• How technological innovations bring about social change
• How social change affects the education system
• How social change affects social classes
• How society members can fight for positive social change
• The impact of adult education on contemporary social change
• Exploring behavioral, biological, and social change among children
• Living standards- How social change disrupts social classes
• The effect of social change on non-profit organizations and businesses
• How Kentucky Fried Chicken influences social change
• Social change application to ex-felon disenfranchisement
• Environment and social change- What’s the sociological perspective?
• Education, knowledge, and social change
• Welfare reforms- Are they a form of social change, and why?
• How effective is the media as a social change tool?
• How social scientists interpret cultural and social change
• Social change and expectancy theory- How they affect human resource development
• Reviewing social change and the reluctant fundamentalists
• Social change and how females fit into modern society

These are the best social change issues to explore in academic papers. You can investigate and write a quality essay about any of these ideas with proper research.

Good Topics About Changes In Society Examples

You may want good examples of topics about social changes to help you formulate yours. Here are samples to consider for that purpose:

• How social media impacts contemporary society
• Changes in gender roles and their effects on society
• The results of globalization on cultural identity in modern society
• Rising inequality: Causes and consequences in contemporary society
• Climate change: What society can do to combat its effects
• How technology impacts education and society
• The growing digital divide: How can society overcome it?
• Immigration and its impact on modern society
• Racial inequality: Exploring its causes and solutions
• Mental health awareness and stigma reduction
• Poverty eradication strategies in developing countries
• Gun control: Exploring its pros and cons?
• Why is media vital in enhancing democracy
• The impact of social movements on contemporary society
• How can society create sustainable urban environments?
• The challenges of achieving gender equality in modern society
• How can a community improve access to healthcare?
• The rise of artificial intelligence: What are its benefits and concerns for the community?
• Economic globalization: Exploring its pros and cons in society
• The role of education in social change
• Social stratification: What are its causes and consequences in contemporary society?
• The growing problem of elder abuse in society
• Animal rights: What are the responsibilities of modern societies?
• How can your community promote global peace?
• Digital privacy: What are the challenges and solutions in contemporary society?
• Measures the community can take to combat climate change
• Discrimination against LGBTQ+ communities in modern societies
• Homelessness and poverty: How can society alleviate it?
• How modern society can address mental health stigma in the workplace
• The rights of indigenous peoples in contemporary societies

These are good examples of social change titles for academic papers. Pick one of these ideas and modify it to suit your project and educator’s requirements to write an essay that will impress them.

Examples Of Social Change Topics For Research Papers

A research paper about a social change topic will help you understand this issue better and analyze it from different perspectives. Here are potential titles for research papers:

• The impact of technology on social change
• Economic globalization: What are the pros and cons for society?
• Policies for achieving gender equality in modern society
• The causes and impacts of racial inequality in contemporary society
• How a community can promote sustainable development
• Investigating immigration and its effects on society
• Strategies for poverty eradication among communities in developing countries
• The rise of artificial intelligence: What are its benefits and challenges in modern societies?
• Climate change: How can modern communities reduce its effects?
• The role of social movements in empowering marginalized communities
• Mental health awareness and stigma reduction in contemporary society
• Gun control policies: How they affect modern societies
• Digital privacy: What are the challenges and solutions in modern society?
• Measures to combat elder challenges in contemporary society
• The rights of indigenous peoples in modern societies
• How modern societies contribute to homelessness and poverty
• How can modern societies protect animal rights?
• Does social stratification matter in contemporary society?
• What causes mental health stigma in today’s society?
• How can modern societies create sustainable communities?
• The impact of globalization on cultural identity and social change
• Does social media benefit society?
• Parental leave policies: Pros and cons for modern society
• The impact of social movements on society
• How can humanity address discrimination against LGBTQ+ communities?
• Rising inequality: What are the causes and consequences in contemporary society?
• How can communities achieve global peace?
• What makes the media essential in enhancing democracy in contemporary societies
• How climate change affects human health and social change
• Strategies for combating racism and discrimination in contemporary society
• Universal basic income: What are its pros and cons for a community?
• Mental health resources in schools: How a community can increase them
• How can communities strengthen international cooperation?
• Strategies that modern communities can implement to combat homelessness and poverty
• The impact of social movements on political change
• How can society promote inclusivity in education
• The role of religion in social change
• Environmental sustainability: Challenges that society faces and their solutions
• Food security in modern society: Challenges and strategies for addressing them
• Climate migration: Causes, consequences, and solutions in contemporary society
• The impact of economic policies on social change
• The role of NGOs in achieving social justice
• How can the community reduce income inequality?
• Financial inclusion: How it benefits societies and its challenges
• Social entrepreneurship: What challenges humanity faces and opportunities

Researching these topics will help you understand the causes and consequences of social change and how collective knowledge can create positive change in society.

Interesting Social Issues To Write About In Academic Essays

Students can write about various social issues in academic essays. Here’s a list of 50 social issues you can explore in your papers. But if even having topics doesn’t make things any easier, you can always buy essay online :

• How social media impacts human interaction
• How can society address gender discrimination in the workplace
• The growing problem of cyberbullying in modern society
• How the community can address racial inequality in education systems
• Why and how society should combat homelessness
• Strategies that modern society can implement to reduce youth unemployment
• Critical immigration reforms that modern society requires
• The problem of poverty in modern societies
• How a community can improve access to quality healthcare
• Measures that a community can implement to achieve gender equality in the workplace
• How climate change affects society
• Why modern societies should address mental health stigma
• Why gun control policies matter in contemporary society
• Why access to education matters to marginalized societies
• The effects of social media on social well-being and mental health
• Ways contemporary societies can reduce income inequality
• Why modern societies should strengthen international cooperation
• Do indigenous communities have more rights than immigrants?
• The impact of technology on job creation in contemporary societies
• How a community can combat racism and discrimination
• Aging population in modern society: What are its challenges and opportunities
• How modern society can protect the rights of elderly people
• Strategies that modern communities can implement to protect digital privacy
• Gender roles in society: What are their causes and consequences?
• Why media is critical in society: How it enhances political participation
• How a community can improve access to clean water: What are the challenges and solutions?
• Investigating social movements and their impact on society
• How the community can address the growing problem of fake news
• How humans can manage climate migration and why it’s vital
• Practical strategies that communities can implement to address human trafficking
• How religion can bring about positive social change
• Measures that society can take to promote tolerance and inclusion
• Environmental sustainability: The challenges facing modern society
• Preservation of cultural heritage: Why it benefits modern society
• The impact of economic policies on poverty reduction in contemporary society
• How modern communities can achieve global cooperation on human rights
• Universal basic income: Why humanity should address this issue
• The impact of social entrepreneurship on society
• Food security: How a community can address its challenges
• Financial inclusion: How it benefits society and the challenges
• Why the community should improve access to quality healthcare
• Why the community should combat workplace discrimination
• The effects of immigration on social cohesion
• How a community can reduce youth violence
• How humanity can promote gender equality in education
• What causes climate migration in modern societies?
• How NGOs can help modern communities achieve social justice
• Is human trafficking a severe issue in contemporary society?
• How economic policies affect social change
• How technology can bridge the digital divide in modern society

Researching and writing about these issues can help you highlight and participate in addressing issues facing modern society. Nevertheless, prepare to invest adequate time investigating your title.

Captivating Social Awareness Topics

Social awareness is vital for social development. Here are exciting titles to explore in this area:

• How can society promote mental health awareness?
• How religion can help with social conflict resolution
• Why a community should combat gender discrimination
• How communities can enhance environmental sustainability
• Why should humans ensure every child accesses quality education?
• How social movements impact political change
• How can society reduce poverty levels
• How social activities affect the politics of a country
• How can a community address the increasing cybercrime problem?
• Why contemporary society should address homelessness
• How to address inequality among minority groups
• How climate and social change affect food security
• How modern society can promote cultural diversity and inclusion
• Why communities in developing nations should improve access to clean water
• How modern societies can establish better workplace relationships
• A ticking bomb- Why human trafficking should concern modern societies
• How social media affects your mental health
• Can a community address climate change by strengthening international cooperation?
• Why the indigenous people’s rights matter in contemporary society
• How can society address discrimination in universities and schools?
• Are gender roles essential in modern society?
• How a community can improve environmental sustainability
• Understanding social entrepreneurship- Why does it matter?
• Why youth violence should concern modern society
• How does financial inclusion benefit the community?
• How economic guidelines can help with poverty eradication in contemporary society
• Why communities should preserve cultural heritage
• Why modern societies should promote tolerance and inclusion
• How social movements benefit society

Explore these ideas to write papers that raise social awareness on various issues. However, prepare to invest time and resources in your research to write quality essays.

Social Problem Topics For Research

A social problem is a societal issue that makes it challenging for people to achieve their full potential. Here are some topics to consider in this category:

• Is racial discrimination a genuine social problem or an overrated social issue?
• Fat-shaming: Is it a severe social problem?
• How society can address the discrimination of individuals with disabilities
• Discrimination as a social problem and obstacle to development
• How can a community address the social marginalization of some groups?
• How the immigration problem affects social cohesion
• Why income inequality is a social problem that needs addressing
• How to handle the urban homelessness problem in modern society
• Is access to quality education a problem in contemporary society?
• Victimization of people with disabilities- A growing social problem in developing countries
• Religious bias among employees- Is it a social problem?
• How serious is juvenile delinquency as a social problem?
• Is marijuana addiction a growing social problem?
• How to address the issue of prison torture in modern society
• Are bad living conditions a problem in contemporary society?
• Is obesity an ever-increasing social problem?
• Social disparity- How it hinders some students from accessing higher education
• How serious is the access to affordable issue problem?
• Environmental issues affecting modern society
• Are American teenagers lacking role models?
• Parental care- Are young American parents receiving adequate support?
• Work stress- How to prevent or manage this growing social issue
• Agricultural crisis- Is it a serious social problem in the U.S.?
• How serious is voter fraud as a social problem in the U.S.?
• Is the American welfare system effective for people with low incomes?
• Issues affecting the state budget in the U.S
• Can society face climate change as a social problem?
• Is religious freedom a social problem in the U.S.?
• Are Asian Americans victims of hate crimes?- Why should humanity address this social problem?
• Female refugees- Why humanity should address their discrimination and abuse problems
• Suicide among mentally ill people- Why society should address this problem

If you’ve been searching for social issues topics list to choose a title for your paper, you’ll find an idea to explore in this article. However, pick a current, controversial, or interesting idea to write a captivating and winning paper.

