Page 6 - Lessonnote_Social Change and Social Order in Rural and Urban Society

➢ Social changes has to be understood together in social order in two

ways:

a) Social systems resists and regulates change

b) The relationship between social change and social order is to think about

the possible reasons why society needs to prevent, discourage or at least
control.

➢ To establish strong and viable social system, every society must be able
to maintain its stability.

➢ Stability – individuals and institutions behave in a fairly predictable
manner.

➢ Social order is needed for systematic functioning of society.

➢ The oppressed group would be interested in bringing changes that is
favourable to them and will alter the position of the dominant groups.

➢ Hence the dominant group use social order to prevent, control and
regulate social changes that alter the norms and values which are

considered as accepted by them.

➢ Social order can be achieved in 2 ways through:

a) Spontaneous Consent: When people spontaneously wish to abide by a set

of rules and norms which are internalised by people through the process of
socialisation.

It cannot produce complete and permanent consent for all norms at all times.

b) Compulsion to obey

Social control –

➢ It means the active maintenance and reproduction of a particular

pattern of social relations of values and norms.

• Societies abide by a set of norms and people are compelled in various

ways to obey such norms.

• Social control brings about social conformity and social solidarity.