Transcript PowerPoint - GEOCITIES.ws

Social Change
SANDERSON CHAPTER 1 –
SOME "TRANSLATION"
Social Change
Social change is studied differently by
sociologists, historians, and anthropologists
modern instis
unique events
human instis
Evolutionary materialism --
a theoretical strategy - for explaining
large-scale (institutional) social change
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Propositions:
I. There are regularities in history that can
be explained causally (nomothetic approach),
Stability and change are both part of these
regularities,
Social change is not teleological (progressing
toward a given end, perfect society, etc.).
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II. Evolutionary processes occur at every level
of social organization.
Increasing complexity is a common result of
evolution, but is not inevitable.
There are both similarities and differences
between social and biological evolution.
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Basic diffs between soc and bio evol:
a. bio evol leads in different directions
(development of diff species)
soc evol leads in similar directions.
(humans are one species with similar needs)
b. bio evol is based on random variations
soc evol is partly purposive.
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c. soc evol often leads to similar results
(because human problems are similar)
d. soc evol is much more rapid than bio evol
e. soc evol includes diffusion (culture passed
from place to place, gen to gen)
f. natural selection is only part of the causal
process of soc evol (culture too)
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Soc evol consists of processes different from
bio evol.
Co-evolution is important but we don't
understand it very well yet.
Soc evol and individual development must be
studied separately (deceptive parallels)
(“ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny”)
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III. The main causal factors of soc evol are
demographic, ecological, technological, economic
Causal factors operate probabilistically –
"A makes B more likely" (not "A always leads to B")
These factors are primary because they relate to
meeting basic human needs.
Different patterns of social change occur because of
different combinations of these factors.
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IV.Much of soc evol results from attempts at
adaptation (humans trying to meet needs).
Not all of these attempts work/keep working).
Adaptedness refers to those that work.
Individuals are egoistic - and this is important
in understanding social evolution but to what extent is this a cultural product?
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V. Egoistic individuals create social structure
and change but not necessarily as they intend.
Egoistic individuals act partly in response to
structures/changes that they have created.
Egoistic indivs always act within constraints of
their biopsychology and social structure.
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VI.The social structures created by individuals
are the units of evolution - institutions
Social change is a response to a balance of
endogenous and exogenous factors.
Endogenous factors are those existing within a
society - Exogenous factors result from
contact between different societies.
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VII. Soc evol is sometimes slow (gradualist)
and sometimes rather sudden (punctualist).
Soc evol is generally faster and more
punctualist now than in previous eras (cumulative effects of culture)
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VIII. Evolutionary analysis is a form of
historical analysis that must use theoretical
analysis (synchronic data),
but only until the speculative parts can be
replaced by empirical studies (diachronic data)
Logical projection (circumstantial evidence)
vs. physical evidence (e.g. archaeological)
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Next – Chaps 2 and 3