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Social Change in
Pakistani Society
By Web Desk - August 14, 2021  3064  0

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In sociology, social change is defined as the

alteration of mechanisms within the social
structure, characterized by changes in
cultural symbols, rules of behaviour, social
organizations, or value system.
Simply, it is the study of shifts in attitudes
and behaviour that characterize a society.
No doubt, society moves forward by
evolutionary means. So, it is possible to
observe a candid change in the socio-
economic structures of society. In Pakistan,
over the years, an upper-tier national social
organization has evolved, comprising
provincial and regional communities. The
Pakistani society coinciding with the nation-
state. Pakistan’s rich history is reflected in
the racial, linguistic, and cultural diversity
of its population.
Historically, Periodic waves of invaders from
central Asia introduced new racial and
cultural strains in the indigenous population
of the area. Although the newcomers were
assimilated in local communities, their
ancestral origins morphed into ethnic and
caste identities, such as Khans, Rajputs,
Mughuls, Qureshis, Sayyids, etc. The
combination of physiognomic, cultural, and
linguistic differences has laid the
groundwork for ethnic diversity in Pakistan.
These differences were further sharpened
by the British colonial policy of classifying
people by ethnicity and caste. Pakistani
society is pluralistic regarding cultures and
languages. In Pakistani society, social
change is palpable and is evident. This
thing that is difficult to understand is the
direction of change. Is it a march toward
modernism, oscillations from the traditional
to modern ways and back, or fracturing of a
coherent social system? But presently
another question is more pressing, namely,
what processes and forces are driving the
change?
Historical events, external economic and
political forces, technological advances,
internal political and social dynamics, and
the diffusion or invention of new ideas and
practices are some of the known “causes”
of social and cultural changes. The point is
that there is a very rich menu of theories to
choose from in seeking explanations of
social change in Pakistan. Yet the challenge
lies in uncovering the structure of
Pakistan’s social change. If we enlist the
causes of social change in Pakistan then it
would be a long list. Technology, Social
Movements, Political processes, Media,
Consumerism and Education are the major
causes of social change in Pakistan. Now, it
is impossible to imagine our lives without
modern technology. Technology can create
change in the other forces of social change.
In Pakistan, technological implementations
caused a digital divide. Change can also
occur from people joining together for a
common cause. This is called a social
movement. Social movements are classified
according to the kind of change they are
seeking. In Pakistan, social movements like
‘Aurat March’ and different political
movements became the causes of rapid
social change.
In today’s modern world, media has a great
role in spreading awareness among the
masses. Like other countries, in Pakistan,
the media has played a major role in
positive developments like gender bias,
poverty, and spreading awareness about
the need for a peaceful world. Our religious,
social and cultural values are being
modified due to excessive coverage of the
foreign content on our national media.
Pakistani media has a much bigger
responsibility than any other media in the
world. It has to work and educate the
masses about the importance of religious
harmony and the concept of coexistence. It
has to inculcate the importance of pluralism
in the minds of the people. In Pakistan, the
functioning of the state apparatus itself and
the nature of interstate relations are also of
decisive importance in changing society.
Different political movements and political
unrest also mending the way for social
change. The change in the perception of the
masses about human and citizen rights is a
valuable outcome of political movements.
In Pakistan, the relationship of education
with social change is not simple. Simply,
our society wishing to change or modernize
itself and has to employ several means,
instruments, institutions, agents or
agencies to achieve its desired goals.
Among such means, education is the most
important. Education provides necessary
training in skills and occupations. Not only
this, modern education is changing the
values and attitudes of people. The role of
education in bringing about social change or
modernization in Pakistan is significant.
Pakistani society is vibrant. It is oscillating
between tradition and modernism. People
are aspirant to adopt modern lifestyle and
want to enjoy modern facilities of urban
life. The penetration of western culture
through technology, media and modern
education is evident.
Middle and lower-middle classes in society
are trying to find a way to carry tradition
and modernism equally. There is a conflict
and differences in ideas between advocates
of tradition and modernism. Pakistani
society is in a transition phase of social
change. At this time, Pakistani society is
neither completely traditional nor fully
modern. Now, in Pakistan, it is very
important to identify the direction of social
change and maintain a suitable pace
because it is necessary for a stable and
peaceful society.

The writer is Lecturer Department of

Humanities and Social Sciences Khwaja
Fareed University of Engineering and
Information Technology

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