SOCIOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT        

Sociology of Development – A Branch of Sociology!

There are several branches of sociology, such as sociology of
law, sociology of crime, sociology of environment, sociology of health and
medicine, rural sociology, urban sociology, industrial sociology and political
sociology.
Sociology of development is likewise a branch of sociology. It
studies the interface of socio-cultural circumstances and the processes of
development. This discipline presumes that every aspect of development largely
depends on sociological conditions of society for its realization.
For
example:
i. Economic development depends on entrepreneurship development and entrepreneurship is a socio-psychological phenomenon.
ii. Market and consumption patterns are socially determined.
iii. Several sociological conditions define development. Gender equity, women’s education and their participation in economically gainful activities, increase of lifespan, increase of literacy, advancement of democracy, reduction of infant mortality, reduction of maternal deaths, reduction of death rate and birth rate are the sociological phenomena which in combination determine the extent of development.
iv. Sociology of development deals not only with industrialization and economic growth in a country but also enquirers into the relationships emerging as a consequence of economic development.

  

 

DEFINITIONS OF CHANGE AND SOCIAL CHANGE

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY CHANGE?

Change is a process. Change denotes any alternation, difference or modification that takes place in a situation or in any object through time. 

   Change is an “on-going” process.

Prepare for Change

• Ideas for Today and Tomorrow

2
Change is inevitable

• Internal Factors
• Aging infrastructures
• Aging workforce
• Projects vs. programs
• New hire expectations
• External Factors
• Speed of technological changes
• Legislative and political demands
• New programs

3
Stages of Change

• Ending
• Say good-by to the old
• Middle
• Transition define the institutional change
• Beginning
• New high performance process implemented

3.Rapid pace of change in technology

• Internet
• Personal Computing
• Enterprise Solutions
• Creative Destruction economics term applied
  to IT when implementing a new technology replaces
  and destroys the impact of the old technology

Methods of adjusting to Change

•           Take responsibility for your own performance and growth.

•           Ask questions about process and intent look for specific deliverable and measures.

•           Support other members of your work group

•           Focus on maintaining customer service.

•           Get involved with decision making.

 Social Change

The term social change refers to changes taking place in human society. Basically the changes in human interactions and inter relations, indicate social change. Society is the net-work of social relationship. 

Examples

Abolition of child marriage, high status to Pakistani women are some of the important instances of social change.

Ø  Kingsley Davis,

Ø   “By Social change is meant only such alterations as occur in social organizations, that is, structure and functions of society.”

 

Maclver and Page, “Social change refers to a process responsive to many types of changes, to changes in man-made conditions of life, to changes in the attitude and beliefs of men and to changes that go beyond the human control to the biological and physical nature of things

Conclusion

 

 

Change is a process.

  a)        The process is always determined by different factors.

 b)        The process always affects something.

(ii)        It is a change in social organization that is the structure and functions of society.

(iii)       Social change means human change, which takes place in the life patterns of the                people. Basically it refers to the change in social relationship.

(iv) It refers to all historical variations in human societies. It means changes in all   fundamental relations of man to man. Which includes changes in political institutions,   class structure, economic systems, mores and modes of living?

 

Essential Characteristics of “Social Change”

1. Universality of Social Change:

• Social change is universal.
• Each modern society is today different from its past form.

2. Social Change is not uniform:

• Social Change differs from society to society. 
• it can be progressive or regressive,
• positive or negative,
• permanent or temporary,
• planned or unplanned,
• unidirectional or multi­directional,
• Beneficial or harmful.

3. Social Change involves Community Change:

• Social Change does not mean the change in the life of an individual or several individuals or some groups of individuals. It is a change involving the life of the entire community.

4. Nature and Speed of Social Change in Various Societies is Different:

• In all societies the nature and speed of social change varies.  
• In societies with low levels of literacy and development, the speed of social change is slow. In a developed and highly literate society the social change speedily comes.
• 5. Social Change shows a Chain-Reaction Sequence:
• Change in one part leads to changes in other parts.

                                  

Need for labor to run the factories

                                                                                      INDUSTRIALIZATION

Change in Women status

•          Changes in family life and gender relations

6. Several Interdependent and Interacting Factors of Social Change:

Change in women status

Social Change always comes under the influence of several social, economic, cultural, and political technological factors

Industrialization

Education

Women Rights Movements

Laws related to Women Rights

CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT

Change: Organizational change includes changing organization’s structure, technology and processes, and business model to gain competitive advantage.

