SCH - History of Social Change Lesson

 

History of Social Change Lesson

Interestingly, it was social change  that led to the creation of sociology in the first place. Auguste Comte, known as the father of sociology, identified three stages in history that prepared the world for sociology:

  • Theological Stage: This first stage in Comte's Stages of Historical Development spanned from the beginning of civilization to the end of the Middle Ages in the mid-14th  Century. According to Comte, society viewed itself then as governed by the Divine and was an expression of God's will. During this stage, people felt that the events unfolding around them were done so by the hand of a divine being- these events ranged from personal illness to the movement of constellations.
  • Metaphysical Stage: Comte argued that during this stage civilization evolved following the Middle Ages during the Renaissance Period of the 1400s to a point where people no longer attributed all events to a supernatural entity. Rather, Comte felt that people began to understand that events in the world had another cause than just divine intervention. In a sense, the people of this time period had one foot in the stage that preceded them and one foot in the stage that followed as science explained some events while a higher being explained others.
  • Scientific Stage: This last stage of Comte's Stages of Historical Development began during the 16th  and 17th  centuries when astronomers, physicists and mathematicians like Copernicus, Galileo and Newton rationalized that the natural world operated according to scientifically proven principles. Comte borrowed their scientific approach and applied it to the study of society.

Comte changed the way people studied culture and society. Rather than rely on the  humanities  to hypothesize on the ideal  culture and society, Comte incorporated scientific principles in order to understand the real  culture and society.  ( Humanities--s ubjects within the humanities include language, religion, musicology, literature, philosophy and sometimes history. The humanities differ from the social sciences due to the lack of the humanities applying the scientific method within their studies.) Comte argued that the societal changes experienced during his Stages of Historical Development prepped the world to scientifically study itself and coined the term "sociology".  (Sociology--a linking of the Latin prefix 'socius,' meaning 'companion,' to the Greek suffix 'logos,' meaning knowledge. Comte coined the term in the 1830s.)  However, it was the changes ushered in during the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution that really kick-started sociology.  

The field of sociology accompanied the modernization  of those countries impacted by the Industrial Revolution. This modernization resulted in a deterioration of small, traditional communities as people moved from their rural homes into cities to find work at new mill sites. Modernization brought in more options for people to choose from as men and women chose not to continue in the lines of work their parents did nor to live in the same towns as their parents. With so many people leaving their homes and pasts and moving into the same cities, people encountered more social diversity during modernization.  Having somewhat turned their backs on traditional norms and culture by embracing a new way of living, the people shifted their perspective from relying on the past to looking towards the future to determine the course of their lives.   

 

Social Change

With so many societal transformations in such a relatively short period, people asked for explanations for what they were witnessing and where it was taking them and the new academic discipline of sociology supplied the answers. 

Watch the presentation below to learn more. As you watch the presentation, create a study outline using the information presented.

 

Theories and Theorist Review Activity

Practice how well you remember which theorists are connected with which theories in the activity below. You should use your key terms handout to help you. Indicate correct responses by dragging theory into correct placeholder beside theorist.

 

IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS OR OPENSOURCE