Page 597 - Sociology and You

U S I N G
Your Sociological Imagination
When you see photos or films showing the Plains Indians of the Old West—Sioux, Crow, and so forth—what do you think about the culture of those Native Americans? If you’re like most of us, you may assume that it had re- mained unchanged for many centuries—that these people dressed and acted in exactly the same way as their ancestors.
We often assume that nonindustrial soci- eties such as these stand still over time. Actually, though, sociology teaches us that change comes to all societies. Whether by borrowing from other cultures, discovering new ways of doing things, or creating inven- tions that ripple through society, all peoples experience social change.
Let’s return to the example of the Plains Indians. You may picture these tribes as fierce, buffalo-hunting warriors. Perhaps im- ages of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse astride fast horses attacking Custer come to mind, leading you to think that their ancestors for centuries had also ridden horses. In fact, horses were a relatively recent introduction to Plains Indian culture in the 1800s. The Spanish brought modern horses to North America, and not until the late 1600s and early 1700s were horses available in large numbers to the Plains Indians. Early Native American tribes on the Plains had been no- mads living more off wild food plants than buffalo. This chapter will examine different ways change affects society.
Sections
1. Social Change
2. Theoretical Perspectives
on Social Change
3. Collective Behavior
4. Social Movements
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you will be able to
❖ illustrate the three social processes that contribute to social change.
❖ discuss how technology, population, nat- ural environment, revolution, and war cause cultures to change.
❖ describe social change as viewed by the functionalist and conflict perspectives.
❖ discuss rumors, fads, and fashions.
❖ compare and contrast theories of crowd
behavior.
❖ compare and contrast theories of social movements.
Chapter Overview
Visit the Sociology and You Web site at soc.glencoe.com and click on Chapter 17— Chapter Overviews to preview chapter information.
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