4 the Dynamic of Social Change

8/13/2019 4 the Dynamic of Social Change

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THE DYNAMIC OF SOCIAL

CHANGE;SOCIAL-CHANGE THEORIES AND DILEMMAS

EQUILIBRIUM AND COMPLEXITY

THEORY OF SOCIAL EMERGENCE

Lecturer : Didip Diandra, MBA4thSession


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What

Social change isdefinedas asystemictransformation overtime in theorganization ofsociety in patterns

of thinking,behavior, socialrelationships,institutions, and

social structure.


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What sort of change do they generate?

It is certainly not the kind of massive and rapid

upheaval caused by natural disasters or

political revolutions; nor is it the change

created by external events, such as the

opening of a new industrial plant along with

the promise of economic benefitsto the

community; nor is it the change engendered bynew inventions and technologies.


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Focus

Section 2 will focus on this sort of from-small-

to-major-social-change dynamic. First, we will

review how the existing theories relate to

social entrepreneurship ways of introducing

change (Chapter 4). Next (Chapters 5 and 6),

we will present a dynamical approach, looking

in detail into the mechanisms of this sort ofbottom-up social change.


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Who is Kaz Jaworski?... What he did?

Discuss!

The following narrative is illustrative of how

one social entrepreneur achieved social

change by starting small and, gradually

gaining in signifi- cance, succeeded in creating

a major impact on the entire society.

Kazimierz (Kaz) Jaworski, Poland:

Empowering disadvantaged rural communitiesthrough a bottom-up process


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Defining

Social hange isthe systemic transformation

in patterns of thoughts, behavior,

social relationships, institutions,

and social structure

over time.


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Mindset Change

Munir Hasan, Steve Bigari, and Kaz Jaworskiinfluencedthe mindsets and behavior of theirtarget societies. They transformed the

relationships into more cooperative, inclusive,and trusting ones. They modifiedinstitutionsand sparked the formation of new ones.Finally, as a result, social structures were

altered (Munir influenceda new, partnership-based model of relationships in education;Steve mainstreamed the previously excludedgroup; and Kaz brought about strong civic and

economic participation).


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Existing Theories of Social

Change

Ancient Greeks and the Present Time


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4 Theories Find out?

In sociology there are at least four basic

categories of theories of social change (Noble,

2000; Vago,2004):

1. Evolutionary2. Conflictual

3. Structural-functional, and

4. Social-psychological


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Crucial dilemmas Find out!

Is Social Change Endogenous or Exogenous?

Is Social Change Inevitable or Contingent?

Individuals or Societies?

Materialism or Idealism?


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Social Problems

Social problems are characterized by extreme

complexity, but it is that very same complexity

that provides a way to achieve large scale

social change by exerting a disproportionatelysmall force. Analyzing and exploring this

principle will be the main focus of this chapter.

We will present the theoretical framework ofthe complexity approach, which illustrates the

complex social system change fostered by

social entrepreneurs.


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Who is he

Kurt Lewins

Force-field Theory

?


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Social Emergence

The accumulation of changes on the micro level may turn atsome point into changes on the macro level, at which somenew and significant structures emerge; these newly appearingstructures are called emergent phenomena.

What probably makes emergence theory so compelling is that

it relates to processes in which new entities arise without anyspecificbody either controlling or orchestrating thisoccurrence; the emergent phenomenon typically arises in theabsence of any sort of invisible hand or central controllingagent. As stated in Chapter 4, social entrepreneurs oftenenable the endogenous change process instead of controllingit. Through a deep understanding of the Lewinian force- field(Chapter 5), they often operate as if from the inside.

Emergent phenomena are clearly observed in physics,biology, and sociology. Similarly, social entrepreneurs foster aprocess leading to the emergence of new, irreversible social

structures, mindsets, and symbols.


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Basic Properties of Emergent Systems,

Goldstein (1999):

Radical novelty

The appearance of features that are not previously observed. Forexample, no matter how long and meticulously scientists (chemistsand physicists) might analyze single air particles, they would neverbe able to predict that those particles, if brought together, wouldpropagate sound waves! Similarly, analyzing single ants wouldnever bring us to the conclusion that if more such ants gatheredtogether they would cooperate in building anthills. The anthill is anemergent result of their cooperation, with no external or internalbody controlling or directing them. Ants are genetically programmedto exchange information and, through that biochemical process ofcommunication, they create complex and surprising emergent

entities.Unpredictability

The creation of complex systemsin this case, anthillscan neverbe predicted by individually examining ants; the new propertyappears on a higher level as a result of the exchange of information.The features of emergents are neither predictable nor deducible

from lower- or micro-level components.


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Cont

Coherence or CorrelationEmergents appear as integrated wholes that tend tomaintain some sense of identity over time. The sand pileas a whole maintains coherence (you can admire its

elegance regardless of the amount of sand added on thetop). The v-shaped flocksof birds, as well as the swarmof ants, are coherent; this coherence spans andcorrelates the separate, lower-level components into ahigher-level unity.

Global or Macro LevelBecause coherence represents a correlation that spansseparate components, the locus of emergent phenomenaoccurs at a global or macro level, although componentsare located at the micro level. On the micro level, one canobserve only single ants or single birds on a tree. Theoccurrence and observation of their emergent behavior is


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Cont

DynamicalEmergent phenomena arise as complex systemsgradually, over time. This means that there are someprocesses and increasing interactions that gather

momentum, as when a random group of birdson thebranches of a tree spontaneously (as we interpret it)picks up and takes off and, in transit, exchangesinformation leading to the formation of a v-shaped flock(Reynolds, 1987). As a dynamical construct, emergenceis associated with the arising of new attractors (see

Chapter 5) in dynamical systems.Clearly Demonstrative

Emergents are recognized by showing them- selves.One can easily spot and admire a v-shaped flockofbirds; similarly, one can easily identify elegant anthillsclearly visible on the forest floor.


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5 Level of Social Emergence,

Sawyer (2007):

1. The individual level, which consists of individual intentions,memories, personalities, and cognitive processes. We couldadd that at that level people represent their own personalexperience, patterns of attribution, eventual prejudices, andattitudes.

2. The second is the interaction level, which involves patternsof discourse, symbolic interaction, collaboration, andnegotiation.

3. The third is the ephemeral-emergent level, at which someemergent manifestations may appear, although still unstable;there may arise some common topics, frames of interactions,

structures for participation, and some relative roles andstatuses. However, at this point, things can be easily reversed.

4. The fourth is the stable-emergent level, at which we observegroup structures, new language (e.g., group jargon,catchphrases), and con- versational routines. These elements

are the base for finalemergence.5. Finally, the social-structure level, where we observe the


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The Circle of Emergence, Kaz Jaworski:

1. Individual

2. Interactions

3. Ephemeral Emergents

4. Stable Emergents

5. Structures


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Quiz

1. Define social change?

2. Who is Kaz Jaworski?... What he did?

3. Find out and explain four basic categories of

theories of social change (Noble, 2000;Vago,2004)?

4. Who and what is Kurt LewinsForce-field

Theory?

Make Group Discussion


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Reference:

Global Ryszard Praszkier. Andrzej Nowak. Social

Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. Cambridge

University Press. Section 1 page 31-79

Peter C. Brinckerhoff. 2000. Social Entrepreneurship.

Wiley Non-profit Series. Chapter 1


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4 the Dynamic of Social Change