The Process of Social Change, Essay Example

Early humans were hunter-gatherers who lived nomadic lifestyles based largely on searching for available food. Social structures were generally not as hierarchical as later societies, as individuals members of groups were all concerned with mere subsistence. The first social revolution arrived with the development of plant and animal cultivation, which made it possible for humans to live in one place. The development of the plow allowed for greater advances in agrarian societies. The steam engine heralded the Industrial Revolution, which led to the development of mass production and factories.   In the 20^th century the development of microchips and computers technology signaled the fourth social revolution.

William Ogburn viewed technology as the primary basis for social change, and identified invention, discovery, and diffusion as the main process by which technology causes social change. An invention like the plow or the steam engine led to social change. Discover differs from invention, as it involves finding or becoming aware of something that already exists, such as European colonists “discovering” continents they did not know of previously. Diffusion is the process by which discoveries and innovations spread from their point of origin to other people in other areas, and lead to changes in the social conditions of those people. One example of this would be the European and British colonists who brought new social ideas and technologies such as firearms to North America, which had an extensive and lasting impact on the social conditions of Native Americans. In contemporary times the diffusion of digital technology (computers, cell phones, etc.) is bringing social changes to many parts of the world, as new ideas and information reach new people and new places.