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What are social change research topics?

Social transformation research topics are titles that require students to address the changes that happen in society. They may include state formations, crime and deviance, bureaucracy, migration, violence, values and belief systems, racial relations, and identity. Also, some topics may cover politics, law, and medicine.

What are examples of social change topics?

Some of the best social change topic samples cover pertinent societal issues. These may include income inequality or poverty, the rise of authoritarianism or democratic values erosion, corruption, criminality, bullying in schools, and unsustainable development. Students should choose social change ideas that meet their academic requirements and have reliable information sources.

What are examples of social change?

Social change samples include the abolition of the slave trade, the reformation, civil rights movements, feminist movements, green movement, and LGBTQ+ movements. Any issue that transforms or changes societal beliefs, behavior, or perceptions is an excellent example of societal change. And students can explore such issues in their research projects or when writing essays.

What are the major themes of social change?

Civics, geography, history, and economics are the core disciplines to consider when writing a research paper about social change. You may pick a topic from any of these themes to write an essay to capture the audience’s attention. However, writing an informative paper requires the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes.

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Webinar Transcripts: Writing for Social Change: Using Restorative Writing to Enact Social Change

Writing for social change: using restorative writing to enact social change.

Presented August 15, 2018

View the webinar

Last updated 9/5/2018

Visual: The webinar begins with a PowerPoint title slide in the large central panel. A captioning pod, Q&A pod, and files pod are stacked on the right side.

The slide says “Housekeeping” and the following:

• Will be available online within 24 hours.
• Polls, files, and links are interactive.
• Now: Use the Q&A box.
• Later: Send to [email protected] or visit our  Live Chat Hours .
• Ask in the Q&A box.
• Choose “Help” in the upper right-hand corner of the webinar room.

Audio: Beth: Hello everyone and thank you so much for joining us today. My name is Beth Nastachowski, I’m going to be facilitating the session today. And, I’m just going to get us started by going over a couple of quick housekeeping notes, here.

A couple of things. The first is that we are recording the webinar. I will be posting this recording if you’d like to come back and review it in our webinar archive in 24 hours. Keep that in mind and you’re more than welcome to come back to this session if you have to leave early or you’d like to review it again.

I’d also like to note that we have lots of interaction for the session today, Ellen and Miranda have put together lots of activities where we will be using chat boxes so please do engage with us in those chat boxes but also note that you can download our slides here. And additionally, a handout in the files pod. That’s at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, that’ll be available throughout the session today, so feel free to download that at any time. And there are also links throughout the slides here to further information you might find is full. So, feel free to click those links when they are hyperlinked through the slides, those will open up on a new tab on your browser and then you can take a look at them now or save them for later as well, so either way works.

We also have a Q&A box on the right side of the screen. I’d like to note here too, I know we have both students and faculty joining us for this session today we’re bringing together many different people from throughout the Walden community and so for faculty I’m not sure how much, sometimes the sessions you have are more chat based we’re going to be using the Q&A box throughout the session today so I just wanted to point that out, it looks a little bit different. But it works in the same way and I’ll be monitoring that Q&A box, so if you have questions or comments throughout the session do let me know.

Additionally, if you have any questions after the session please feel free to reach out to the writing center. I have our email address here [email protected] and I’ll be displaying that at the end of the session as well. And then we also have our live chat hours, so feel free to reach out to us.

As I said we have the Q&A box if you have any questions or technical issues throughout the session please use that Q&A box I’m happy to help. And I’ll be posting announcements and other things as well throughout that Q&A box, as well. But you can also use the help box at the top right corner that’s a great place to go for any significant technical issues, as well.

With that Ellen and Miranda, I will hand it over to you.

Visual: Slide changes to the title of the webinar, “ Using Restorative Writing to Enact Social Change ” Walden University Writing Center’s Writing for Social Change webinar series. The speakers name and information: Ellen Zamarripa , Writing Instructor & Coordinator of Residency Planning, Walden University Writing Center and Miranda Mattingly , Writing Instructor, Walden University Writing Center.

Audio: Ellen:  Thank you so much Beth. So yes, I would love to welcome everyone to today's webinar. Using restorative Writing to Enact Social Change”. And I’m welcoming as Beth said, staff, faculty and students.  Kind of a unique webinar in that sense.  I’m really excited about that.  My name is Ellen Zamarripa I am a writing instructor in the writing center as well as the coordinator of residency planning.  And I’ll hand it over to you Miranda to introduce yourself.

Miranda:  Thanks, Ellen my name is Miranda Mattingly and I join Ellen and Beth in being super excited to talk to everyone today about restorative writing.  I am a writing instructor in the writing center and I'm going to be walking us through the first part of our webinar.  So, let's go on and get started.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Quick Writing Activity

Think about how you use writing in your daily life.

What different kinds of writing do you use?

Audio: So, to start today, we actually wanted to join in a conversation right off the start and get a little bit of chat going on.  Before we dive right into what restorative writing is, we wanted to have everyone to think about how you use writing in your daily life.  And the question we’re posing to you are: What are the different types or kinds of writing you use daily?  So, if you’d take a moment and put a few quick thoughts in the chat box and that will get us started for today.

[pause as students respond]

Okay awesome, we have so many ideas coming into the chat box already.  I’m seeing some common patterns here that we use.  Writing for emails and social media and texting.  Yes, that is  probably one of our most common daily uses. Although I see that some of you are also mentioning reflective journaling which is going to be a great topic that we’re going to kind of touch on today although a little bit different.  I can also see we've got some creative writers and poetry, this will be an interesting session for you all.  And finally, I'm also noticing in either in writing a paper or perhaps feedback to a paper, right? Because we have both students and faculty, thank you so much, you can feel free to keep eyeing those different types of writing into the chat box and I’m going to kind of move forward into our actual presentation for today.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Learning Objectives

• Understand the concept of restorative writing and how it developed and why it matters
• Use restorative writing to link personal feelings with events as a way to promote wellness and self-care
• Use restorative writing to reflect on how you can make change within your community
• Explore next steps for using restorative writing to influence social change in your community  

Audio: The reason we ask that question is because restorative writing is a type of writing but it may be something that is new or different to you, today.  And that’s kind of our objective, is to one, start off with understanding what the concept of restorative writing is and how it developed or even why it matters.  Now we’re going to provide some information on that today but the other thing that we’re going to do today is we’re actually going to have several restorative writing activities in our session today.  These kind of speak to our two second and third bullet points which is that we’re going to use restorative writing to link personal feelings two events as a way to promote wellness and self-care.  And we’re also going to use restorative writing today to reflect on how you can make a change on your community.

So those two aspects are our objectives, really speak to the activity portion of today and then finally what we will be doing, is we will be touching on some next steps for how you can use restorative writing to influence social change.  And that is really related to the handout that Beth mentioned at the top of the session that Ellen will be touching on at the final part of the session.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: What is Restorative Writing?

“when writing becomes a vehicle for transforming one’s pain into engagement” (Batzer, 2016)

Audio: So those are our objectives. To start us off today, since restorative writing can be a somewhat new topic or perhaps you are not familiar, we want to start with a definition itself.  Restorative writing in the research does not always have a precise definition, and you’re going to see that later on, when we explain how restorative writing develops.  But one thing in the literature we found that was useful was the definition we put here.  Restorative writing refers to when writing becomes a vehicle for transforming one's pain into engagement.

Now, we pulled this particular quote because it does a nice job of setting the context for when restorative writing applies.  Restorative writing really can apply to when you’re trying to deal with a difficult event, perhaps one that is filled with conflict or even can be traumatic, but it’s a way to work through that process and hopefully get to the sense of engagement understanding, healing and potentially even social change.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: What is the Goal of Restorative Writing?

• Defined as “any event in which one is forced to respond to ‘the extremities of helplessness and terror’” (Herman, 1997, p. 33).
• Trauma’s potency “derives from how our brains process and sustain” painful episodes (Batzer, 2016, para. 4).
• Trauma Recovery
• Feel empowered again
• Remember the trauma and describe it
• Regain a sense normalcy and reconnect with community
• Understanding

Audio: So, we want to offer that particular definition because restorative writing is a concept of writing that’s rooted in understanding trauma.  Now, this can seem like a surprising connection here for writing, and today Ellen and I are by no means are trying to position ourselves an expert in trauma, but what we did want to do is momentarily apply the context for how restorative writing can be applied and established its connection to restorative writing's overall goal.  So that’s what we are kind of doing here, in this particular slide.

Let's dive in to what trauma is.  We are starting off with the definition and since Ellen and I are not experts in trauma we are really relying on the scholarship here.  We're using Herman, as our definition who defines trauma as, any event in which one is forced to respond to the extremities of helplessness or terror.  We’re referring here to events that can be traumatic, difficult to process, may take time to understand, heal and recovery from.  In that sense we’re really talking about traumas potency, something that derives from how our brain sustains a painful event over time.  It may not be something you can readily understanding and what we are looking at and our goal today is to explore how writing can help in that process.

