This document summarizes key concepts about social change and modernization from a sociology course. It defines social change as community responses that address social problems by transforming culture and institutions over time. It discusses Max Weber's view that social change stems from new ideas. Important causes of change include inventions, discoveries, and the diffusion of ideas between societies. Social movements are classified based on who and how much change they seek. Modernization describes the transformation of traditional societies through economic development and changes to social, political, and cultural structures, characterized by declining communities, expanded personal choice, a future orientation, and replacing tradition with rational thinking.

1. UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX
Social Change and
Modernization
Checkpoint Assignment
Sociology 120
Professor Lee Daffin
Mechelle Davidson
1/4/2012

2. Social Change and Modernization
January 4, 2012
Social Change
Social Change defined as community-based responses that address underlying social
problems on an individual, institutional, community, national, or international level. Social
change can affect attitudes, behaviors, laws, policies, and institutions to reflect improved values
of inclusion, fairness, diversity, and opportunity through the transformation of culture and
social institutions over periods.
Max Weber contributed to this understanding of social change, by acknowledging that
just as conflict can bring change, most social changes originate from ideas (Macionis, 2006, p.
453). Four characteristics of this process are (a) social change happens all the time, (b) social
change is sometimes intentional but unplanned, (c) social change is controversial, and (d) some
changes matter more than others.
Causes
Three important causes for change is inventions, when new objects, ideas, help to
produce new social patterns for society, (b) discovery, as people take notice of existing
elements within their society, and (c) diffusion, when these changes from inventions, people,
and products travel from one society to others classifying these social movements according to
the type of change sought. Social movements are classified through variables of how many,
who, and how much change is wanted. Alterative social movement has limited change for a
portion of a population, Redemptive social movement is specific individuals seeking radical
change, such as helping to redeem their life. Reformative social movement is limited change
for everyone, while Revolutionary social movement seeks the extreme, major transformation
from an entire society (Macionis, 2006).

3. Social Change and Modernization
January 4, 2012
Modernization
Modernization is a concept of broad meanings describing an explanation of the
processes in transformation from traditional underdeveloped societies to that of modern
societies through major social changes. When a preindustrial society develops economically, a
shift begins in the process of change towards their social, economic, and political systems. Pre-
modern societies that develop past and present become modern through these processes of
economic growth and change in their social, political, and cultural structures (Macionis, 2006).
Characteristics
Modernization being the process of social change resulting from the beginning of
industrialization has four major characteristics. The first characteristic of modernization is the
decline of small, traditional communities. Lost are the cohesive communities of past, revolving
around family and neighborhoods, progressive awakening is these communities futures, as
technology helps to connect rural families with the entire world. Another characteristic of
modernization is the expansion of personal choice, by providing many people with unending
series of options, giving many choices in particular lifestyles, showing openness for changes
while increasing social diversity, and extending personal control over life choices.
Modernization is more orientated toward futures and growing awareness of time, thinking
more to one’s future than that of one’s past as pre-modern societies did. Max Weber saw
“modernity as replacing a traditional worldview with a rational way of thinking,” (Macionis,
2006, p. 458). Within pre-industrial society, traditions perform as the brake pedal for social
change, where a modern society offers value in personal freedoms contribution through
rational calculation that help to achieve their goals is adopted as the modern truth.

4. Social Change and Modernization
January 4, 2012
References
Macionis, J. J. (2006). Society: The basics (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Prentice Hall.