Social change implies transformations in culture, social institutions, behavior as well as social structures over a period of time (Ornada, 2014). Incremental and revolutionary social changes are approaches to social change (Sanford, 2017). To develop a better understanding of the two approaches to social change, special attention is given to the definitions and paradigms of the two approaches to social change. On this note therefore, incremental social change implies the social changes that transpires slowly and without having to modify the quintessence of organizational practices or social structures (Norris & Reddick, 2012). Incremental social change can also be defined as small adjustments made towards targeted results (Norris & Reddick, 2012). Incremental and revolutionary can therefore be summarized as tunings and adaptations that eventually lead to changes in behavior, social institutions and culture. An example of an incremental change during the last 100 years include the evolution of the Ford company automobiles since the company’s introduction of the first moving assembly line in 1913 (WorldAndWorldGB, 2012). Another illustration of incremental change are the changes in social welfare policies (“Social Welfare & Policy: Welfare Policies,” 2018).
Contrary to the implication of incremental social change approach, revolutionary social change denotes strategic changes dedicated towards causing re-creation and reorientation over a short period of time (Norris & Reddick, 2012). Revolutionary social changes are aimed at altering the principle elements of a people’s culture, values and norms as well as the conventions an organization operates on. Time factor and the impacts of the revolutionary change approach is what sets it apart from the incremental approach. Examples of revolutionary social changes in the world during the last 100 years include the Arab Spring (WorldAndWorldGB, 2012), and the beginning of the Iraq war (WorldAndWorldGB, 2012).
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Describe what your daily life would look life had you been living in premodern times
Premodern societies were economically based on the extraction and cultivation of naturally occurring resources (Wessels, 2014). Some premodern societies were also founded in craftsmanship (Ignousoss, 2011). In addition, premodern societies were also characteristically dependent on the extended family systems (Ignousoss, 2011). The extended family in these societies were enduring and strong and provided most of the social services (Ignousoss, 2011). Other typical characteristics of the premodern times were bartering and communal property ownership (Ignousoss, 2011). If I had lived through the premodern times, then I would have definitely not been exceptional to the above defining physiognomies of premodern societies. I would have probably been living with my family on a large piece of ancestral land. The land would have been mainly used for crop agriculture and animal husbandry with my family providing the labor that would occasionally be required. To acquire what our family farm could not produce, we would be frequently engaging in barter trades for such items as cloth ware and utensils. Additionally, I would have probably been a skilled craftsman, capable of crafting hunting and cultivation tools for barter exchange as well as for family consumption. Apart from the examples discussed before, I also believe that if I had existed in the premodern times, I would have been a member of the king’s army, occasionally going to war to protect community land and expand community territories.
What major institutional factors played into the transformation of society from feudal society to modern times?
Several institutional factors played significant roles in the transformation of feudal societies into the modern societies they are today. Wessels (2014) discussed a number of these dynamics. Wessels also affirmed that the evolution was not a direct transition from premodern to modern societies. The course of the transition was from feudalism, industrial and postindustrial societies and finally the information society (Wessels, 2014). To begin with, Wessels (2014) argued that this transition was caused by several economic aspects of the social life. Trade is one of the economic factors that Wessels credited with the transition of feudal societies into the modern societies (Wessels, 2014). Long distance trade and increased demand of items of trade necessitated development of more sophisticated means of transport and also prompted emergence of machines to handle and process agricultural products quicker than manual labor could do. Such inventions as the wheeled vehicle were invented to improve transport (Futuredreams4life, 2012). Other inventions like the compass direction and the world map were also made to help with trade routes (Futuredreams4life, 2012). More recent technological inventions like aircrafts were also made not only for human freight, but also to facilitate trade between nations (Newman, 2012). These inventions were the influence behind the changes most societies experienced (Pearson, 2013).
Apart from economic factors, changes in cultural and political dimensions of the social life were also responsible for the transformation of feudal societies to modern states (Wessels, 2014). Wessels (2014) claimed that as time progressed, culture also transitioned from merely being a way of life to a point where it was abstracted as a vital domain in the industrial society. Later on, culture would even begin to be circulated internationally (Wessels, 2014). As this happened, it brought about developments in means of communication and also industrialization. On the other hand, political changes necessitated advancements in warfare and the need to overpower rivals both economically and also in warfare (Wessels, 2014). Spontaneous political changes in most feudal societies set the stage for invention of more efficient tools of warfare as well as fast and efficient modes of communication (Wessels, 2014). It is also defensible to say that political changes also necessitated improvements in the transport sector (Wessels, 2014). Societies needed to move their troops and reinforcements quicker so as to win battles.
References
Futuredreams4life. (2012, May 3). Timeline of inventions that changed the world [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJxNjkp_Zkg&=&feature=youtu.be
Ignousoss. (2011, April 13). Sociology in everyday life [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzZhbhJOqKY&=&feature=youtu.be
Newman, K. (2011, April 29). Technology timeline; 1920s to present [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXewcY6l_VA&=&feature=youtu.be
Norris, D.F., & Reddick, C.G. (2012). Local E‐Government in the United States: Transformation or Incremental Change? Public Administration Review, 73(1), 165-175. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2012.02647.x
Ornada, R. (2014, September 17). Theories of social change [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W_gPejcVrY&=&feature=youtu.be
Pearson. (2013, April 26). Global trends: The world is changing faster than at any time in human history [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdZiTQy3g1g&=&feature=youtu.be
Sanford, N. (2017). Self and society: Social change and individual development. London: Routledge.
Social Welfare & Policy: Welfare Policies. (2018). Central Michigan University. https://libguides.cmich.edu/c.php?g=122921&p=809722 . Accessed October 3, 2018.
Wessels, B. (2014). Exploring social change. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
WorldAndWorldGB. (2012, January 1). 100 years in 10 minutes from 1911 to 2011 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgMdoIuytCs&=&feature=youtu.be
