1.

Physical (Environmental) factors

Some physical factors are
responsible for social change. Society
suffers a lot due to natural calamities
like flood, storms, famine, earthquake,
and volcanic eruption.
Changes in the physical
environment also force migration of
people in large numbers which also
brings change in the social life and
cultural values.
2. Demographic (Biological) factors
The social structure of a society is
closely related with the changes in the
size, composition and distribution of
population.
Population analysis shows that there
is a relationship between population
changes and economic, social and cultural
variations like poverty, literacy, health,
family structure, forms of marriage, work
etc.
Population growth is the most
important factor in poverty.
 The population of every society is
always changing both in numbers as
well as in composition.
Population changes have occurred
all through human history because of
migration, war, plague, changing
mores etc.
Today we have adopted two
artificial ways to control population
growth- birth control and abortion.
3. Cultural factors p

Social and the cultural aspects are

closely interrelated. Thus, any change in
the culture (ideas, values, beliefs etc.)
brings a corresponding change in the
whole social order.
Social systems are directly or
indirectly the creations of cultural values.
For instance, a religious doctrine,
which persisted with variations throughout
many centuries, have affected the course
of society.
4. Ideological factors
Ideas and ideologies have been
responsible to social change. Main ideas
like liberty, equality, fraternity, and the
world-famous revolution began in the
late 18th century.
Ideologies like fascism, democracy,
communism, socialism, etc. have a very
powerful influence on the changing
pattern of the society.
5. Economic factors p

Of economic influences, the most

impactful is industrialization. It has
revolutionized the whole way of life,
institutions, organizations and
community life.
Industrialization is also responsible
for the different classes of people in
society such as capitalists, the middle,
and the poor class people.
6. Scientific and Technological Factors
Advancement of science and
technologies has brought a revolutionary
change almost in all societies of the world.
The development and discovery of such
innovation such as steam power, petrol,
electricity, invention of wireless connections,
broadcasting cinema television have
produced tremendous effect on industry,
politics, religion, education, health, means of
transportation and communication, family
and social structure.
7. Education
Educators through their
educational ideologies bring a change in
the society. Education acts as the chief
and most powerful instrument for the
social change. Educational institutions,
books, magazines, newspapers etc.
greatly affect the social life of the
people. Hence, the role of education is
felt seriously to change the society in
all aspects.
What is Culture? p

Sociologies define culture as all

shared products of human groups.
These products include physical
objects and the beliefs, values, and
behaviors shared by a group. If society
is the collection of people, culture is
the collection of products that people
create.
Elements of Culture
1. Beliefs
Pertains about the meanings and
explanations on convictions and tenets
believed to be true.
2. Values p

Cultures standard for discerning what is

good and just in society.
3. Norms p

The shared rules of conduct that

tell people how to act in a specific
situations; norms are EXPECTATIONS,
not the way people necessarily act.
a. Folkways p

Customs that are socially approved

but do not have any moral
significance attached to them. They
are common customs of everyday life.
b. Mores
Customs that have great moral
significance.
c. Laws p

legal rules which the society

recognizes as regulating the actions of
its members and which it may enforce
by the imposition of penalities.
1. Material Culture
It is the physical objects that people
create. Sociologists and anthropologists
use the term artifacts to refer to physical
objects of material culture.
2. Non-material culture p

It is the abstract human creations.

Example:
1. Symbol- refer to things that convey
meaning or represent an idea.
2. Language, meanwhile is a set of symbols
that enables members of society to
communicate verbally (spoken) and
nonverbally (written, gestures).