Now, another aspect of trauma that we want to touch on is recovery.  And while we are not experts in recovery, it’s a rather complex topic but we wanted to highlight a few steps or details that impact trauma recovery in order to draw this parallel to restorative writing's goals.  In that regard, Herman notes that trauma recovery occurs when victims feel empowered again, they can have control back over the experience that they’ve, they can remember the trauma and describe it maybe in writing on a personal level.  But then also gaining a sense of normalcy over that event, your own way of life and finding connections with the community.

Now overall, these parallel quite nicely with the goals of restorative writing that we’re going to talk in more great detail about today, about. Those goals are about healing, understanding, processing information and also getting to a sense of self-care.  We also added empathy and engagement here, because restorative writing as we’ll talk today, can be used for the self but it can also be used to engage with your community.  So, that empathy is understanding how others have engaged with trauma or experienced a similar trauma or even engage in the community to promote change around the particular event.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Why Does Restorative Writing Matter? 

Given the conflict and violence we see and experience in our daily lives, Restorative Writing offers a way to:

• Understand and Heal
• Express a Point of View Without Judgment
• Build Stronger Communities
• Enact Social Change

Audio: Let's dive deeper into why restorative writing matters.  Now in our daily lives, we see a lot of conflict and violence, whether it is a wildfire in California, whether it is a hurricane in Puerto Rico or whether it is a shooting that we see on TV.  As a result of that, it can be difficult to process that information.  Our goal today is to talk about how restorative writing can help you on a self and also your community to process that information.  To understand it and heal from it and then also move to a point where you can express your point of view.  And this one’s going to be really important for us today, we’re going to work on activities about expressing your point of view but in a space that’s without judgment.  We are not going to be grading or commenting on the writing today which I know can often be what the writing center does.  You come to us, you want to hear about APA, but that’s actually not our goal today.  This is the webinar based on social change.

So, in that regard once we talk through how restorative writing can be used to process information, understand and express were also going to talk about how restorative writing can be used to build stronger communities and to ultimately enact social change.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: What You Can Gain From Restorative Writing?

• Ability to process difficult, even traumatic events and express your own thoughts, perspectives, and feelings through writing (Knieling, 2016)
• Gain an enhanced understanding of the root causes of conflict and violence (Duckworth, Allen, & Williams, 2012)
• Gain increased empathy for others (Duckworth et al., 2012)
• Learn to think systemically about local, community, and global problems (Duckworth et al., 2012)
• Learn ways to increase cross-cultural communication (Duckworth et al., 2012)
• Discover new ways to enact social change and community building

Audio: So, one more aspect of restorative writing that I want to touch on and then we’re going to have a quick chat, I do believe. Is we are going to highlight a few things you can gain from restorative writing.  It is going into more detail from the previous slide.  In fact, we had so many things you could gain we felt a little limited here in this box. It was already filled with a lot of information. Let's walk through a few of them. 

One of the things you can gain from restorative writing is the ability, and this is one we’ve been talking about a lot, to process difficult or even a traumatic event and express your own thoughts and perspectives and feelings through writing. In essence we are really talking about restorative writing for the self. It can give you an enhanced sense and understanding of the root causes of conflict and violence. This might be understanding the policy, the lack of communication, the lack of funding, something that produce the conflict, or it might be related to how you feel about the conflict that has occurred in some way.  It’s kind of using writing as a way to understand the cause itself, the violence or the conflict. 

As we mentioned before, restorative writing can also increase empathy for others, in this case we’re often talking about understanding how different people experience trauma.  Sometimes that can be a matter of finding connections but other times it is about having different perspectives of the same event.

Restorative writing can also be a way to think systematically about local community or global problems.  So, we’re building outward from restorative writing of the self onto how it can impact your community, looking at those larger problems, policies that can create larger systematic problems. In this process, restorative writing can also increase your ability to have cross-cultural communication or conversations with others.  And in this case, we’re moving closer and closer to enacting social change and building community in the process of restorative writing. Now I gave you so much information here.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Chat

• Have you ever engaged with restorative writing?
• Or is the concept new to you?

Audio: So, we wanted to pause for a moment and ask everyone whether or not you have ever engaged in restorative writing before.  It maybe that you’ve engaged with it, it’s just been under a different name or if it is in an entirely new concept.  And it is okay if it is an entirely new concept.  I’m going to pause for a minute and see if, what everyone's reactions are.

[pause as students participants comment]

Okay we have several comments coming in.  And it sounds like we are actually getting somewhat of a 50-50 split.  I feel like every time I see it’s new to me, somebody else is saying that yes, I’ve engaged with it. Whether they journal daily or they’ve taken a class on it, which sounds amazing, I’d love to hear about that.

Also, it comes in different forms whether it’s journal and advocacy class, and that’s really something we're going to talk about later in the session, but it is okay too if it is completely new to you.  We actually going to do a bit of background information to get you acclimated to this concept before we dive in.  So, feel free to keep adding those ideas into the chat box.  And we’re going to keep moving on because I want to make sure we have plenty of time for the actual activities.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Background: How did Restorative Writing Develop?

• Restorative Justice and Peace Education
• Restorative English Education
• Restorative Writing

Audio: So, before we move into the writing activity portion of this webinar, we did want to give some background on how restorative writing develops.  And as I mentioned at the top of this webinar, restorative writing builds on a longer history of writing as being a therapeutic way of understanding.  And I think this is what several people were saying in the chat box, they've either use journaling or they’ve been in and advocacy class of some kind, and as a result they have always done it. As a field or as a concept, it is still emerging.  We want to talk through the different places we have seen it in the scholarship to give us a little bit of a grounding of what it is.  In order to talk about it we will look momentarily at restorative justice and peace education, which aren’t exactly the same thing, but they have common goals and objectives and then we’re going to look at how the ideas from these two fields shift into restorative English education and eventually emerge into restorative writing.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Restorative Justice & Peace Education: Definitions

• -  An approach to crime that focused on repairing harm and giving a voice to victims
• - Restorative justice “assumes that justice can and should promote healing, both individual and societal” (Zehr, as cited in Winn, 2013, p. 70)
• - Encourages students to investigate violence’s root causes in society and discover definitions of justice that spark social transformation (Duckworth et al., 2012)
• - Empowers students to create “a more peaceful, just future for their communities” (Duckworth, 2011, p. 237)

Audio: Let's dive in.  So, I’m starting here with restorative justice and peace education.  And again, these two are separate fields but our goal here is to demonstrate how they have common objectives in some way in terms of the effect that they’re intending to have.  So, if I start with restorative justice, restorative justice may be a slightly more familiar concept to you.  It was kind of a buzz word, I think in the recent years. But it is also is a field really coming out of criminal justice.  So, you can see here is a definition we are using, is an approach to crime that focus on repairing harm and giving voice to victims. 

I always give the example when talking about restorative justice of if a student were to per se graffiti the side of a building.  Instead of immediately punishing the student, perhaps suspending them of some kind, restorative justice would probably have the student sit down with stakeholders affected by it and have a conversation about why that action or why that behavior occurred. They might have the victims talk about how that action had an impact on them.  And then they would talk about ways to restore from it and create a new sense of justice or remedy from that process. 

So, this is a different approach that comes largely again out of criminal justice and you’ll see that the goal here is to think through justice and how it can promote healing both for the individual and society.  And then we've mentioned this before that restorative writing is always kind of working with the individual but also looking for those outward connections.

Now, we want to build a parallel here to peace education as well.  Peace education is coming largely from international studies.  Restorative writing coming out of criminal justice, peace education largely out of international studies.  You’ll see that they have a connection. And the goal is to encourage students to investigate violence's root causes in society, so again looking at if there’s a policy in place, miscommunication and misunderstanding how people interact in some that can cause violence.   But then ultimately having students think through different ways that you could approach the problem and come up with new definitions that can create social transformation in this way.

In this regard its really about empowering students to create a more peaceful or just future for the community.  And this is where I feel like there is a lot of similarities here between restorative justice and peace education, but also ultimately restorative writing.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Background: Shift to Restorative English Education

• Joins restorative justice with critical pedagogy and communication
• Restores classrooms to peacemaking spaces where students learn to empathize and to build healthy relationships with themselves and each other
• Uses literate acts to inspire “radical healing” and ways of becoming an agent for change

What we wanted to do is demonstrate how those two concepts coming from the scholarship kind of merge and shift into restorative English education.  Now restorative English education is taking restorative justice and essentially placing it in the classroom.  It’s placing it in connection with a full critical pedagogy and communication.  It also positions classrooms as a peacemaking space, a place where students can learn to empathize with others who have experienced similar conflicts, understanding their point of view of the same event but also building healthy relationships with them, building a sense of communication to understand how you can build, as it said in the previous slide, a just or more peaceful future.

What’s interesting about restorative English education, English comes in there a little bit but you also see in the third bullet that it uses literacy or literate acts to inspire radical healing or way of becoming social change.  You’ll start to see writing introduced into the process. It may be a form of journaling it could be writing a paper or an essay on the topic. Restorative English education can produce poetry, spoken word art, it can be a play of some kind of.  There's different ways you can engage with this process.  Our objective is to talk about it, how it can apply to our own practice, so we wanted to kind of shift into the development of restorative writing for social change.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Background: Development of Restorative Writing

Builds on writing’s history as a means of healing and empowerment

• Restorative Justice
• Peace Education
• Applications Beyond the Classroom: Self and Community

Audio: As we’ve mentioned throughout this webinar, writing has a long history as a means of healing and empowerment.  The reason we introduce peace education and justice and restorative English education is because they build on those same principles.  However, the idea of restorative writing is not exclusive to the classroom.  We really want to talk about it today in terms of how it applies and can be used for yourself and for your community.  And that’s really our objective today.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: What Can Restorative Writing Look Like?