Development: Organizational development is a planned effort taken to increase the organization’s effectiveness and implement the organizational change.

Characteristics of Change and Development:

Aim:

Change: Change focuses on moving from current status to a planned better future status.

Development: Development focuses on one specific area of change and facilitates it.

Focus Subjects:

Change: Organizational change mainly focuses on change schedule, time, quality, and the cost.

Development: Organizational development focuses on developing and enhancing employee skills, knowledge, development and behaviors for long term performance.

Duration:

Change: Organizational change has a specific time schedule that is a shorter period compare to organizational development.

Development: Organizational development is a long-term effort that focuses on human behavioral development.

Agents:

Change: Organizational change agents are internal consultants, managers, or selected executives.

Development: Development consultants are mostly external consultants.

Planned or Not:

Change: Change can be a planned change or an unplanned change. Planned changes are integrating new technology, process changes, system change, etc. Unplanned changes are the economic condition, changes in government policies, etc.

Development: Organizational development is always a well-planned action.

Basis of Plan:

Change: Organizational change is planned on a forecasted situation.

Development: Organizational development is planned based on the real problem of the

DEIFFERENCE

              CHANG                                               VS                                      DEVELOPMENT

1.Change focuses on moving from current status to a planned better future status.	Development focuses on one specific area of change and facilitates it
2. Organizational change mainly focuses on change schedule, time, quality, and the cost	Whereas  development focuses on developing and enhancing employee skills, knowledge, development and behaviors for long term performance
3. Organizational change has a specific time schedule that is a shorter period compare to organizational development	Organizational development is a long-term effort that focuses on human behavioral development.
4. Organizational change agents are internal consultants, managers, or selected executives	Development consultants are mostly external consultants.
5. Change can be a planned change or an unplanned change. Planned changes are integrating new technology, process changes, system change, etc. Unplanned changes are the economic condition, changes in government policies, etc	Organizational development is always a well-planned action

 

  

 

The Idea of Progress:

In the earlier theories of biological evolution the idea of progress was closely associated with that of evolution. For the social evolutionists of the nineteenth century social evolution was in effect social progress. The technological advance of the same century led many philosophers and sociologists to conclude that the major trends of social phenomena made for social progress. But from what has been discussed in these pages it is clear that the idea of progress is different from that of evolution.

Differentiation between evolution and progress:

What, in fact, do we mean by progress is “a development or evolution in a direction which satisfies rational criteria of value” According to Ogburn, progress “is a movement towards an objective, thought to be desirable by the general group, for the visible future. According to MacIver, “By progress we simply not merely direction, but direction towards some final goal, some destination determined ideally not simply by the objective consideration at work.” According to Burgess, “Any change or adaptation to an existent environment that makes it easier for a person or group of persons or other organised form of life to live may be said to represent progress.” According to Lumley, “progress is change, but it is change in a desired or approved direction, not any direction.”

The nature of progress depends on two factors: the nature of the end and the distance at which we are from it. Thus, when we say that we are progressing, we mean that society is flourishing both materially and morally. Evolution is merely change, the change may be for the better or the worse. When we speak of social evolution we refer to the emergence of certain institution. The emergence of the institution may or may not be welcomed by the people. The reference is to an objective condition which is not evaluated as good or bad.

But when we speak of progress we imply not merely direction, but direction towards some final goal, some destination determined ideally. Progress means change for the better, and hence implies a value judgment. It is not possible to speak of progress without reference to standards. Hobhouse writes. “By evolution I mean any sort of growth, by social progress the growth of social life in respect of those qualities to which human being can attach or can ration ably attach values.”

According to Mazumdar, H.T. progress must at least contain six ingredients:

(1) Enhancement of the dignity of man.

(2) Respect for each human personality.

3) Ever increasing freedom for spiritual quest and for investigation of truth.

(4) Freedom for creativity and for aesthetic enjoyment of the works of nature as well as of man.

 (5) a social order that promotes the first four values, and (6) promotes life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, with justice and equity to all.

Now it is easy to see why evolution cannot be progress. It is not logically necessary that evolutionary process, should always move in the direction of progress. That society has evolved, all agree. That society has progressed, all would not agree because we cannot speak of progress” without reference to standards, and standards, as we know, are eminently subjective. If the process of evolution satisfies also our sense of values and if it brings a fuller realization of the values we cherish then for us it is also progress.

