Essay about natural factors of social change and factors influencing social change in sociology.
Social change takes place in all societies and at all intervals of time. But right here the question arises why does social alternate take area? The phrase ‘Why’ represents the reasons, the reasons or the factors which might be liable for social change. From the discussion of the nature of social alternatives, we realize that there are some capability factors responsible for bringing about social alternatives.
Hence, it’s miles multi-causal. Cause refers to a set of related factors which, taken together, are both sufficient and essential for the production of a certain effect.
Here it’s miles essential to take in each element with the aid of itself and to find out the manner wherein it affects social change.
Demographic Factors
Demography plays a vital role in the system of social change. The term “demography” has been derived from two Greek phrases, ‘Demos’ and ‘Graphs’ which means the “humans” and “draw” or “write” respectively. The dictionary meaning of demography is the scientific observation of the human populace, commonly with admiration for their size, structure and their improvement.
In the study of social change demographic factors were viewed from two one-of-a-kind angles. They are qualitative and quantitative. Qualitatively speaking it refers to bodily prospects, intellectual competencies and so on.
Which can be determined by way of genetic order, although the hereditary first-rate of successive technology plays some position in cultural determination, it can not be ascribed to the region of a deterministic cause of social trade. But the demographic aspect in its quantitative factor has been gambling the maximum decisive position in inflicting social trade.
The quantitative view of demography takes into account, the scale, composition and density of the human population that is determined by using herbal reproduction, migration and social mobility. This issue has been recounted with the aid of many past in addition to modern-day thinkers. Three crucial elements determine the upward push, fall or density of the populace. They are:
(a) High Fertility (High Birth charge)
(b) Low Morality (Low Death Rate)
(c) Migration.
When there’s a high start fee and the dying fee is low, we find an increase in the populace Let us recognize a few points concerning the causes of the high start rate. They are given at the following desk.
(a) From the above desk it’s far located that the populace increases due to illiteracy, recognition of baby marriage, widow remarriage, polygamy, the craze for a male toddler, poverty and additionally due to lack of proper implementation of family making plans programmes. The fall in loss of life charge has also affected the growth of the population.
There are many causes of low mortality or low dying price. They are cutting-edge education and scientific information on hygiene, higher sanitation and therapeutic and preventive drugs, the growth of productivity which increases the standard of dwelling, control of natural calamities, control of nutrition of mom, maternity centres etc.
(b) Excess growth of population accelerates the procedure of migration. Migration refers to the system of movement of population from one region to any other for a massive period. It performs a great position in populace increase within the history for the beyond a hundred years or greater. There are four forms of migration. They are:
(i) Migration entering a country is referred to as immigration.
(ii) Emigration: It refers to the migration of a rustic.
(iii) In-migration refers to migration into a selected place.
(iv) Out-migration refers to movement out of a selected location.
There are many elements contributing to the manner of migration. They are:
(a) Development of shipping and communication.
(b) Natural calamities like earthquakes, floods famine and so forth.
(c) Absence of regulations on social mobility.
(d) Non-availability of land and vocational possibilities and so forth. So the adjustments in population have a miles-reaching effect on society. It has both advantageous and bad outcomes.
Positive Effects:
(a) The increase of population has a right away bearing upon the provision and utilisation of assets.
(b) More population brings approximately extra improvements and discoveries.
(c) It encourages a speedy boom in industrialisation and urbanisation.
(d) The high beginning rate and an alarming increase in populace also stimulate a mindset closer to start, dying and own family existence.
(e) Due to the growth of the population Acts are passed with the aid of the government for the control of the populace. For instance, in India because of the speedy population increase, the government has brought family making plans programmes.
Negative Effects:
(a) The increase in population has reduced the usual residence of humans in society.
(b) The increase of populace has given the beginning to the diffusion of troubles like poverty, unemployment, baby exertions, crime, juvenile delinquency and beggary.
(c) Increase in populace ends in the growth of social differentiation and department of labour.
(d) It brings unfavourable social battles and disorganization to the migrant line.
(e) In societies where the lady population exceeds the male populace, polygamy can also flourish however, if the wide variety of adult males exceeds the girls, polyandry is possibly to be triumphant.
From the above dialogue, we find that demography performs a giant position in the socio-monetary and political transformation of society. It truly brings drastic modifications now not best in the micro- systems but also in macro-systems.
