Society, Collective Behavior, Social Change, and Technology

Collective Behavior:

Chapters 21 and 22: Sociology, Schaefer, 1995-2012

Spontaneous and unstructured behavior (Neil Smelser). Reaction to an ambiguous situation.  An unpredictable source of social change.

Emergent Norm Perspective (Turner and Killian)

  1. Ambiguity of situation provides open ground for the emergence and redefinition of appropriate behavior.
  2. New norms "emerge"

Value-Added Perspective (Smelser)

  1. Series of structural and interactional conditions resulting in definite patterns of behavior.
  2. Structural conduciveness (emergence of conflicting interests), structural strain (perceived discrepancy-reality vs. expectations), generalized belief (shared definition of situation), precipitating event, mobilization (how people get together), and failure of social control

Assembling Perspective (McPhail)

  1. How crowds come together (flash mobs)(flash mobs 2)
  2. Periodic and non-periodic assemblies (word-of-mouth, recruitment)

TYPES of Collective Behavior:


Michael Wesch 2007 (history)

Explanations of Social Movements

  1. Relative Deprivation: perception of discrepancy between legitimate expectations and objective realities. Feeling of being deprived of basic right. Lack of faith in conventional means of change.
  2. Resource Mobilization: Organizational strategies and leadership required to initiate, recruit and sustain momentum of movement. Local focus is characteristic of tradition Social Movements, New Social Movement Theory focuses on global activism and issues (COYOTE).
  3. Why do people join social movements?

Theories of Social Change and Technology

Chapter 22: Sociology, Schaefer, 2012

World Clock


Shift Happens 2015: https://youtu.be/wMB77eJPYs8

Did You Know? 3.0:

Did You Know/Shift Happens version 6: http://youtu.be/XVQ1ULfQawk

Artificial Life?

Evolutionary Theory: simple to complex, lower to higher. Uni-lineal and Multi-lineal.

Parson's Equilibrium Model: gradual adjustment and compensation throughout the parts of the system.

  1. Differentiation-increasing complexity (individual-institutional)
  2. Adaptive upgrading (division of labor and specialization)
  3. Inclusion: reduction of inequality
  4. Value generalization: broadening and increasing tolerance of acceptable behaviors and ideals)

Conflict Theory

Resistance to Change (Conflict Theory)

Globalization

Theories of the Relationship between Society and Technology

Rapidly changing Technology

Technological Determinism

Social Constructionism

Actor-Network

Critical Theory (Conflict)

Technological Systems

Areas and Directions of Technologically Mediated Change

The Future? Difficulties in Prediction.

Enjoy Your Futures!!!

Remember to THINK sociologically.

URL: http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/010/change.html
Owner: Robert O. Keel rok@umsl.edu
References and Credits for this Page of Notes
Last Updated: Wednesday, December 6, 2017 9:25 AM