• Affirmations
• Action Plans
• Letters to the Editor
• Social Media
• Discussion post
• Word Association
• Free-Writing
• Reflection Essays
• Personal narratives
• Circle Dialogues

Audio: So, what does that look like? Some of you have already thrown out several of these ideas about what restorative writing can look like and it sounds like several of you are already doing them. So, I’ll pick a few that it sounds like people are doing, which in terms, we had ideas about mentioning journaling, probably discussion posts and classes are quite common.  Maybe doing some free writing or reflective essay or personal narrative, these can be forms of restorative writing.  We also highlight things like doing affirmations statements, whether for your health or your community that you do together to respond to an event.  It might be creating an action plan or response plan for yourself or community in response to an event.  Or even taking ideas that you've learned from your journaling, your reflective essay, and turning them into a blog, a letter to an editor, a social mediate of some kind to promote advocacy around that particular event.

So, ask you can see restorative writing can look like a lot of things and were going to actually practice some of these today, although we will not get to all of them which is why we have a hand out for you at the end of today's session.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Why Does Restorative Writing Work

• Is a non-threatening starting point into a problem or project
• Expressing your point of view can be confusing, scary, and difficult
• Allows for the discovery of your authentic voice
• Helps to find commonalities in challenging situations

Audio: Before we get into the actual writing activity we want to highlight white restorative writing actually works.  One way to think about it is that restorative writing offers you a non-threatening, starting point into a problem. No one is there to judge you in the beginning of the writing process.  It is a way to get the ideas out on the page so you can understand process and move into the space of both healing, engagement and recovery. Restorative writing also helps to express your point of view that can be at first confusing or scary, but it allows you the opportunity to come to a place where you can discover your own authentic voice about that particular event.  The authentic voice might be initially just regaining a sense of normalcy over a particular event at first, however over time it might lead you to engage your community to promote advocacy around it and that may be a good discovery of authentic voice over time.  It can also help you to find the commonalities and challenging events with others, as well.

So, we are kind of moving always from that self to the community.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: How Does Restorative Writing Work?

• Connect personal feelings and events
• What happened? (DeSalvo, 2000)
• How do you feel about it? (DeSalvo, 2000)
• Use the writing you do to help you reflect and process
• Gain an enhanced understanding of the root causes of conflict and violence (Duckworth, 2012)

Audio: Before we dive into our activities for today, we wanted to highlight essentially, how it works or how we are going to be approaching it today.  When we talk about restorative writing we are talking about how to connect your personal feelings to an event that perhaps has been traumatic or difficult or filled with conflict of some kind.  As you are trying to connect those feelings, you're often asking yourself the larger questions about what happened and how do you feel about it.  When you engage with those questions, it allows you to use writing to reflect on and process the event itself in order to achieve these larger goals that restorative writing offers you in terms of healing, wellness and self-care that can be useful to yourself but also to the community, but then gain those other elements about empathy with others, gaining enhanced understanding of conflict with your community.  In our goal today is really to talk about social change as well.

So, I’ve given you a whole lot of information and I’m looking forward to the activity in the next session that Ellen will lead us through.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Restorative Writing in This Webinar: What to Expect

We’ll provide:

• Prompting questions that encourage you to link events with feelings
• Guide you through prompts that encourage you to consider how restorative writing can help you enact social change 
• Zero judgment

You’re welcome to:

• Respond to the provided questions in writing (this is writing for you)
• Reflect on your restorative writing process (and post your reflection in the chatbox, if you want)
• Process, reflect, empathize

Audio: Ellen:  Thanks, so much Miranda, great. Like Miranda said, we are going to jump into some activities where we’re actually applying this concept of restorative writing.  And so, I want to give you an idea of what we will provide and what you are welcome to do.  On the part of Miranda and I, and Beth as our facilitator, we're going to provide you with some prompting questions that I encourage you to practice this formula for restorative writing which is linking events with your feelings about those events.

And we’re going to guide you through these prompts and continue encouragement about how we can apply restorative writing to enact social change.  And you’ll see we have a progression planned for you, we start with the self, build to the community, and then think about how to apply these concepts from community to enact social change. 

Lastly, we’ll be providing zero judgment.  What I mean by that is exactly what Miranda said a little bit earlier in this presentation. You might think of Miranda and I in the capacity of the writing center.  We are writing instructors and a huge part of our jobs is to review student writing.  So, in this case, this is not going to be our role.  The objective of this webinar isn’t to judge the quality of your writing.  And in return, you also don’t need to focus on things like scholarly writing rules or APA rules.  This writing is essentially for you, for starting at the self and we’ll work up.

We welcome you to do two things.  We have a two-part series three times.  We have these restorative writing prompts to which we encourage you to respond to in writing.  Again, this writing is for you but then we have an opportunity for you to reflect on your restorative writing process and this is an opportunity for you to post your reflection in the chat box, but only if you want.  That is completely optional to you. And of course, we encourage you to think about the foundational goals of restorative writing as we walk through these activities.  So, processing, reflecting and empathizing.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Just a Reminder…

• This writing is for YOU. You are under no obligation to share what you write.

Audio: I think I reiterate this were Miranda and I need to several times throughout the webinar, but I think it is important to reiterate that this writing is for you.  You are under no obligation to share anything that you write today, and we have a little bit of information at the end with encouragement for how to share your writing, if that is the next step you would like to take toward social change.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Restorative Writing Starts with…

Audio: Like I said, we are building up and starting with the self.  Restorative writing really starts with you. 

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Restorative Writing for the Self

• A traumatic event
• An event that included conflict
• A event with you and one other person
• A community event
• A nationwide event 
• A worldwide event
• Try not to worry about things like grammar, spelling, and correct punctuation
• Write what you feel, and write the way you want to write
• 3 minutes of writing

Audio: We have two short prompts here where you are going to practice linking an event to linking how you feel or felt about that event.  So, our first question is, what event have you experienced that has impacted you?  This could be on quite a spectrum.

It could be an event that is personal between you and one other person.  And it could range to a worldwide event that influenced you or impacted you in some way.  Once you have that event in your head and maybe it’s the first thing that comes to mind – one you have that event in your head, you're going to think about, how do you feel about what happened?  How do you feel about that event?

Again, when you're thinking about this and writing about it, try not to worry about little things, try not to worry about the grammar, spelling or punctuation.  That’s not again the goal of this type of webinar. We want you to write what you feel and write the way that you want to write and that might not necessarily mirror scholarly writing rules or APA.  That is okay, this is the start.  This is the self.  So, get your event in mind and then write about how you feel about what happened.  We’re going to take three minutes to complete this restorative writing activity.  I have a timer next to me and I will give you one 30 second warning when we are about to finished.  And if you are not done that is totally okay. This is something you can continue writing about on your own. So, I’m going to go on mute and we’re going to take three minutes to write about an event, and how you feel about what happened.

[Participants working on activity]

This is your 30 second warning, as promised.

All right that is the three-minute marker so over those three minutes you probably wrote about a lot of different things, which is awesome.  I feel like three minutes always seems like forever and then it's over, maybe you have that same experience. But we can go then to the next slide where we are going to check in. 

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Check In

• What did you learn about yourself through this restorative writing process?
• Reflect and write (2 minutes)
• You may choose to post in the chat box or not for any reason

Audio: Let us check in and reflect and write about that restorative writing process.  And what we’d like you to think about is, what did you learn about yourself?  We are starting with yourself and building from there.  What did you learn about yourself through this restorative writing process?  We’re going to reflect and write for two minutes. And I’ll set the timer for myself.  Here is where you are welcome to share in the chat box about your experience.

This is your 30 second warning.

Alright, that’s the two-minute mark.  As I’m reading your responses I genuinely feel very touched by your choice to be so vulnerable with what you are sharing and your honesty.  This is very inspiring to me, and I don’t mean to sound inauthentic because I really am inspired by this, this is eye opening.  Thank you for so much for sharing, this is really great and I am seeing some consistencies throughout responses and things I did not even expect.  And I love this and I hope you are learning from a too. 

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Restorative Writing Can Grow to Involve…

• The Community

Audio: Great.  So, let's move on with building, we thought about the self, we engaged in restorative writing for the self, let's build on that, let’s think about how restorative writing can grow to involve our community. 

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Restorative Writing for Your Community

What three words best describe your community? (1 minute)

Community can mean different things to different people:

• Neighborhood community
• Work community
• Religious community
• Communities of people with something in common

Audio: I would like to start with a quick chat, what three words best describe your community?  And feel free to post in the chat box if you like, but community of course can mean different things to different people. It can be a neighborhood community like a neighborhood watch or a school board community or parent counsel.  Perhaps it’s a work community of your colleagues or religious community.  Many people are part of communities where you are planning something, where you have a common goal or just something in common.  So, think about what three words best describe the community you’d like to focus on for two days restorative writing practices.   let's take about one minute to think about that and post in the chat box, if you would like.

Thank you so much for sharing I can tell that everyone, some people are talking about maybe similar communities and some completely different.  I love that.  There is such a diverse range of answers here which is really interesting.  And it is eye-opening as we go through this process.  Thank you so much for sharing. 

Audio: Let's move on to our restorative writing prompt to help us think about how restorative writing can be applied to our community. You will see a pattern, we are applying that same formula of restorative writing to these prompts.  So what kind of issues or conflicts do you think your community is facing?  This is relating to that event, identifying an event but particularly focusing on an issue or conflict your community is facing. 

