Global Social Change - Essay Example

Civil rights movements and social movements, and Marxism are familiar drivers of social change in the world. Moreover it is evident that just like any change in the globe, social change faces a lot of resistance and yields diverse consequences (Dunn and Babones 1-2). Indeed, people with underlying interests oppose any attempt to social change. Additionally, these consequences may be long term or immediate. As such, many sociologists have taken time to concentrate on various studies that seek to draw an understanding the nature, patterns, causes, and effects of global social change.

Consequently, they have come up with conflicting, functionalist, and evolutionary theories to explain global social change. Theories of Global Social Change The Evolutionary theory that relies on the findings of Charles Darwin's on biological evolution to social change, observes that any society moves in a specific direction of advancement. Hence, the presumption that cultural attitude of modern societies is more advanced. Comte, Durkheim, and Spencer contributed to this theory favoring unilinear evolution that denotes a universal route of evolution to attain social change.

On the other hand, Gerhard Lenski, Jr., favors multilinear evolution that denotes the absence of a common route to social change. Hence, the notion that society evolves in a unique manner (Sharma 19-21). The Functionalist theory puts more emphasis on the factors that maintain a society rather than what changes its social set up. This theory assumes the society to be at a stable state and relies on the equilibrium theory to denote that when changes occur in one aspect of the society, counter changes are necessary in other aspects of the same society.

It establishes the fact that in absence of the counter changes, the stability of the society tumbles and alteration of social order is irresistible. Nevertheless, the assumptions and application of this theory faces a lot of criticism. Finally, we have the Conflict theory that observes that where the society's wealthy and powerful resist change, only social change can complement for the social inequalities and injustices that the wealthy cause to the poor. Additionally, Karl Marx a well-recognized sociologist agreed with the evolutionary theory opinion on a universal route to societal development but disagreed with the assumption that social change is sequential (Sharma 19-21).

Causes of Global Social Change Global social change may be because of economic, cultural, scientific, religious, or technological forces (Dunn and Babones 1-2). Agricultural advancements and Industrialization are some of the technological and Economic Changes that cause global social change. Technological advancements have led to availability of information and constant interactions that foster the quest for change. Equally, bureaucratization, modernization, and urbanization also promote global social change.

Moreover, conflict and competition, political and legal power, and difference in ideologies lead to global social change as individuals and groups seek to assert their position in the global society. In addition, acculturation, evolution, and diffusion that define the readiness of the society to adopt new goods and services enhance global social change. Effects of Global Social Change Indeed, global social change has led to many consequences in the society. As earlier observed, these effects are either long term or immediate (Dunn and Hall 1).