EXAMPLE OF POLITICAL FACTOR OF SOCIAL CHANGE
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:
1. Technological and Economic Changes
a) Agricultural advancements
Examples include irrigation, the plow, cotton gin.
Lead to surplus food, which lead to population growth and urbanization. People were able to work outside of the farm.
b) Industrialization
The process of moving from an agrarian based economy in which the primary product is food to an industrial or post industrial economy in which the primary product is goods, services and information
The process of changing from a manual labor force to a technology driven labor force in which machines play a large role
Lead to changes in:
a. Work – people work outside of the home/community, which lead to changes in gender (value of, child care, value of labor).
b. Work became centered and organized around machines. Alienation.
c. Weapons production – guns, nuclear weapons.
d. Information Society. Information overload.
Characteristics of industrialized societies:
· Smaller percentage of workforce employed in agriculture
· Increased division of labor, specialization of occupations
· Increase in education of workforce
· Increase in economic organizations (businesses)
· Stronger link between government and economy – interdependent
· Technological change – new goods and services produced and new occupations result; control of environment and the need to do so.
· Geographical mobility
· Occupational mobility
· Population change:
· Demographic transition; move from (1) high birth rates and high death rates (with smaller population sizes) to (2) high birth rates and low death rates (with extreme population growth) to (3) low birth rates and low death rates (with populations maintenance).
· People have fewer children as society industrialized because role of family changes and technological advancements allow control of reproduction.
· Families change from extended to nuclear families due to geographic and occupational mobility. Family is no longer mainly seen as an economic unit.
All of the major causes of global social change below are tied to changes in technology and economics.
2. Modernization: The process of moving from an agrarian to industrial society
Characteristics of modern societies
· Larger role of government in society and bureaucracy to run governments
· Large, formal organizations and division of labor based on specialization of skills and abilities into occupations. Bureaucracy plays in again here.
· Forming of social institutions to regulate behavior.
· Laws and sanctions to regulate behavior.
· Control over and management of environmental resources: oil, water, land, animals, etc... The ability to mass produce food, energy, etc...
· Larger role of science in society to produce knowledge to advance society. Larger role of education and universities.
· Improved quality of life – higher per capita GDP, ability to buy good and services, more recreational time, better public health, housing
· Self-efficacy
· Ability to adapt, expect, and desire continuous change. Example: change of governments; replacing goods and services such as cars, phone service, marriages; change in occupations and careers.
3. Urbanization: When large populations live in urban areas rather than rural areas
Usually results from economic opportunities: either people move to a city for jobs, or rural areas become the sites of large businesses which leads to population growth.
75% of the US population lives in urban areas. 43% if world population lives in urban areas.
Cities offer social benefits as well as economic benefits: transportation, schools, diffusion of new products and services, health care, cultural resources
Characteristics of urban populations:
· More diversity
· Independence
· Weaker social attachments – higher crime
· Secularization
· Mass communication systems
If urbanization occurs to fast, infrastructure can not support population (transportation, public health issues, housing, schools, emergency services, jobs). This can result in poverty and class conflict. Class conflict and poverty may also result if large urban areas experience loss of jobs.