This could be a conflict with people, perhaps it’s a money or resources issue or something outside the box that is particular to your community.  What kind of issues or conflicts do you think your community is facing?  And then apply your feelings about those issues or conflicts to this event.  How do you feel about those issues or conflicts?  And again, you are so encouraged to write what you feel and write the way that you want. I noticed that someone in the checkbox earlier said that their grammar and punctuation was terrible, and that is completely, completely okay.  And perhaps even a good thing because it shows that you are writing exactly what you feel in the way that you wanted to write which is what restorative writing involves at this stage.

We’re going to take another three minutes to reflect on these two questions.  What issues or conflicts you think your community is facing?  And how do you feel about those issues or conflicts?  I will provide you with 30 second warning.

We will take 30 more seconds to complete this activity.

Thank you so much for participating in the second restorative writing activity. 

• What did you learn about your community through this restorative writing process?

Audio: We now have another opportunity to check in, to think about, what did you learn about your community through this restorative writing process?  So, we thought about ourselves in the previous check in.  Now let’s think about, what we learn about our communities through this writing process?  Sue can reflect and write and post in the chat box if you would like.  You are under no obligation to do so.  We will take about two minutes to reflect on what you learned about your community through this restorative writing process.

We will take about 30 more seconds to complete this activity.

Thank you so much for thinking and reflecting and writing about what you learned about your community through this process. I am again amazed at these responses, I’m seeing threads of hope, of diversity, of love and of reliving pain, and I think that, that is very human. It looks like we are all reflecting and learning things from that reflection which is wonderful.  Thank you so much.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Restorative Writing Can Lead to…

• Social Change

Audio: Alright, let's build that last block here, as restorative writing can lead to social change.

Visual: Slide Changes to the following: How Restorative Writing Can Lead to Social Change

• 3 minutes of writing 

Audio: We are actually going to jump right into our question so thinking about social change, what can you do today to help remedy an issue or conflict your community is facing?  You've already thought about the issue or conflict, you’ve already thought about the community you want to focus on, so what can you do today to help remedy that issue or conflict?  We will write for three minutes. 

We will take 30 more seconds to complete this prompt.

• What did you learn about your role in social change through this restorative writing process?

Audio: We will end there without prompt and new one last check in.  What you can think about here is what did you learn about your role in social change through this restorative writing process?  And here is where you can share, if you would like in the chat box, reflect and write for two minutes, and I will start the timer now.

We will take 30 more seconds to write and reflect.

Alright that’s the two-minute mark and see we have responses coming in.  I just have to say again how amazing these responses are.  And if you're thinking about community, of course we are all part of the Walden community, so when thinking about myself as part of this community, I’m very proud. When thinking about these reflections -- I love all these reflections, they are so deep and vulnerable and authentic so thank you so much for those. 

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Continue with Conversation

• This writing was for YOU, but we encourage you to continue the conversation with your family, friends, teachers, and community.

Audio: I will reiterate one more time that the writing that we did today was really for you, but you are encouraged to continue the conversations that you began with yourself today and with your Walden community members today, to share those with family, friends, teachers perhaps your community as well.  People you feel safe with and comfortable with because that is the next step to social change.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Restorative Writing: Other Sample Activities

• Create an action plan
• Community Affirmation Statements
• Consider other ways to reach out to community (e.g., social media, blogs, letters to editors)
• Establish your collaborative labor network

Audio: I would like to talk a little bit about, what do we do from here?  What are some activities you can do to an enact social change that perhaps we talked about today, you have thought about today, you reflected on and wrote about today? 

One thing you can do is to create an action plan.  So instead of asking yourself, what can I do today to end social change or to remedy a conflict?  Ask yourself, what can I do this week?  What about this month?  What about this year?  That’s something you might be prompted to share with your community members.  And think about how you can work together to enact the social change that you create in this plan.

Another thing you can do is host an organizational event that perhaps features restorative writing.  Maybe you provide similar prompts to the ones that we provided today.  Maybe you work on building community affirmation statements. Where you’re thinking about commonalities between you and your other community members. Thinking about how those affirmations speak to the culture and core values of your community. What do you believe? What are your goals? 

Perhaps you enact circle dialogues as part of your community culture. Circle dialogues are essentially the agreement that everyone has a chance to listen and everyone will have the change to speak.  I think that is a really great way to enact a social change on a small level within your community itself.

You might also consider other genres of writing to enact social change. Miranda talked a lot about these earlier in the presentation. Maybe you’re thinking about social media or writing a blog post, letters to the editor, all of these start with writing for the self, and writing for the community. And maybe you want to clean it up a little bit before it’s sent out to other people.  But you always can start with a conversation.

Lastly, we have here perhaps thinking about establishing a collaborative labor network which is simply a list of contacts, or other organizations or resources that can assist you in helping you enact the plan you create for social change. I would like to reiterate that these activities, Miranda and I outlined them in a little bit more detail on the handout which is in the files pod in the lower right-hand corner of your screen – So we very much encourage you to download that.  We also include some more restorative writing prompts within that handout that you might find interesting or helpful.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Other Writing Center and Related Resources

• WriteCast Episode 36 : Social Change and Difficult Conversations (podcast)
• “How to Write for Positive Social Change” blog post
• “Exploring Perspectives” webinar – (a webinar focused on writing for social change)
• Creative Writing for Social Change – (Academic Skills Center webinar)
• Social Change at Walden (web site)

Audio: If you are thinking about social change and you’d like to think about it in different capacities you might consider checking out some of the pod cast, blog post and other webinars that we have in the writing center, that relate to social change. The academic skills center also has a source here, and we have the Social Change at Walden website linked here.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Final Takeaways on Restorative Writing

Try practicing restorative writing (linking feelings with events) on your own as a way to:

• Engage in self care and wellness
• Think about how you can help others (social change)

Audio: So, for final takeaways from this webinar, and thank you so, so much for your participation, this was really great and inspiring -- when you're thinking about linking feelings to events on your own, think about the fact that it is a way to reflect, to process, to heal, it is for the self to start.  But it can lead to engagement and then can lead you to help others, which is really the basis and foundation of social change.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: References

Batzer, B. (2016). Healing classrooms: Therapeutic possibilities in academic writing. Composition Forum, 34. Retrieved from http://compositionforum.com/

DeSalvo, L. A. (2000). Writing as a way of healing: How telling our stories transforms our lives . Boston, MA: Beacon Press.

Duckworth, C. L., Allen, B., & Williams, T. T. (2012). What do students learn when we teach peace? Journal of Peace Education, 9 (1), 81-99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17400201.2012.664548

Duckworth, C. (2011). Restorative classrooms: Critical peace education in a juvenile detention home. Peace and Conflict Studies Journal , 18 (2), 234-262. Retrieved from https://nsuworks.nova.edu/pcs/

Herman, J. L. (1997). Trauma and recovery. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Knieling, M. (2016, Aug 30). Writing through conflict: Restorative practices in an ELA classroom [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www2.ncte.org/blog/2016/08/writing-conflict-restorative-practices-ela-classroom/

Winn, M. T. (2013). Toward a restorative English education. Research in the Teaching of English, 48, 126-135. Retrieved from http://www2.ncte.org/resources/journals/research-in-the-teaching-of-english/

Audio: Miranda and I included our references here that we referenced throughout the presentation, those are also included on the handout. 

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Questions: Ask Now or Later

[email protected] •  Live Chat Hours

Learn More:

“Writing for Social Change: Exploring Perspectives”

Audio: And that is the conclusion of our webinar today.  Did you have closing comments, Beth?

Beth:  Yes, thank you so much Ellen, I guess what I would say since we are at time, thank you both to Ellen and Miranda, this is been a fantastic session and I'm so glad to add this to the repertoire of webinars.  I really appreciate everyone's participation for coming and going through the restorative writing prompts and activities with us.  I guess since we are at time I will just say thank you again for everyone coming into Ellen and Miranda.  Do reach out if you want to talk about restorative writing or writing in general or writing for social change, anymore.  As Ellen said, we have other webinars around social change so go ahead and check out those recordings too.  Have a wonderful day.  Thank you so much.

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Personal and Social Changes Creative Writing Essay

The paper will focus on personal and social changes in the lives of two characters, Hem and Haw, and how the changes that take place depend on morality and ethics. Very often, people are afraid of change and do everything to keep the same order of things as before.

The time, however, is moving forward, and conditions are changing. Those who cannot adapt and move on are left behind. They will only have two choices: one is to realize that change is inevitable and much needed, the other is to stay the same and be forgotten or left behind.

Once again, this was the day of contemplating for Hem and Haw. It was raining almost every day now, and the nearby river was getting dangerously filled up. Haw was more reasonable and kept saying that the environment was changing, and they must do something to make sure that they would be safe in the future. Hem was careless and did not worry.

He kept asking: “What changes do you want to see?” The world was an entity constantly moving and evolving in some form or another. Changes must be made according to the outside environment and the internal processes inside each person. Haw knew they had to move on to a different place or somehow modify their current place of stay in order to meet the conditions that weather placed before them.

Haw would reply that the highest morality states that the truth must be accepted and followed no matter what, even though there are sometimes exceptions from the rules. Wanting to change his friend, Haw would ask: “Why is change important?” As usual, Hem did not care and wanted to keep the old life.

But Haw knew that change was important because everything that happened had begun with some form of change, as it seemed to define life. Either it was a conscious effort or the environment exhibited certain conditions that led to a change. Only a philosophical view on change could help. As such, Haw started thinking about morality and how it applies to change.

