SOCIETAL

DYNAMICS AND
PROCESSES
HUMSS XII – James
Eranew D. Gilleran
Ma. Elyneth C. Adoptante
Societal Exchange and
Rational Choice Theory
• Society cannot exists without interaction among its members. People,
by nature are social beings that are interdependent with each other.

• · All social beings while unique to each other, are influenced by one
particular motivation and this is self-interest.

• · Self-interest is driven by our evolutionary tendencies to survive.

Cooperation and
Accommodation
• The other side of the spectrum is cooperation and accommodation.
Each time you play team sports or games that require you to be with
other players for a shared goal.

• · Cooperation happens when people come together and pitch in to

achieve a common task or goal.

• · The state of Accommodation similar to a compromise, it represents

neutrally in social interactions whereby the individual merely ascribe to
an agreement tk keep the status quo.
COOPERATION & ACCOMMODATION
HAVE DIFFERENT EFFECTS ON A
COMMUNITY

• COOPERATIONS- Provides the necessary communal spirit that

motivates people to contribute and volunteer.

• ACCOMMODATIONS- May cause the community to be complacent

regarding stands on issue and concerns. The lack of participation may
result in more social maladies such as despondency or apathy which
will render the community inefficient in the long run.
SOCIAL CHANGE

• Is the alteration of mechanisms within the social structure,

characterized by changes in culture symbols, rules of behavior, social
organizations or value systems.
PERSPECTIVE OF SOCIAL
CHANGE:
1. Evolutionary Theory- explains that society follows an evolutionary
development from a simple commune and then moves toward more
complex systems.

2. Conflict Theory- explains that conflict between the holders of power and
the disenfranchised are the drivers of social changes and conflict is a
necessary characteristic in social relations.

3. Functionalist Theory- explains that the set roles and statuses hold social
balance and therefore, any change in the scheme will have repercussions on
the function of other roles and statuses.
COMMUNITY STRUCTURES
PROCESS & DYNAMICS
• Community structures is represented by the social hierarchies that are
inherent to each collection. The various social statuses and roles all are
part of the social system we are all in. All members of the community,
from doctors, lawyers, firemen to the students live by these statuses and
roles.

• ·For community dynamics, the actors are the individuals, civil society
groups, pressure groups, and movements who all contribute to the
communities in the creations of meaning, in the interface of these actors,
we create networks that provide cohesion and order to our social
environment.
COMMUNITY STRUCTURES
PROCESS & DYNAMICS
Communities exists primarily on the wills of its members. We are the ones that create
the value and meaning.

Here are corollary assumptions under social exchanges.

1. People weigh incentives and trade-offs (reward or punishments.)
2. People are utility maximizes and thus rewarding actions be reinforced more.
3. People and choices and interrelated and interdependent.
4. All interactions are within the bounds of social norms and expectations.

This theory on Rational choices also applies to collectives because they are composed
of rational individuals that may have influence on the behavior and norms within the
organizations.
RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY
FOLLOWING BASIC TENETS:
1. Completeness- choices are not equal in terms of value to the
individual.

2. Transitivity- choices are variables are interrelated to each other.

Ex:
A. X js related to Y and Y is related to Z= X is related to Z.
B. X > Y and Y > Z = Z cannot be greater than X.
RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY
FOLLOWING BASIC TENETS:
• Following the assumptions above, we can say that choices are ordered
in such a way that an individual’s choice follows a relation that affects
the final choice or determined outcome.

• People cannot have absolute knowledge over the choices due to lack
of information or information asymmetry. Their actions may be
influenced by other actor’s choices due to bounded rationality that can
easily influence choice and behavior.
COMPETITION AND
CONFLICT:
•Once you graduate and apply for your university of choice, then you are in competition.

•In a competition, there are various actors that vie for limited number of opportunities
present, or in some instance, only one can be selected.

•Unlike competition where the main aim is to reach the goal, conflict aims to defeat the
other in more ways than the norm suggests.

•Conflict is more deliberate, and more violent coercive tactics may be employed by the
actor.

•Through competition and conflict, we can study about how collectives test the
boundaries of their dynamic and solidarity as one unit operating under a particular
environment.