This document discusses theories of social change and development. It describes how development theory emerged in the post-World War II era as American political elites sought to promote stability and economic growth in the developing world to counter Soviet influence. Key theories discussed include embedded liberalism, which saw market regulations alongside nation-state development and decolonization movements. Evolutionary and functionalist theories also sought to explain the transition from traditional to modern societies, viewing social change as gradual and institutions as interdependent parts of a social system.

1. SOC 222
Social Change and
Development
Fatma Altınbaş Sarıgül

2. What is Development?
• Social Development
• Changes in Society
• Organizations in the society
• Progress
• Multilateral Institions
• Global Social Order

3. Development
• Embedded Liberalism : Market Regulations,
Mature Nation-State System, Decolonization
Movements
• Cold War Era 1950s.
• Dominant discourse of neo-liberalism on
1970s.
(market liberalization, privatization, freedom of
capital movement and access, vs..)
• Globalization era during 1980s.

4. The Origins and Role of
Development Theory
• There were 3 crucial events in the post-World War
II era, 1950s.
1. The Rise of the USA as a superpower.
2. The Spread of the United World Communist
Movement. (Soviet Union’s influence)
3. The Disintegration of the European Colonial
Empires in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

5. The Origins and Role of
Development Theory
• American political elites and private institutions
encouraged social scientists to study 3rd World
Nation-States, to promote economic development
and political stability in the 3rd World.
• To avoid losing the new states to the Soviet Union
bloc, they gave generous support to young
academicians, political scientists, pyschologists,
anthropologists to make researchs in the 3rd
world, so there happened to be many
dissertations, books published about
development theory.

6. The Origins and Role of
Development Theory
• The Revolutions of 19th century-
Industrial Revolution and French Revolution
 These two revolutions ruined the old social order
and laid the foundation for a new one.
 Inventions in science and technology
 New factory production system
 Equality, liberty, freedom, parliament democracy.

7. The Origins and Role of
Development Theory
• The transtion from traditional to modern society in
19th century.
• Social, economic and political order changed
totally.
• This era was analyzed by evolutionary theory and
theorists.
For ex: Durkheim- Organic and Mechanic Solidarity

8. Evolutionary Theory
• Explains the transition from traditional to modern
society in Western Europe.
• It assumed that social change is unidirectional- human
society moves along one direction from a primitive to
an advanced states.
• It imposed a value judgement on the evolutionary
process- the movement toward the final phase is good
because it represents progress, humanity and
civilization.
• It assumed that the rate of social change is slow,
gradual and piecemeal.

9. Functionalist Theory
(Parsons)
• For Parsons, human society is like a
biological organism and can be studied as
such.
• Institutions of a society is like the organs of
a body and they are interrelated and
interdependent with one another.
• The ‘SYSTEM’: harmonious coordination
among institutions.

10. Functionalist Theory
(Parsons)
• 4 crucial functions that every society must
perform.
1. Adaptation to the environment
2. Goal attainment
3. Integration
4. Latency
AGIL

11. Functionalist Theory
(Parsons)
• Homeostatic Equilibrium: If one part changes in an
organism or in society, then the other parts will
change accordingly in order to restore equilibrium.
• When one institution experiences social change, it
causes a chain reaction of changes in other
institutions.
• Parsons assumes that institutions will generally be
in harmony, not struggling each other.

12. Functionalist Theory
(Parsons)
• ‘PATTERN VARIABLES’ formulation of Parsons.
1. Affective versus affective-neutral relationship
2. Particularistic versus universalistic relationship
3. Collective orientation versus self-orientation
4. Ascription versus achievement
5. Functionally diffused versus functionally specific
relationship.

13. CRITICAL THINKING
SESSION
• The disconnection between Development Theory
and the environment
Reading: ‘Waste and the Commodity Chain’ pg.19