Exploring Social Changes

• Fall 2000.
• Soc. 3750: Social Change.
• Instructor: M. Kashefi
• Blair Hall: 310/ Tel. # 518-6216
• Office Hours: MWF: 10:00-12:00
• E-mail:cfmnk@eiu.edu
• http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfmnk/

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This is a course for the students who are mainly interested in macro-level social changes, both in the United States and in the contemporary world. The course covers the substance of social change, theories of social change, process of social change, and globalization.

One major purpose of this course is to provide the students with a firm understanding of the major changes in human societies, the factors affecting those changes, and the consequences of changes on different aspects of human life. The other purpose of the course is to apply the major concepts, principles, and theoretical issues discussed in the course to analyze a specific social change in the United States or in other societies.

Text Books:

• Required textbook: Harper, L. Charles. 1998. Exploring Social Changes: America and the World (third edition). New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc.
• Recommended textbook: Ritzer, George. 1996. The McDonaldization of Society. London: Pine Forge Press.

Course Requirements:

This course consists of lectures, discussions, and class presentations twice a week. Attendance and active class participation are required.

Assignments:

• Four in-class Exams. Exams will cover materials from class discussions and the assigned readings. They are not cumulative and will be equally weighted (20% each; 80% for all).
• A class presentation: You are responsible to present a research paper related a Social Change. Do not leave your paper or presentation for the end of the semester. I will pay a special attention to this assignment. It reflects the degree of your responsibility and how serious you consider the course (20%).

GRADING SCALE:

• 90---to---100 =A
• 80---to---089 =B
• 70---to---079 =C
• 60---to---069 =D
• 00---to---059 =F

Week 1: Goal: To understand the definition & dimensions of social changes.

• Organization, orientation, and introduction:
• What is social change?
• Sociology and social Change.
• A short video on social changes.
• Source: Harper, Ch. # 1.

• Major Historical Changes in USA.
• Structural changes.
• Cultural changes.
• Counter trends and reactions.
• Source: Harper, Ch. # 2.
• Discussion and conclusion.

• Changes in everyday life: (by the students).
• Demographic changes.
• Changes in families.
• Transforming work.
• Source: Harper, Ch. #3.
• Discussion and conclusion.

• Changes in the macro levels: economy and polity:
• Major changes in the economy.
• Major changes in the political system.
• Changes, problems, and the American prospects.
• Source: Harper, Ch. # 4.
• Discussion and conclusion.

Week 5: Goal: To explore the causes and pattern of social changes.

• The causes and pattern of changes:
• Materialistic explanation.
• Idealistic explanation.
• pattern of changes.
• Source: Harper, Ch. # 5
• Discussion and conclusion.

• Sociological perspectives on social change.
• Functionalist theory and social change.
• Conflict theory and social change.
• Interactionist theory and social change.
• Source: Harper, Ch. # 6.
• Discussion and conclusion.

Week 7: Goal : To analyze social movements as processes of social changes in USA.

• Process of social change:
• Social movements.
• Types of social movements.
• Explaining social movements.
• Source: Harper, Ch. # 7.
• Discussion and conclusion.

• American reform movements:
• The social context of the movements in 20th century America.
• Reform movements at the turn of the 20th century.
• Reform movements at mid 20th century.
• Source: Harper, Ch.# 8.
• Conclusion: The movements' accomplishment.

• Social Revolutions:
• What is a revolution?
• Theories of revolutions.
• The outcome of revolution.
• The collapse of Soviet Union as a revolution?
• Source: Harper, Ch. # 9.
• Conclusion: Social revolutions in today's societies.

• New Technology and social change.
• Innovation and social change.
• The act of innovation.
• Sources of innovation.
• Diffusion: How innovations spread.
• Social network.
• Source: Harper: Ch.# 10
• Information technology and revolution.

• Creating social changes:
• Changes in Omaha--change by planning.
• Basic change strategies.
• Role of violence in social change.
• Being a change agent.
• Source: Harper, Ch. #11.
• Conclusion on creating social change.

• The emerging of world system: Globalization:
• What is development.
• Uneven development.
• Theories of development.
• Explaining failed development.
• Source: Harper, Ch.# 12.
• Conclusion on development and modernization.

• Dependency and World System theory. What is world system theory?
• Structure and dynamics of world system theory.
• Globalization.
• Globalization and human progress.
• Source: Harper, Ch.# 12.
• Conclusion: Consequences of globalization.

• Society, environment, and social changes.
• Ecological perspectives and social changes.
• Dimensions of ecological changes.
• Human impacts and Global environment changes.
• Source: Harper, Ch. # 13.
• Conclusion: Environment and social change.

• World futures.
• New World Order or New World Chaos.
• Looking at the next 50 years.
• Prophetic Views.
• Source: Harper, Ch.# 14.
• Conclusion: "Third Revolution?"