Lectures Social Change & Sustainable Development
Lecture 1: Introduction
Social change
Definition social change: analysis of social, political, socio-economic and cultural change that is
related to changes in institutions, norms and values.
Social change can be defined as change in the structure of one or more societal subsystems,
manifested on the…
- Macro-level of social structure and culture
- Meso-level of institutions, corporate actors and communities
- Micro-level of individuals and groups
Sociology was founded at a time of massive social change; rise of industrial capitalism,
urbanisation, impoverishment of the working class, etc.
Causes of social change → two perspectives
1. Materialistic perspective: technological advancement and changes in production
leading to social changes in society
- Transition from feudalism to industrial capitalism through expanding world
trade in wool and textile and technological innovations; wealth creation outside
the feudal system; displacement of rural population to cities; large urban
industrial workforce; new classes (with no place in feudal society) → new political
formations/structure
- Marx perspective: changes in (inventions and technological innovations and)
production leads to social change
- Examples causes of social change: technological advancement, automatisation,
Fordism, robots, artificial intelligence, digitalisation
2. Idealistic perspective: ideas, values and ideologies as causes of social change
- Weber perspective: not only material and technical causes of change (though
important), but capitalism did not develop everywhere at the same time and
pace → values of Protestantism (specific Calvinism) produced a cultural ethic
that sanctified work and worldly achievement, encouraged frugality and
discouraged consumption = spirit of capitalism (in contrast to Catholicism);
- Examples of ideologies that have an effect on the shape and direction of social
change: globalism, nationalism, socialism, feminism, egalitarians.
Different patterns of social change: linear, cyclical and dialectical
Linear pattern of social change → cumulative, nonrepetitive development, permanent, no
return possible; from one stage to another
- Historical sociology all follow more or less this logic of linear progress; from a primitive
or less differentiated stage to an advanced/complex one
- Lenski (1977): ‘discontinuous leaps’ from hunting and gathering, to partoralit and
horticulturist, towards agricultural societies and finally to industrial societies through
technological innovations → urbanisation (sociologist: Comte, Marx, Weber, Durkheim)
- Modernisation Theory (classical Rostow) is abandoned but still thrives as a
meta-narrative, particularly in development studies (formulated as counterargument
against communism)
, - Assumption: all nations are converging on an evolutionary path to an increasingly ideal
society, drew heavily from sociological conceptions of functionalism
Cyclical pattern of social change → change is repetitive/cycles, some aspects of change repeat
themselves
- Classical: rise and fall of empires (very pessimistic worldview)
- Sorokin: ‘master cycles’ between periods of idealism versus hedonism and materialism.
Prediction of the collapse Western materialism and return to more idealistic culture
- But, some patterns of cyclical change = when some aspects are repetitive (business
cycles, political cycles, levels of economic inequality, etc.)
- Arrighi’s (1994) account of financial accumulation invokes a cyclical theory of history in
which different phases of capitalist accumulation undergo a process in which money
becomes more central to their operation, before giving way to process of devalorisation
Dialectical pattern of social change → ‘contradictions’ create change
- Focusses more on short-term contradiction, less so on long-term social change
- Classic: Hegel (idealism) was inspired by Marx (materialism, class struggle)
- Two groups in conflict with each other (they are not independent of each other,
but have a relationship) and this difference creates something else (e.g., working
class and bourgeois)
Sustainability
Definition sustainability (Lockie): broadly covering the social, economic and ecological
interdependencies implicated in environmental change, but ‘is about meeting the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.
- Neckel: let us take a ‘problem-oriented and reflexive stance’ → does justice to
sustainability contradictions, dilemmas and paradoxes
- The term sustainability is used in contradictory settings (e.g., growth vs de-growth
agenda → reducing production and consumption needs - need for shrinking & trying to
replace GDP as measure for growth (doesn’t cover everything/economic inequalities)
- Sustainability is particular temporary → future oriented model taking effect in present
- Elliot (2018): argues for a re-focus on losses and not sustainability: “unlike sustainability,
the more dominant framing in the social sciences of climate change, the sociology of
loss examines what does, will or must disappear rather than what can or should be
sustained → shift of thinking ‘what are we going to lose?’ → loss involves disappearance,
destruction, dispossession, depletion = the transformation of the absence
Development
Development is a contested term to suggest a normative evolution (and linearity) of progress
& is strongly related to the modernization theory.
- Ses/Nussbaum capability approach: ideal societies provide individuals with freedom
and an opportunity to choose a lifestyle
- Pritchett et al.: transformational vision of entire countries, where transformation is
sought across four dimensions of:
1. Polity: represent the aggregate preferences of citizens
2. Economy (growth)
, 3. Social relations: rights and opportunities for all individuals
4. Public administration: functioning according to meritocratic standards and
professional norms
5. Plus (minimum) social protections (health care, public infrastructure, education,
food security, employment support, legal and judicial protections from
discrimination and abuse)
From MDGs to SDGs
Brundtland Commission (1983-1987): ‘Sustainable development seeks to meet the needs and
aspirations of the present without compromising the ability to meet those of the future.’
Millennium Development Goals, aimed at the Global South:
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal free education for all
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Global partnership for development
The Sustainable Development Goals (2016): one step further → more global approach that also
includes countries from the Global North, but:
- Large economic inequalities persist
- Between countries and globally & gendered, racialised, class differences in
resources & regional inequalities
- Armed conflict remains the largest thread (end of 2014: largest number of refugees)
- Millions of people still live in poverty
- Climate emergency is only addressed marginally; much more effort is needed
- Hence; more action was needed that addresses the issues of sustainability on even
larger scales with the SDGs