Different people may look differently on the same social changes and to some they may spell progress, to others decadence. Evolutionary changes are welcomed by some and are opposed by outers. Civil marriages, divorce, women’s participation in public life, free mixing of young boys and girls may appear to some to be in line with progress while, to others it may seem retrogression because they have different values.

Primitivism has always had its champions and it still has them today. Many of the conditions on which important human values such as contentment, economic security, honesty and freedom depend are not often realized more adequately in the more evolved society. Industrialization led to urbanization and urbanization led to congestion, epidemics, poor health, and more accidents on the road. Similarly, competition, rivalry, corruption and dishonesty are the other effects of industrialization.

In fact, strong indictments have been drawn against civilization on the basis of social and moral values. Clearly, therefore, we cannot associate progress with evolution. In short, no single criterion can be used as a test of progress. Societies are complexes made up of many important elements. Progress is achieved if, in a society, all aspects of social life move in a coordinated manner towards desired ends.

To briefly put the characteristics of progress are the following:

(i) Progress is change — a change in some direction:

(ii) Change can be called progress only when it fulfills the desired aim:

(iii) Progress is communal i.e., related to social system,

(iv) Progress is volitional. It requires desire and volition;

(v) The concept of progress is variable. What is considered today the symbol of progress may tomorrow be regarded as sign of regress.

(vi) There are no limits to human progress.

Have we progressed?

To the question whether we are progressing or not or whether we are more cultured than our ancestors, no absolute answer can be given. Comte, it may be recalled, believed in the perfectibility of society, although he considered that perfection was something that men would have via science. Marx also advanced the thesis that progress was a law of society. Nothing could prevent the coming of communism where all men would share alike and all would be content. In those days progress was regarded as a ‘cultural compulsion.’

Of recent, the social philosophers have changed their mood. They consider the modern civilization as a failure or as an experiment doomed to failure. Standards of morality are no respecters of technical achievement. However, the answer to whether we have progressed or not depends upon our standards of moral value.

Our parents do not share many of our moral standards, for standards are not objective. In the near past, progress was taken for granted; now in some circles, the very idea arouses indignation, and the multitudinous deficiencies in human social conduct are pointed lo with something approaching triumph.

The national wealth of the county has gone up, but is the acquisition of wealth progress? We have invented aeroplanes and other fast-moving mobiles, but does it bring more security of life? Our country is on the way lo industrializalion but does this bring health, happiness or peace of mind? Some people marvel at our material achievement but often question whether it really represents progress.

Thus, there can be much difference of opinion about whether we have progressed or not. Progress in science is possible but no one is obliged to regard progress in science as a good thing in itself. Evidence of progress in morality from preliterate society to modern civilization is simply lacking. In spite of the many technological achievements, big industries and imposing dams the fact remains that in India the evils of unemployment, crime, violence and disease have not lessened.

The family bonds have loosened. More marriages break now than yesterday. The social evils like drug-addiction, dowry system, prostitution, alcoholism, child exploitation and delinquency have increased manifold. We are politically hypocrites, economically corrupt, socially dishonest and morally unfaithful. In the face of these multitudinous defects in our social conduct it would be hard to maintain that we have progressed.

Thinkers like Mahatma Gandhi and Aurobindo Ghose have warned mankind against moral degeneration.

No universal standards of progress. But as stated above it is all a question of one’s standard of moral value and outlook, if we think that increased scope for personal development is really better than opportunity for only a few, if we think that education makes for more enlightened judgment and further if we believe that in India more people have now scope for development than before, then we may justly say that we have progressed. Nobody would deny that we have progressed in the case of technology. Tools have become more varied and efficient.

Whether the influence of tools on society has been for human happiness or not is a question to which no definite answer can be given for there are different standards for different people to measure human happiness. Conceptions of happiness differ as to ideals of what is good for a people. In a word it is difficult to find clear and definite standards that all people would accept and to formulate definite conceptions of progress which may apply to all time and to all cultures.

While general principles do serve as tools to be used in thinking out the course of action we wish to pursue, they do not afford specific guidance. While considering social progress, it is well to note the time and place qualifications. Thus, abolition of female labour at night may be deemed a step in the direction of progress but may not be so deemed a hundred years hence.

It may be interesting to speculate on the probability of change in the future. Some thinkers are of the opinion that men have all what they need in material goods and that there is no need for further invention. However, it would be unwise to assert that further inventions be stopped because mankind has all the material goods it needs. Man’s wants are limitless. Changes will continue in future also.

Created by : ZAHOOR AHMED LEHRI