His thought was that a person’s character qualities are important to himself/herself and the people who s/he is in cooperation with (Johnson, 2012). He knew that change is important because it leads to the evolution of an individual. It is also critical that the kinds of changes are noted and the person adjusts to them accordingly.

In social views, people must do what is necessary in relation to the greater good. Haw began thinking about building rafts, houses in the trees, or some form of fortifications to keep the river out, as the water was rising rapidly, and the rains did not stop for a week.

Meanwhile, Hem became so careless that he let all his supplies and other useful things be taken by the overflowing water. One morning, when the thunder and lightning were making the weather even worse, Haw asked: “What are the implications of refusing to change?” Hem just made a hand gesture for Haw to leave him alone. But Haw persisted; he explained that unless people change, they will have no future.

People will always feel inconvenient due to the environmental changes and conditions that regulate existence, but nothing is as precious as someone’s life which can be lost because of a refusal. A person not willing to change will slowly die inside, their confidence will dwindle, and no one will be able to rely on that person, as they will be left behind.

The same can be said about self respect and negative personal influences. The need for change is required, so in case someone refuses to change and adjust to the new conditions, it will be a significant fallback for the person, his/her surrounding, and eventually, the bigger society.

Even though it might seem that there is no direct connection between the society and individuals, whatever changes happen in a person, lead to a shift and change in society. The public life is significantly affected by the decisions made by individuals, especially in cases of morality and ethics (Brandt, 2013). Haw understood this and decided to learn everything about ground water, elevation, and world oceans’ movements.

First off, he built a house on a tree, far off the ground, as he hoped this would save him. But one night, a loud thunder strike woke him up, and a question appeared in his head: “Do you expect resistance to your changes?” He could not answer because he never dealt with change. All his life, everything was the same.

As an answer, the tree started leaning from side to side, as the water had loosened the earth between the roots. The answer came itself: yes, Haw knew there would be resistance. An individual character or even the surrounding environment might be resistant to change, as was the case with Haw and his tree house.

A person could believe in something so strongly that after seeing how the outside environment has changed, the internal character might not want to change. Haw did not want to believe that this was happening to him, but now he saw that he must stop the resistance within himself and focus on the resistance nature was placing in front of him.

He started studying even more, engineering, carpentry, buoyancy laws, ship building… As he was carving out a tree trunk, he thought: “What are the ethical implications of change?” The reoccurring thought was that both individuals and societies govern themselves according to the rules and laws of morality, ethics, and more specifically, virtue, which play an important role in the lives of people and nations.

A change in ethics will either make a person better or set him/her back in their morality (Rohlf, 2010). That is why Haw was trying to convince Hem that they must change themselves and think of an escape. Haw understood that people and societies were concerned with the highest moral standards, as they became very close to the person’s heart and soul.

His idea was that the higher the ethical consideration, the better the change and the outcome. To sum up his thoughts, he asked himself: “What are the lessons that you want to learn from this story?” It taught that valuable lessons in changes were needed, but the great principle that ruled everything was morality and ethics (Gort, 2002).

As Haw was floating away on his boat, he saw the dam collapsing and water engulfing everything in the forest. He learned that changes are needed to survive, not only physically, but mentally as well. Peoples’ moral health is key to evolution and development of a person.

Now, he was deciding what image of change management he would be using and why? First, the most necessary adjustments must be understood. After familiarizing with them, they must be implemented into everyday life. The ethical goals and criteria must be strong, in order for changes to be managed properly, and provide the largest benefit for the individual. It must be a life commitment.

Brandt, A. (2013). Morality and Health . New York: Routledge.

Gort, J. (2002). Religion, Conflict and Reconciliation: Multifaith Ideals and Realities, New York: Rodopi.

Johnson, O. (2012). Ethics: Selections from Classical and Contemporary Writers . Boston: Cengage Learning.

Rohlf, M. (2010). Immanuel Kant . Web.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, December 26). Personal and Social Changes. https://ivypanda.com/essays/personal-and-social-changes-essay/

"Personal and Social Changes." IvyPanda , 26 Dec. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/personal-and-social-changes-essay/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Personal and Social Changes'. 26 December.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Personal and Social Changes." December 26, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/personal-and-social-changes-essay/.

1. IvyPanda . "Personal and Social Changes." December 26, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/personal-and-social-changes-essay/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Personal and Social Changes." December 26, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/personal-and-social-changes-essay/.

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Essays About Change: Top 5 Examples and 10 Prompts

If you are writing essays about change, see below our best essay examples and writing prompts to help expand your horizon on this topic.

The only thing constant is change. It could be good or bad. It could be short-term or have a lasting impact. The best we can do is to ride on this inevitable and never-ending cycle of change and try coming out of it still standing, thriving, and smiling. This ability to cope with change is called resilience. 

However, some changes – such as the loss of a loved one or a livelihood — are too overwhelming to deal with that some fall into trauma and depression, in which case psychological support is highly encouraged. Read on to see our round-up of rich, well-written essays about change, and a list of helpful prompts follows to help you start your essay. 

1. “The Psychology Of Dealing With Change: How To Become Resilient” by Kathleen Smith

2. how prison changes people by christian jarrett, 3. six ways the workplace will change in the next 10 years by jordan turner, 4. “social movements for good: what they are and how to lead them” by derrick feldman, 5. “the right way to make a big career transition” by utkarsh amitabh, 1. changing your lifestyle for the better, 2. be the change the world needs, 3. adapting to life-changing events, 4. addressing climate change, 5. how did technology change our daily lives, 6. people who changed the world, 7. if you could change the world, 8. dealing with resistance to change, 9. coming-of-age novels, 10. changing your eating habits.

“If you can learn to cope with change, you’ll lower your risk for anxiety and depression. Your relationships will flourish, and your body will feel healthier. But if you can’t cope with change, only a minor amount of stress can make you feel overwhelmed by life. You might also struggle to set and meet the goals you have for yourself.”

Instead of fixating on events and people over which we do not have the power to control, we should focus on ourselves and how we can embrace change without fear. Some tips in this essay include practicing self-care, being in the present, and focusing on your priorities, such as health and well-being. 

Check out these essays about being grateful and essays about heroes .

“Ultimately, society may be confronted with a choice. We can punish offenders more severely and risk changing them for the worse, or we can design sentencing rules and prisons in a way that helps offenders rehabilitate and change for the better.”

In an environment where you are forced to follow the rules to the letter and worry about your safety and privacy daily, prisoners could develop a kind of “perpetual paranoia” or “emotional numbing” and deteriorate cognitive abilities. The essay suggests a rethink in how we deal with law-breakers to encourage reform rather than punish and risk repeat offenses.

Check out these essays about police brutality and essays about assessment .

“As technology closes the divide between geographically separate people, it introduces cracks in relationships and cultures. The remote distribution of work means that many employees will not build the same social relationships in the workplace, leading to issues of disengagement and loneliness.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has already disrupted our way of work in our new normal, but more changes are yet to unfold. This essay looks into the future of work where responsibilities and demands will see a sea change; machines will be co-workers; and the best employee is defined by digital skills, not years of experience.

You might also like these essays about cinema and essays about jealousy .

“Social movements for good establish a mass platform of action for a population, which helps inform and cultivate the awareness necessary to help prevent an issue from affecting more people. True social movements for good have the power to generate awareness that produces tangible results, helping the general population live longer, more productive, happier lives.”

A social movement for good aims to bring social justice to an aggrieved community by calling for tangible support and resources. To accelerate a movement’s momentum, an effective leader must possess certain qualities in this essay.

“There were so many questions running through my head during this time. Why should I quit to make this my full-time job? Is this what I really want? When should I quit? Poet Mary Oliver’s words kept ringing in my head: ‘What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?’”

Deciding on a career change is more complex than deciding whether you want to do something different. A career shift entails lifestyle, mindset, and motivation changes, each of which has to be carefully reassessed and prepared for. This essay guides you in deciding when or why it is right to leave your job.

10 Interesting Writing Prompts on Essays About Change

Below are thought-stimulating prompts to help with your essay: 

Committing to regular exercise or getting to bed earlier may be easier said than done. Moreover, the determination that was burning at the start of your lifestyle change journey may wane in the latter part when things get tough. So, for your essay, provide practical tips from wellness experts and your own experience on how to sustain a routine toward a better lifestyle. You can split your essay into sections for each health and wellness tip you recommend.

This is the gist of the famous quote by Mahatma Gandhi: “be the change you wish to see in the world.” Unfortunately, many of us get frustrated over people refusing to change but fail to see how this change should start with our perception and action. In this essay, write about what an individual can do to focus more on self-improvement and development. 

Have you ever faced a situation where you had to adapt to a drastic change? It could be moving to a different city or school or dealing with losing a loved one. Share your experience and list the traits and practices that helped you through this challenging phase. You may also research what psychologists recommend people to do to keep from falling into depression or developing anxiety. 

To offer a unique highlight in your essay, tackle what your school or community is doing to fight global warming. Interview city councilors and mayors and learn about ongoing initiatives to keep the city clean and green. So this essay could help entice others in your community to work together and volunteer in initiatives to slow climate change.

List down the advantages and disadvantages technology has presented in your life. For example, seeking clarification from teachers about an assignment has been made easier with the many communication channels available. However, technology has also enabled a work-at-home or distance learning arrangement that is causing burnout in many households. 

Feature a person who has revolutionized the world. It could be a scientist, artist, activist, writer, economist, athlete, etc. Preferably, it is someone you idolize, so you do not have to start from scratch in your research. So first, provide a short profile of this person to show his life and career background. Then, write about their ultimate contribution to society and how this continues to benefit or inspire many. 

If there’s one thing you could change in this world, what would it be? This sounds like a question you’d hear in pageants, but it could be a creative way to lay down your life advocacy. So, explain why this is where you want to see change and how this change can improve others’ lives.