Biological Factors
Social change is a complex procedure. It is a result of multiple elements. All elements of social exchange are carefully associated with every different. But at the identical time, every man or woman issue brings exchange in society in its very own way. Accordingly, organic issue performs a crucial position in the causation of social change. An in the main organic factor refers to the ones that are worried about the genetic charter of human beings.
An organic element consists of both non-people together with animals, birds, herbs, bugs, plant life etc. And humans. Human beings use animals, birds, flora and herbs according to the route of their subculture. At an equal time, human beings guard themselves against unique dangerous factors. If there is a boom or decrease in these animals, birds, vegetation and so forth. It’s going to deliver many modifications to human society.
The rapid decline of useful animals, birds and plant life may even create several problems in human society and affects social alternate. Similarly, a rapid boom or lower populace also brings some changes in society. Different organic procedures like human procreation, fertility and mortality additionally have an effect on the rate of trade in society. Size, density, Migration, immigration and many others. Carry several modifications in society.
Rapid populace boom influences our environment reasons poverty, meals scarcity and a couple of health issues and thereby bringing adjustments in society. Migration boosts the technique of urbanization. Urbanization creates more than one issue like a slum, exceptional health and lifestyle. Increasing urbanization and a declining range of beneficial animals and birds impact our environment.
Similarly, the nature and excellence of people in society impact the fee of social change. Sociologist like Pareto opines that the biological evolution of mankind brings social modifications. Elites in a society are determined via inherited organic instincts. Besides the composition of the populace also influences social alternate.
Both age composition and intercourse composition are very carefully related to social change. The number of the populace within the productive age organization deeply affects the fee and speed of social trade. If the variety of infants and unproductive or ageing population will increase, a country faces many financial troubles. If the quantity of growing older populace decreases, the youths can be deprived of awareness and revel which ended in slow exchange.
Besides the process of herbal selection, social selection also affects the price and velocity of social change. The system of natural choice works through twin options like adaptation and annihilation. Here man needed to evolve to natural surroundings. But in social choice, the forces created within human society and operating thru human relationships create situations that deeply affect the reproduction method and survival charges of the populace.
Cultural Factors
In sociology, the word ‘Culture’ denotes received behaviour that is shared through and transmitted to the various individuals of the society. Man learns his behaviour and behaviour which is learnt is referred to as culture. Singing, dancing, consuming, and playing belong to the class of culture.
It consists of all that man has received within the mental and intellectual sphere of his individual and social existence. It is the expression of our nature, in our modes of living and questioning, in our ordinary intercourse, in art, in literature, in activity and in entertainment. For the clean expertise of the term ‘Culture’ right here, it’s far important to speak about some of the crucial definitions of the way of life.
Definitions of culture
According to White, “Culture is a symbolic, non-stop, cumulative and revolutionary manner.”
Malinowski defines a culture, “as the handiwork of man and because of the medium via which he achieves his end.”
Maclver and Page define, “Culture is the area of patterns, of values, of emotional attachments, of intellectual adventures.”
In the words of Green, “Culture is the socially transmitted device of idealized methods in information, practices and beliefs, in conjunction with the artefacts that know-how and exercise produce and maintain as they change in time.”
Culture, as is defined with the aid of Tylor, refers to, “that complicated complete which includes know-how, belief, art, morals, regulation, customs and another abilities and habits obtained by using guy as a member of society.”
From the above definitions of culture, the features of culture can be summarized beneath. They are:
(1) Culture is social, however no longer man or woman.
(2) Culture is idealistic.
(3) Culture is communicative.
(4) Culture is obtained first-class.
(5) Culture meets the routine demand of mankind.
(6) Culture has the traits of a version.
(7) Culture has the great of turning into integration.
Culture plays a completely substantial role in social alternate. No subculture even remains constant. It continually keeps on changing. So it’s miles dealt with as a vital source or instrument of social trade. The very nature of the way of life makes it dynamic. The terms like non-stop, cumulative adoptive, transmissive etc. characterize the elements of dynamism within the tradition. Besides, there is a host of different internal and external variables that interact with the way of life and reason changes within it.
