“Social change can be brought about through development.” Illustrate. from the contemporary situation of India. (UPSC CSE Mains 2016 - Sociology, Paper 1)
- The fundamental changes that occur over time in the structure of society, its culture and social behavior, are called social changes.Human societies are characterised by the twin processes of continuity and change. While continuity is crucial in maintaining the social order, change is the law of life and a feature of human existence. It is often said that ‘change is the only constant’. The last couple of centuries have seen social change taking place on a massive scale and at a very fast pace, however, it would be a mistake to think that ancient societies or so called ‘primitive’ ones were static and unchanging.
- The concept of social change must also be compared with the related idea of ‘development’. While social change is an objective term and refers to all manner of changes in society, culture and behaviour patterns, ‘development’ refers to change in a, desirable direction. For instance, many countries like India, which were liberated from colonial rule, found themselves in a dire situation in terms of economic and social conditions of their people. Therefore, independent India’s policy planners had to place ‘development’ at the forefront and work towards bringing about economic growth and distribution, create infrastructure, and address social problems such as illiteracy, gender injustice, caste discrimination etc. Development thus refers to social change that will improve the lives of persons in the society. However, the notion of development also has its critics.
- Different stakeholders may have very different views on what constitutes a ‘positive’ change. For instance, an economist or a planner may think that a large hydelpower plant may bring huge benefits to the populace as it would lead to much better supply of electricity and result in growth of industries and jobs. However, those people displaced from the site, suffering from loss of lands and livelihoods may have an entirely different view. Environmental concerns are also finding a major place in developmental debates, as you will read in the other Units, and the conflict between humans and the natural world have become global concerns. The idea of ‘sustainable development’ which was extensively discussed in the Brundtland Report of 1987 has become important in the light of global environmental degradation and climate change which threaten the very survival of the species.
Examples:
- Decision of Assam govt. to cut salary of employees who neglect their parents is aimed at changing attitude towards elderly.
- National Madarsa Modernisation programme is aimed at improving literacy rate among followers of Islam in India.
- To Give Rs 2.5 Lakh Incentive to Every Inter-Caste Marriage Involving a Dalit, it is aimed at breaking caste barriers, and ending marginalisation of Dalits.
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