Resistance to change is most common when companies modernize, and the dinosaurs in the office refuse to learn new digital platforms or systems. Write about what you think leaders and human resource units should do to help employees cope with changes in the new normal.

A coming-of-age novel tells stories of protagonists who grow up and undergo character transformation. From being eaten up by their fears, the main heroes become braver and better at confronting a world that once intimidated them. For this prompt, share your favorite coming-of-age novel and narrate the changes in the hero’s qualities and beliefs. 

Delivering fast food has become so easy that, for many, it has become a way of life, making it an enormous challenge to replace this practice with healthy eating habits. So, research and write about nutritionists’ tips on creating a lifestyle and environment conducive to healthy eating habits.

If you’re still stuck picking an essay topic, check out our guide on how to write essays about depression . For more ideas, you can check out our general resource of essay writing topics .

Yna Lim is a communications specialist currently focused on policy advocacy. In her eight years of writing, she has been exposed to a variety of topics, including cryptocurrency, web hosting, agriculture, marketing, intellectual property, data privacy and international trade. A former journalist in one of the top business papers in the Philippines, Yna is currently pursuing her master's degree in economics and business.

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158+ Social Change Essay Topics and Writing Prompts for Students

Mar 3, 2024

Mar 3, 2024 | Topics

Are you searching for thought-provoking social change essay topics to ignite your research and essay-writing skills in 2023? Exploring the multifaceted aspects of society’s evolution and the role of social issues in bringing about social changes can lead to compelling essays and research papers. This collection of essay topics delves into the heart of contemporary challenges and the potential of activism, offering students the opportunity to craft a good essay while addressing vital issues. Join us on this journey of intellectual exploration as we delve into the dynamic landscape of social change and its impact on our world.

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Learn How to Write an Academic Paper on Social Issues

Composing an academic paper on social issues is a captivating endeavor that allows you to delve into the complexities of our ever-evolving society. Whether tackling a research paper or an essay, here’s a concise guide to help you navigate the process effectively.

1. Topic Selection : Select a social issue that intrigues you. It could range from topics like climate change, inequality, or the impact of technology on society. The key is to choose a subject that resonates with you.

2. In-Depth Research : Once you’ve decided on a topic, dive into comprehensive research. Utilize credible sources, scholarly articles, and books to gather substantial information. This will provide you with a strong foundation for your paper.

3. Structure Your Paper : Organize your paper with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a concise conclusion. Ensure your arguments flow logically and each paragraph supports your thesis statement.

4. Back Your Claims : Every argument you make should be backed by evidence. Use statistics, real-life examples, and expert opinions to strengthen your points.

5. Critical Analysis : Don’t just present facts; critically analyze them. Discuss the implications of your chosen social issue and its relevance today.

6. Citations : Properly cite all your sources using the preferred citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).

7. Revision and Proofreading : After completing your paper, revise it for clarity, coherence, and grammar. Proofread meticulously to eliminate errors.

8. Seek Feedback : If possible, seek feedback from peers or professors. They can offer valuable insights and suggestions for improvement.

🏆 Best Social Change Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

• The Impact of Social Media on Activism : Explore how platforms like Twitter and Facebook have shaped modern-day activism.
• Gender Equality in the Workplace : Analyze the progress and challenges in achieving gender equality in professional settings.
• Climate Change Awareness and Action : Discuss the role of social awareness in addressing the global climate crisis.
• Mental Health Stigma Reduction : Examine initiatives and strategies to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.
• The Influence of Art in Social Change : Explore how art, including music and visual arts, can inspire and drive social change.
• Youth-Led Social Movements : Highlight the impact of youth-led movements like Fridays for Future and March for Our Lives.
• Income Inequality and Social Justice : Discuss the consequences of income inequality and potential solutions for a fairer society.
• Racial Profiling and Law Enforcement : Analyze the challenges and consequences of racial profiling by law enforcement agencies.
• Access to Education Worldwide : Explore the disparities in access to education globally and initiatives working to bridge the gap.
• LGBTQ+ Rights and Acceptance : Discuss the progress and setbacks in achieving LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance.
• Refugee Crisis and Humanitarian Aid : Investigate the role of humanitarian organizations in addressing the refugee crisis.
• Eradicating Hunger and Poverty : Examine the worldwide efforts and policies to eliminate hunger and poverty.
• The Role of Technology in Social Change : Analyze the impact of technology, including AI and blockchain, on social change initiatives.
• Criminal Justice Reform : Discuss the need for reform in the criminal justice system, focusing on issues like mass incarceration.
• Aging Population and Social Services : Explore the challenges an aging population poses and strategies for providing adequate social services.

👍 Good Essay Topics on Social Change

• The Influence of Social Media on Contemporary Activism
• Gender Equality: Progress and Challenges in the 21st Century
• Climate Change and Its Societal Impact
• Mental Health Awareness and Reducing Stigma
• The Power of Art in Driving Social Change
• Youth-Led Movements: Catalysts for Social Progress
• Income Inequality: Addressing Disparities and Promoting Justice
• Racial Profiling, Policing, and Calls for Reform
• Global Access to Quality Education: Opportunities and Obstacles
• LGBTQ+ Rights and the Pursuit of Equality
• Refugees and Asylum Seekers: Humanitarian Challenges
• Combating Hunger and Poverty on a Global Scale
• Technology and its Role in Modern Social Change
• Criminal Justice Reform: Paths to a Fairer System
• Aging Populations and the Need for Enhanced Social Services

List of Social Issues for Essay Writing in 2023

• Cybersecurity Threats and Privacy Concerns in the Digital Age
• Healthcare Access and Equity in a Post-Pandemic World
• The Impact of Climate Change on Vulnerable Communities
• Mental Health Crisis Among Youth and Effective Interventions
• Ethical Considerations in Artificial Intelligence and Automation
• Gun Control Policies and Preventing Mass Shootings
• LGBTQ+ Rights and Inclusivity Advocacy
• Challenges Faced by Refugees and Migrants Worldwide
• Criminal Justice Reform and Reducing Mass Incarceration
• Education Disparities: Bridging the Achievement Gap
• Income Inequality and its Implications for Society
• Indigenous Rights and Cultural Preservation
• Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Support Services
• Political Polarization and the Erosion of Civic Discourse
• Aging Population and Healthcare for the Elderly

List of Social Issues, Topics and Ideas

• Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action
• Racial Discrimination and Systemic Racism
• Access to Quality Healthcare Services
• Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
• Income Inequality and Wealth Distribution
• Mental Health Stigma and Awareness
• Education Reform and Access to Quality Education
• Immigration Policies and Refugee Crises
• Cybersecurity and Privacy Concerns
• Criminal Justice Reform and Prison Conditions
• Homelessness and Housing Insecurity
• Substance Abuse and Addiction Treatment
• Aging Population and Elder Care Services

🔝 Top 10 Social Issues Topics

• Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability
• Racial Injustice and Police Brutality
• Gender Equality and Women’s Rights
• Income Inequality and Economic Disparities
• Healthcare Access and Quality
• LGBTQ+ Rights and Inclusion
• Mental Health Awareness and Stigma
• Education Reform and Equal Opportunity
• Immigration Policies and Refugee Crisis
• Gun Control and Firearm Regulations

❓ Research Questions about Social Change

• How do grassroots movements contribute to social change?
• What role does technology play in driving social change?
• How can public policy be leveraged to address social inequalities?
• What are the psychological factors that influence individuals’ resistance to social change?
• How do cultural shifts impact societal norms and values?
• What are the economic implications of social change initiatives?
• In what ways do educational institutions promote or hinder social change?
• What are the effects of globalization on local communities and social dynamics?
• How does the media influence public perceptions of social issues?
• What strategies can be employed to promote sustainable social change?
• How do historical events shape the trajectory of social change movements?
• What are the ethical considerations in advocating for social change?
• How do changing demographics impact societal structures and policies?
• What are the key barriers to achieving social justice and equity?
• How can individuals and organizations effectively collaborate to drive positive social change?

💯 Free Social Change Essay Topics Generator

• The Impact of Social Media on Activism and Social Change.
• Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment as Drivers of Social Change.
• Economic Inequality: Causes, Consequences, and Strategies for Change.
• Climate Change and Environmental Activism: Mobilizing for a Sustainable Future.
• Racial Justice Movements: From Civil Rights to Black Lives Matter.
• The Role of Education in Fostering Social Change and Equality.
• LGBTQ+ Rights and Social Transformation: A Historical Perspective.
• The Influence of Youth Activism on Contemporary Social Change.
• Healthcare Access and Social Change: Addressing Disparities.
• Immigration and Social Change: Building Inclusive Communities.
• Mental Health Stigma and Advocacy for Social Change.
• Disability Rights and Inclusion: Navigating Social Change.
• The Power of Arts and Culture in Shaping Social Movements.
• Globalization and its Effects on Local Communities and Cultures.
• Human Rights Activism: Promoting Social Change on a Global Scale.

🎓 Most Interesting Social Change Research Titles

• From Protest to Policy: Analyzing the Impact of Social Movements on Legislation.
• The Digital Divide and Social Change: Bridging the Information Gap.
• Social Entrepreneurship: Innovative Solutions for Addressing Societal Challenges.
• Youth Activism in the 21st Century: Catalysts for Social Change.
• Community-Based Participatory Research: Empowering Communities for Social Transformation.
• The Dynamics of Social Networks in Propagating Social Change.
• Eco-Friendly Practices and Sustainable Development: Drivers of Environmental Social Change.
• The Influence of Art and Culture on Shaping Social Change Movements.
• Exploring the Intersection of Technology and Disability Rights Advocacy.
• Social Change in Post-Conflict Societies: Reconciliation and Healing.
• Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery: Strategies for Eradicating a Global Issue.
• Social Movements and the Redefinition of Family Structures and Values.
• The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Promoting Ethical Business Practices.
• Food Justice and Social Change: Addressing Inequities in Access to Nutritious Food.
• The Power of Storytelling: Narrative Strategies in Advocating for Social Change.

