Notes On Continuity & Change (Vietnam)

Resource Description

My final notes for Social and cultural continuity and change (Vietnam)

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTINUITY AND CHANGE

Change is a complex process

• Change is multi-faceted and multi-dimensional
• Interactions between social, cultural, economic, political and ideological factors
• Affected by many variables, pressuring societies and cultures to adapt
• Change in one level of society can have impacts on all others

 

Evolutionary change

• Gradual changes over long periods of time
• Stems from Darwin’s theory of evolution
• Based on the assumption that societies gradually change from simple beginnings into more complex forms
• Eg. Feminism began with early movements for women’s rights that caused gradual change and the different waves of feminism
• Micro actions by individuals gradually caused social change on the meso and micro levels to lay the path for modern feminism

Transformative change

• Sudden changes over short periods of time
• A result of philosophical, practical and strategic processes to cause revolutionary change
• Stems from social movements that confront social norms
• Seen in the form of petitioning, boycotting, strikes, etc.
• Eg. #MeToo movement happened suddenly with immediate impacts on all levels of society as a result of confronting sexist norms of society

Resistance to change

• Logical and rational
• Time to adjust, extra effort to relearn, economic cost to change
• Psychological and emotional
• Fear of the unknown, lack of trust, need for security
• Sociological resistance
• Political allegiances, opposing group values, vested interests
• Eg. Governments not taking climate action due to economics and keeping votes

Influences on levels of society

• Micro
•  Continuity of social values maintains individual identity
• Change allows for individual development with new experiences and values eg. Veganism
• Meso
• Continuity of culture and collective identity
• Change allows protesting and shared values to grow eg. Teacher strikes
• Macro
• Continuity of traditions, customs and collective identity
• Change allows social developments eg. Technology, environmentalism

Agents of social change

• Social: general trends on all levels of society are reflected in behaviour
• Technological: globalisation and exchange of ideas leading to value conflict
• Economic: recessions and booms affecting micro and meso levels
• Environmental: ideas about climate change causes conflict on all levels
• Political: laws and politics influences behaviours on all levels of society

Modernisation

• Social change process often with industrialisation and globalisation
• Acceptance of change and integration of new and modern ideas
• Technological advancements allow embracement of modern values, eg. Capitalism, consumerism

Westernisation

• Social change process often caused by globalisation and exchange of ideas
• Western values being integrated into non-Western societies, eg. Capitalism, consumerism