Week_8_Urbanization_Checkpoint

Social Change and Modernization Jenni Vail November 29, 2012 Soc 120 – Elizabeth Brown Anderson Social change is defined as the transformation of cultural and social institutions over time. The key features of social change are that social change happens all the time, can be intentional some of the time but often is unplanned, controversial, and some of the changes will matter more than others. Within the features of social change there are four types of social movements. These social movements are the alternative, redemptive, reformative, and revolutionary. The alternative movement has a limited change in specific individuals (Promise Keepers), redemptive movement targets people who are looking for a radical change (AA), reformative movement has a limited change that everyone can be part of (recycle, reduce, reuse), and last is the revolutionary movement is the most extreme and radical change in the whole society (the Communist party and Ghandi leading to create independence). Modernization is defined as the process of social change that begins through industrialization. There are four characterizations of modernization. The first one is “The decline of small, traditional communities” from which modernization has weakened and destructed small towns that were known for sense of identity, belonging, and purpose. The next one is “The expansion of personal choice” in which people now practice “individualization”. People now are taking control of their lives bases on their beliefs and lifestyles. The third characteristic is “ Increasing social diversity” which promotes what is considered more rational and scientific views causing tradition to lose value and people feel they gain more individual in choices. The final characteristic is “Orientation toward the future and a growing awareness of time”. This is where people are focusing on the future inventions and discoveries with optimism that their lives will improve. This is where we get the quote “time is money”. That is what is important to people now versus the laid back life of sunlight and seasons. References Macionis, J.J. (2011). Society: The basics (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.