Change in culture takes location through three vital factors. They are discovery, invention and diffusion. A discovery can be a fabric object or a non-fabric item. But any discovery brings approximately social alternate most effective whilst it’s far broadly used. An invention generates stress for exchange in distinct parts of social existence.
Diffusion is the manner with the aid of which cultural traits unfold from one tradition to another or from one part of the way of life to another. It is a manner. Because of this method, one subculture offers something to the opposite and at the same time takes something from it.
Several sociologists have highlighted the determining role of tradition affecting social exchange. Some of the crucial outcomes are given below. They are:
(i) Culture offers pace and route to social trade: If the culture is excessive amount of conservative, then its fee of alternate will become too low and vice versa. People whether or not they take delivery of exchange or now not depends upon their attitudes and values which are the goods of the tradition.
(ii) Culture influences the direction and character of technological exchange: Our perception and social institutions no longer handiest correspond to the adjustments in technology however those determine the use to which the technological inventions may be placed. It is the way of life that makes a decision and the motive to which a technical invention must be put.
(iii) Culture shapes the economic system and is powerful toward economic increase: Culture is not the most effective gives course to era however it shapes the financial system which is too much powerful toward financial boom.
(iv) It continues the social relationship intact: It makes people assume now not of their own but additionally of others. By regulating the behaviour of humans and pleasing their primary drives concerning hunger, refuge and sex, it has been capable of keep organization lifestyles.
Technological Factors
Technological factors also play a vital role in causing social trade.
In the examination of sociology, an era has a wider connotation. It implies the proper business enterprise and systematic application of clinical expertise to satisfy human requirements. Technology is fabricated from usage. When clinical understanding is applied to the troubles of lifestyles, it will become an era. Technology is speedy growing. The modern age is the “Age of Technology”.
According to W.F. Ogburn, “Technology modifications society employing changing our environments to which we In flip adopt.
This alternate is generally in the fabric surroundings and the adjustment that we make with those changes frequently modifies customs and social groups and initiates a corresponding social alternate.
Sources of Technological Change
There are mainly critical assets of technological alternatives. They are:
(i) Inventions
(ii) Discovery
(i)Invention denotes the creation of recent methods of the use of current information or new approaches to combining existing artefacts. An unmarried invention in technology can produce a big-scale exchange in society. One essential example of the invention is the discovery of the automobile.
(ii) Discovery approach is the new way of searching for the environment. Technological innovation originates also from another source referred to as discovery.
Example-Discovery of modern-day medicines is the result of discoveries in biology and part the result of invention.
Invention and discovery are full-size functions of our age. Apart from those two, there are 3 technological factors which are specifically accountable for social change.
They are:
(a) Technological Innovations.
(b) Changes in manufacturing technology.
(c) Changes in transportation and verbal exchange.
(a) Technological Innovations
Technological innovations have brought about modern changes in man’s concept of the world and universe. The global is no more a mysterious creation for man because even in case of natural calamities like floods, cyclones, earthquakes and droughts etc. Aren’t any greater being regarded because of the divine punishments in opposition to man’s bad deeds? No man has been capable of discovering their causes. As a result of which the degree of gaining manipulation over them has elevated.
(b) Changes in production technology
The invention of new agricultural tools and chemical measures has brought about the gradual improvement of the agrarian machine. The industrialization has brought about some adjustments in our own families, the fame of girls, the mode of residing of human beings, the faith and ideologies of people and so forth. It has additionally led to the boom of city centres with new varieties of social enterprise.
(c) Changes in transportation and verbal exchange
Rapid improvement in transportation and verbal exchange has substantially prompted socio-cultural lifestyles. It has damaged the nearby obstacles. Due to transportation international extensive alternatives and trade have been feasible and the communication era has extended countrywide awakening.
Apart from the above factors, cultural elements play a tremendous function in bringing about a technological exchange. Customs, traditions, folkways, mores behaviour, conservatism and many others. Have resisted technological innovations and made contributions to them.
Effects of Technology
No tool, technological or in any other case, whether or not originating within a society or borrowed from out of doors, obviously installation a network of results. The popularity of the individual is not extra ascribed but rather carried out. A man is judged by what he has, not what he’s.
The social relation is step by step turning into superficial, transient in addition to egocentric employing nature. Changes in technology have resulted in a few essential changes in social shape. The effect of technological modifications may be discussed under the subsequent large headings.
