Definition of social change

The notion of social change implies the modification or transformation structures of various types belonging to a population group. This social change can be expressed in numerous ways, from superficial and constantly developing elements, as well as in deep-rooted structures. tradition. The reasons for which social change can take place are of various kinds and can also be explicit or implicit, voluntary or involuntary according to the type of population and to elements external to it.

Matured by the first sociologists in history, led by Auguste Comte, the concept of social change has always fascinated students of societies since it has to do with capacity of a given population or of several populations acting at the same time, to vary structures of varying importance to accommodate different historical moments of their existence.

Social change can be applied to many aspects of a society. Although it is normally related to economic-political issues, it can and should also be applied to cultural, ethical and identity issues of a community. For example, changes in the forms of

government, the evolution economic programs, the variation in the systems of traditions, the modifications in the ways of representing reality culturally, the alteration of the values behavior and the intrinsic identity changes of a society are all clear patterns of social change, despite the fact that some develop more easily and are more visible than others.

It can be said that the idea of ​​social change has in most cases a connotation positive since it implies the evolution and adaptation of a society to the particular needs of each historical moment. In this sense, progressive and modernist social groups will always welcome social change towards new structures. However, for many sectors of the population, those who call themselves conservative or reactionary, social change can be seen as something negative since it means leaving behind certain values, rules of conduct and ways of understanding the world traditionally accepted as the most correct regardless of the development of the social group.

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