What is the Difference Between Social and Cultural Change

The main difference between social and cultural change is that social change involves a transformation in social values, norms, and behaviour patterns, whereas cultural change involves a transformation in the way of life, habit patterns, and lifestyle.

Social and cultural change are two related concepts that refer to alterations in society and culture, respectively. Some sociologists have argued that both these concepts are the same, but for some, these are two different concepts.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Social Change
– Definition, Features, Causes
2. What is Cultural Change
– Definition, Features, Causes
3. Difference Between Social and Cultural Change
– Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Conflict Theory of Change, Cultural Change, Evolutionary Theory of Change, Functionalist Theory of Change, Social Culture

Social change refers to great alteration over time in social values, norms, and behaviour patterns. These involve transformations of cultures, institutions, and functions. The industrial revolution, the abolition of slavery, the Civil Rights movement, the feminist movement, the LGBTQ+ rights movement, and the green movement are some examples of social change. Social change isn’t instantaneous – it’s often very slow. All societies go through change at one point or another. Sociologists have studied social change and introduced various patterns and theories to describe it. There are three main sociological theories as evolutionary, functionalist, and conflict theories, to describe social change. It’s also important to know that there is always resistance to change, especially when people feel threatened or unsettled by potential changes.

Figure 2: Conflict can lead to social change

Evolutionary Theory of Change

According to evolutionary theory, society always evolves into “higher levels, just like organisms evolve from simple beings to complex beings. Although sociologists first assumed that all societies go through the same sequence of change, societies can evolve in different directions and ways. Most modern sociologists state that change is multilinear.

Functionalist Theory of Change

According to the functionalist theory of change, society is like a human body, and each part of an organism is like an organ. Therefore, individual parts cannot survive on their own. When one part suffers, all the other parts must change. Moreover, functionalist theorists believe that society always works toward stabilization. When problems occur, they need attention from the other parts, and this means social change. However, this theory fails to account for some factors like race, gender, and class.

Conflict Theory of Change

Conflict always results in social change. Inequalities based on factors like gender, race, class, and religion tend to create anger and dissatisfaction, so people come together and fight to bring about change.

What is Cultural Change

Cultural change is the transformation of culture via discovery, invention, and contact with another culture. In the modern world, new things are always added to material culture, affecting the non-material culture as well. Cultural change happens when something new gives way to a new way of living. For example, inventions like electricity, the internet, and railways have changed our way of living and transformed the culture of the entire world. Discoveries can also cause cultural change. For example, consider how the discovery of fire caused human civilizations to transform. Similarly, a significant cultural change occurred when European discovered America, as well.

Figure 2: Technology can lead to cultural change

Contact with other cultures is another cause for cultural change and results in a process like assimilation and acculturation. Moreover, new ideas about education, race, gender, religion, etc., can also bring change to culture. However, cultural change may not always be beneficial to everyone.

Definition

Social change refers to great alteration over time in social values, norms, and behaviour patterns, while cultural change is the transformation of culture via discovery, invention, and contact with another culture.

Transformation

Social change involves a transformation in social values, norms, and behaviour patterns, whereas cultural change involves a transformation in the way of life, habit patterns, and lifestyle.

Examples

The industrial revolution, the abolition of slavery, the Civil Rights movement, the feminist movement, the LGBTQ+ rights movement, and the green movement are some examples of social change, whereas inventions like electricity, the internet, and railways, the discovery of America, etc., are examples of cultural change.

Conclusion

Reference:

1. “Cultural Change.” Sociology | Lumen.
2. “What Is Social Change?” Human Rights Careers, 16 May 2020.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Revolution-protest-insurrection-30590” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “Technology 2020” By Mikhail Denishchenko (Public Domain) via PublicDomainPictures.net