Technology and Different Process
(a) Industrialisation
Industrialisation refers to the system through which industries have been installed. It has given delivery to the manufacturing facility gadget and changed home gadgets. The invention of machines has brought about the advent of huge factories which hire lots of people and in which maximum of the work is accomplished routinely. It has created a new social class and has progressed the circumstance of women. It has affected nature, individuals and the boom of the economy.
(b) Urbanization
Industrialisation has brought about urbanization. As a result of industrialisation, people have commenced shifting toward the commercial regions, the regions neither very a ways from the cities nor from the villages with the hope of having employment in one’s industries and factories. Hence most effective while a massive part of inhabitants in an area involves cities, urbanization is stated to arise. Towns like Kanpur, Jamshedpur and Ahmadabad in India owe their beginning to the factories hooked up there.
(c) Modernization
It is a procedure by which adoption of the modern approaches to existence and values takes area. It has delivered outstanding modifications in social dating and installed new ideologies within the place of traditional regions. It has modified the social shape, which adds impetus to the increase of technological know-how and era. As a result of which the rate of alternate will increase hastily.
Technology and Social Life
The adjustments in technology have modified the complete gamut of social lifestyles. It has performed all altered modes of lifestyles and notions. The distinct establishments which might be already modified can be discussed below separately. They are:
(a) Caste
Due to technological modifications, the shape in addition to the capabilities of caste is already modified.
(i) The ascribed reputation has been changed via finished reputation.
(ii) There aren’t any restrictions on meals or water in addition to social dating.
(iii) Marriage below caste machine is no greater endogamous.
(iv) Hereditary occupational shape has been changed employing a profession primarily based on one’s own choice relying on one’s capability, capability and skills.
(b) Joint Family
Indian conventional circle of relatives which become purely of the joint sample has started converting its size, structure and functions through the effect of generation.
(i) Change in its solidarity and natural co-operation of its individuals.
(ii) Change inside the manipulation and rub of Karta.
(iii) Fragmentation of land or distribution of not unusual belongings.
(iv) It has misplaced its significance and has commenced disintegrating daily.
(c) Marriage
Marriage is an essential organization which has been undergoing extraordinary adjustments because of the effect of technology.
(i) It has lost its sanctity.
(ii) It is handled more as a civil agreement than a sacred bond.
(iii) It is becoming riskier and riskier.
(iv) The rate of divorce is growing unexpectedly each day.
(d) Religion
Religion has passed through subsequent modifications.
(i) The role of superstition has declined.
(ii) People have become increasingly secular, rational and scientific in their outlook.
(iii) Conservative or orthodox religious activities have been changed through easy sports.
(iv) religious toleration among human beings has been destroyed.
(e) State
States have undergone the following changes.
(i) States have become secular.
(ii) There is a shift of functions from local authorities to the primary authorities of the entire state.
(iii) Modern inventions have strengthened nationalism.
(iv) It has increased the scale and power of bureaucracy.
Technology and Economic Life
Technology has altered guy’s economic life in lots of ways.
(a) War
The relatively dangerous effect of generation is evident through struggle. The most surprising invention of our age, the atomic strength, has hugely motivated our life. As an agent of battle, it brought about the most appalling annihilation of humans in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As an agent of peace, it could carry an unparalleled technology of lots and prosperity.
(b) Transportation and Communication
Great technological advancements have contributed drastically to the sector of transportation and verbal exchange. The method of delivery has improved at a stunning rate. The intermixing of people belonging to numerous nations led to the removal of a whole lot of false impressions, hatred and jealousy.
It has advocated the experience of widely widespread brotherhood. The advent of machinery into the enterprise, information paper, radio, television, smartphone, telegraph etc. Have facilitated the spread of the latest concepts and have grown to be propaganda machines for political parties.
(c) Agriculture
Changes in generation have caused the improvement of the latest techniques in agriculture. Agricultural manufacturing is elevated because of using modern-day pieces of equipment, stepped forward seeds in amount and fine. Hence it has significantly affected the rural community. As India is predominantly an agricultural use, its destiny relies upon the development of agriculture.
From the above analysis, we come to recognise that with the improvement of technology adjustments in exceptional regions are continuously increasing and those are getting greater solid.