👍 Good Social Change Research Topics & Essay Examples

• Environmental Activism : Explore the impact of environmental movements on policy changes, with examples like the effectiveness of the Green New Deal proposal.
• Gender Equality : Investigate progress and challenges in achieving gender equality, citing instances of gender-based discrimination in the workplace.
• Racial Justice : Analyze the Black Lives Matter movement’s role in addressing racial disparities in policing and the criminal justice system.
• Mental Health Awareness : Examine the evolving attitudes toward mental health and the destigmatization of mental illnesses, using initiatives like “Time to Change” as examples.
• Youth Engagement : Explore the role of youth-led movements, such as the March for Our Lives, in advocating for gun control reform.
• LGBTQ+ Rights : Investigate the progress of LGBTQ+ rights and the impact of legalizing same-sex marriage in various countries.
• Immigration Reform : Analyze the immigration debate in the United States and the DREAM Act as a potential solution.
• Healthcare Access : Explore the Affordable Care Act’s impact on healthcare accessibility and affordability in the United States.
• Social Media Activism : Discuss the use of social media in driving social change, using examples like the #MeToo movement.
• Income Inequality : Investigate the effects of income inequality and policies addressing it, referencing minimum wage debates.
• Educational Equity : Analyze disparities in educational opportunities and the impact of initiatives like the “No Child Left Behind Act.”
• Climate Change Policy : Explore international efforts to combat climate change, like the Paris Agreement.
• Human Rights : Investigate the role of international organizations like Amnesty International in promoting human rights.
• Homelessness : Analyze strategies and programs to address homelessness, such as Housing First initiatives.
• Aging Population : Discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by aging populations and the need for elderly care reform.

🗃️ Essay Topics about Social Change

• The Impact of Social Media on Activism and Social Change
• Women’s Role in Social Change Movements Throughout History
• Analyzing the Economic Consequences of Income Inequality
• The Influence of Youth-Led Movements on Social Change
• Addressing Environmental Issues Through Social Activism
• The Role of Education in Promoting Social Change
• LGBTQ+ Rights: Progress and Challenges
• Immigration Policies and Their Effects on Social Dynamics
• Mental Health Stigma: A Barrier to Social Inclusion
• Climate Change Awareness and Sustainable Practices
• Advocating for Racial Equality in Contemporary Society
• Human Rights Violations and Global Social Responsibility
• The Impact of Technology on Social Interactions
• Analyzing the Social Effects of Aging Populations
• The Intersectionality of Social Issues: A Comprehensive Approach

👨👩 Gender-Related Social Issues Essay Topics

• Gender Pay Gap: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions
• The Role of Media in Perpetuating Gender Stereotypes
• Women’s Empowerment in Developing Countries
• Toxic Masculinity and Its Impact on Men’s Mental Health
• The Intersection of Gender and Race in Social Injustice
• LGBTQ+ Rights and the Fight for Equal Treatment
• Gender-Based Violence: Causes and Strategies for Prevention
• Transgender Rights and Recognition in Society
• Balancing Work and Family: Gender Roles and Expectations
• Reproductive Rights and the Control of Women’s Bodies
• Women in Leadership: Breaking the Glass Ceiling
• Non-Binary and Genderqueer Identities: Challenges and Acceptance
• Menstrual Equity and Access to Hygiene Products
• Gender Disparities in STEM Fields: Addressing the Gender Gap
• The Evolution of Feminism and Its Impact on Gender Equality

Get Help With Your Social Change Essay Paper

If you’re looking for expert assistance with your social change essay paper, look no further than Essay Freelance Writers. Our team is dedicated to providing top-notch academic writing services. Whether you need help with research, topic selection, or crafting a well-structured essay, we’ve got you covered. Don’t hesitate to place your order today and experience the best in the industry. Click the ORDER NOW button above to start your path to a successful academic paper.

What is the topic of social change?

Social change refers to alterations in societal norms, values, behaviors, and institutions over time.

What are the four examples of social change?

Examples of social change include technological advancements, changes in political systems, shifts in cultural values, and movements for social justice.

What are the topics of social transformation research?

Topics in social transformation research can include globalization, urbanization, environmental sustainability, and the impact of digital technology on society.

What is the concept of social change in an essay?

In an essay, social change involves discussing and analyzing how various factors and forces contribute to societal shifts, such as economic developments, political movements, or cultural shifts.

With a passion for education and student empowerment, I create blog content that speaks directly to the needs and interests of students. From study hacks and productivity tips to career exploration and personal development

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Essay on Social Change In The Philippines

Students are often asked to write an essay on Social Change In The Philippines in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Social Change In The Philippines

Understanding social change.

Social change is the process by which societies transform over time. It involves changes in values, norms, beliefs, and institutions.

Social Change in the Philippines

The Philippines has experienced significant social change in recent decades. This change has been driven by a number of factors, including:

Rapid Economic Growth:

The Philippines has experienced rapid economic growth in recent years. This has led to an increase in incomes and living standards, as well as changes in the structure of the economy.

Globalization:

The Philippines has become increasingly integrated with the global economy. This has led to changes in the way that people work, live, and interact with each other.

There has been a significant increase in the number of people migrating to and from the Philippines. This has led to changes in the composition of the population and the culture of the country.

Social Change and Its Impact

Social change has had a profound impact on the Philippines. It has led to changes in the way that people live, work, and interact with each other. It has also led to changes in the values, norms, and beliefs of the people.

250 Words Essay on Social Change In The Philippines

Social change in the philippines: a journey of transformation.

The Philippines, a nation of vibrant culture and rich history, has undergone a remarkable journey of social change over the years. From the depths of colonization to the heights of independence, the Filipino people have navigated tumultuous waters, leaving an enduring imprint on their society.

The Winds of Independence: Embracing Autonomy

The Philippines’ struggle for independence from Spanish colonial rule was a defining moment in shaping the nation’s social fabric. The quest for self-determination sparked a wave of nationalism, uniting Filipinos from all walks of life in their fight for freedom. The country’s eventual independence in 1946 marked a turning point, ushering in an era of self-governance and laying the foundation for a new social order.

The Dance of Democracy: Power to the People

The establishment of a democratic system of government in the Philippines empowered citizens with the right to choose their leaders and shape their destiny. The democratic transition brought about a shift in the power dynamics, as the voices of the people gained prominence in shaping policies and decisions.

The Voices of the Marginalized: Breaking Barriers

Social change in the Philippines has also been marked by the rise of movements advocating for the rights of marginalized groups. Indigenous communities, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals have fought for recognition, equality, and justice, challenging traditional norms and structures that perpetuated discrimination. These movements have played a pivotal role in creating a more inclusive society that embraces diversity and celebrates the uniqueness of all Filipinos.

The Symphony of Progress: Embracing Technology

The Philippines has witnessed rapid technological advancements, transforming the way people live, work, and communicate. From the proliferation of smartphones to the expansion of internet connectivity, technology has become an integral part of everyday life, bridging geographical divides and fostering connections across the nation.

Conclusion: A Dynamic Tapestry of Change

Social change in the Philippines continues to unfold, as the nation navigates the tides of globalization, economic shifts, and evolving cultural norms. The journey of transformation is ongoing, with new challenges and opportunities emerging on the horizon. The resilience and adaptability of the Filipino people will undoubtedly guide them through these uncharted waters, shaping the future of their nation.

500 Words Essay on Social Change In The Philippines

Social change in the philippines: a transformation journey.

The Philippines has undergone significant social changes over the years, shaping its culture, economy, and way of life. These changes have been influenced by various factors, including globalization, technological advancements, and cultural shifts.

Globalization and Economic Shifts:

Globalization has had a profound impact on the Philippines. It has facilitated increased trade, foreign investment, and cultural exchange. The country has seen rapid economic growth, urbanization, and a growing middle class. However, this economic transformation has also brought challenges, such as income inequality and environmental degradation.

Technological Advancements:

Technological advancements have transformed the way Filipinos live and work. The widespread use of smartphones, social media, and the internet has improved access to information, communication, and entertainment. E-commerce and digital payments have also gained popularity, making it easier for people to conduct business and manage their finances.

Changing Cultural and Social Norms:

Social and cultural norms have also undergone significant changes in the Philippines. Traditional family structures are evolving, with an increasing number of women pursuing higher education and careers. Attitudes towards gender roles, sexuality, and relationships are becoming more progressive. These shifts reflect the growing influence of Western culture and the evolving aspirations of the Filipino people.

Social Activism and Advocacy:

The Philippines has a strong tradition of social activism and advocacy. Citizens have taken to the streets to express their concerns and push for change. The country has seen successful movements for environmental protection, human rights, and political reforms. These movements have influenced government policies and contributed to a more just and progressive society.

Challenges and Opportunities:

While these social changes have brought about many positive developments, they have also presented challenges. The Philippines continues to grapple with issues such as poverty, corruption, and inequality. These challenges require sustained efforts from the government, civil society, and the private sector to address and overcome.

Despite the challenges, the Philippines has a strong foundation for continued social progress. The country’s vibrant civil society, engaged citizenry, and commitment to democratic values provide a strong basis for addressing these issues and building a more equitable and prosperous society for all Filipinos.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Social Change
• Essay on Social Behaviour
• Essay on Social Anxiety

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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