Exploring Social Change : America and the World

by: Harper, Charles L.; Leicht, Kevin T.

ISBN 13:
9780131884984
ISBN 10:
0131884980
Edition: 5th
Format: Paperback
Copyright: 01/01/2007
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
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Summary

This introduction to social change focuses on theories that explain social change, innovation, social movements, and revolutions. The last part of the book shifts explicitly to the global level to analyze population and environmental issues and globalization. Within this framework, the book discusses topics about change and its problems familiar in sociology and social science.

Preface

viii

Chapter 1 By Way of Introduction

(12)

What Is Social Change?

(4)

Sociology and Social Change

(1)

What You Can Expect from This Book and How It Is Organized

(1)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

(2)

PART ONE EXPLAINING CHANGE

Chapter 2 The Causes and Patterns of Change

(30)

Theory in Sociology

(1)

The Causes of Change

(1)

Materialistic Perspectives

(3)

Idealistic Perspectives

(5)

Patterns of Change

(16)

In Conclusion

(1)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

(2)

Chapter 3 Social Theory and Social Change

(22)

Functionalist Theory

(6)

Conflict Theory

(6)

Interpretive Theory

(5)

Multiple Perspectives and Change: Reconciling Agency and Structure

(2)

In Conclusion: Large-Scale Change and Human Agency

(1)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

(2)

PART TWO SOCIAL CHANGE IN THE UNITED STATES

Chapter 4 American Social Trends

(17)

Structural Trends

(4)

Changing Cultural Themes

(6)

Countertrends and Reactions to Modernity: Antimodernism and Postmodernism

(2)

In Conclusion

(1)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

(2)

Chapter 5 Change in the Settings of Everyday Life: Populations, Families, and Work

(22)

Demographic Change

(5)

Changing Families

(7)

Transforming Work

(6)

In Conclusion

101

(1)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

102

(2)

Chapter 6 Economics, Politics, and the American Prospect

104

(28)

The Changing Economy

105

(7)

Change in the Political System

112

(9)

Change, Problems, and the American Prospect

121

(5)

In Conclusion

126

(3)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

129

(3)

PART THREE PROCESSES OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Chapter 7 Social Movements

132

(26)

What Are Social Movements?

133

(2)

Types of Social Movements

135

(2)

Explaining the Origins of Social Movements

137

(19)

In Conclusion

156

(1)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

156

(2)

Chapter 8 American Reform Movements and Social Change

158

(28)

The Social Context of Twentieth-Century American Reform Movements

159

(1)

Social Class and Reform Movements at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

160

(9)

Social Status and Reform Movements at Mid-Twentieth Century

169

(13)

In Conclusion: What Kinds of Changes Do Reform Movements Produce?

182

(3)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

185

(1)

Chapter 9 Revolutions

186

(41)

What Is a Social Revolution?

186

(1)

Theories of Revolution

187

(12)

The Outcomes of Revolution

199

(1)

Successful and Failed Revolutions in the Contemporary Context

200

(6)

A World Revolution: The Collapse of the Communist System

206

(16)

But Was It a Revolution?

222

(2)

In Conclusion: The Inevitability of Revolutionary Surprise

224

(1)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

225

(2)

Chapter 10 Technology, Innovation, and Networks

227

(32)

Innovation as a Change Process

228

(1)

The Act of Innovation

229

(3)

Sources of Innovation: Social and Cultural

232

(6)

Diffusion: How Innovations Spread

238

(4)

Adoption of Innovation: Social Systems and Individuals

242

(2)

Institutional Change and the Spread of Innovations

244

(2)

Social Networks

246

(9)

In Conclusion: Back at the Information Technology Revolution

255

(2)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

257

(2)

Chapter 11 Creating Change

259

(31)

Creating Change in Omaha: Muddling Through and Planning

262

(5)

Basic Change Strategies

267

(6)

The Role of Violence in Creating Change

273

(4)

Mixed and Complex Strategies

277

(5)

Being a Change Agent

282

(1)

The Ethics of Inducing Change

283

(2)

In Conclusion: Some Final Thoughts about the Feasibility of Creating Change

285

(3)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

288

(2)

PART FOUR GLOBAL CHANGE

Chapter 12 The Emerging Global System: Development and Globalization

290

(34)

Two Worlds

291

(2)

What Is Development?

293

(1)

Uneven Development

294

(4)

Developmentalist Thinking: Perspectives and Dimensions

298

(5)

Explaining Failed Development

303

(2)

Dependency and World Systems Theory

305

(1)

Structure and Dynamics of the World System

306

(7)

Globalization

313

(7)

In Conclusion: Development, Globalization, and Human Progress

320

(2)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

322

(2)

Chapter 13 Society, Environment, and Change

324

(31)

Ecological Perspectives on Change and Problems

325

(2)

Aspects of Ecological Change and Problems

327

(11)

Human Impacts and Global Environmental Change

338

(12)

In Conclusion: Societies, Environment, and Global Stability

350

(3)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

353

(2)

Chapter 14 World Futures

355

(27)

New World Order or New World Chaos?

357

(1)

Looking at the Next Fifty Years

358

(11)

Prophetic Visions: Some Longer Views

369

(9)

In Conclusion: The Third Revolution

378

(2)

Thinking Personally about Social Change

380

(2)

Epilogue: Living in a Rapidly Changing World

382

(4)

References

386

(29)

Author Index

415

(3)

Subject Index

418

Exploring Social Change : America and the World

9780131884984

0131884980

Summary

Table of Contents

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Exploring Social Change : America and the World

9780131884984

0131884980

Summary

Table of Contents

Write a Review

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