Global Social Changes: All information from Shackman, Wang and Liu, 2003.
The issue
of social change is the core of sociology.
History of sociological thought – Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Feminist Theory
Examples of
global issues of social change today: security/terrorism, environment, climate,
energy, development, population, disarmament, economic issues, globalization,
health, human rights, scientific development, biotechnology, human trafficking,
war/conflict, drugs, and crime
Social
change is interdisciplinary. For
example, the high infant mortality in less developed countries as compared to
the low infant mortality rate in more developed countries. Why is it higher in less developed
countries? What should we do about
it? The answers to these questions require
interdisciplinary science.
Historically,
there are many social changes that have occurred on a global scale. Below we discuss some of these in
detail.
1.
Globalization: the rapid increase in cross-border economic, social,
technological and cultural exchange (Guillén 2001); convergence among states
and organizations
Examples of:
·
Foreign
direct investment
·
Government
policy making
·
International
security/military forces
·
Internet
Why:
·
More
free markets leads to more trade, which leads to more sharing of culture
·
Global
problems: AIDS epidemic, global warming, pollution, terrorism
Consequences:
·
More
income inequality in developed countries
·
Concentrations
of international power
·
Cheaper
and more diverse goods and services
·
Higher
income for employed in developing countries.
2. Urbanization:
The increase in the number of people living in urban areas.
There
have been large increases in
urbanization.
Percent of Population Living in Urban Areas
|
|
N |
Percent Urban 1975 |
Percent Urban 1999 |
|
world |
162 |
37.8 |
46.5 |
|
LDC |
121 |
26.4 |
39.1 |
|
MDC |
41 |
70.4 |
76.1 |
On
average, MDCs are much more urbanized
than are LDCs. .
Urbanization increased among MDCs and LDCs.
Consequences:
·
Urban
sprawl (loss of green space)
·
Air
quality declines
·
Crime
increases
·
Transportation
needs increase
·
Emergency
service needs increase
3.
Population Characteristics
See notes on dynamics of population change: fertility,
mortality, migration
Percent of World Population
|
|
1500 |
1600 |
1700 |
1820 |
1870 |
1913 |
1950 |
1973 |
1998 |
|
Western Europe |
13.1% |
13.3% |
13.5% |
12.8% |
14.8% |
14.6% |
12.1% |
9.2% |
6.6% |
|
Eastern Europe |
3.1% |
3.0% |
3.1% |
3.5% |
4.1% |
4.4% |
3.5% |
2.8% |
2.0% |
|
Former USSR |
3.9% |
3.7% |
4.4% |
5.3% |
7.0% |
8.7% |
7.1% |
6.4% |
4.9% |
|
Western Offshoots (US+) |
0.6% |
0.4% |
0.3% |
1.1% |
3.6% |
6.2% |
7.0% |
6.4% |
5.5% |
|
Latin America |
4.0% |
1.5% |
2.0% |
2.0% |
3.1% |
4.5% |
6.6% |
7.9% |
8.6% |
|
Japan |
3.5% |
3.3% |
4.5% |
3.0% |
2.7% |
2.9% |
3.3% |
2.8% |
2.1% |
|
Asia (except Japan) |
61.3% |
64.8% |
62.1% |
65.3% |
57.5% |
51.7% |
51.4% |
54.7% |
57.4% |
|
Africa |
10.5% |
9.9% |
10.1% |
7.1% |
7.1% |
7.0% |
9.0% |
9.9% |
12.9% |
Asian
countries have historically represented the vast majority of the World’s
population. This remains true today.
Population and Population
Change
|
|
N |
Mid Year |
Mid Year |
Mid Year |
Growth |
Growth |
Annual |
Annual |
|
All |
223 |
6157 |
4456 |
3039 |
46.61% |
38.18% |
2.33% |
1.82% |
|
Less Developed |
167 |
4968 |
3375 |
2129 |
58.53% |
47.21% |
2.93% |
2.25% |
|
More Developed |
56 |
1189 |
1081 |
910 |
18.72% |
9.99% |
0.94% |
0.48% |
|
LDC as pct of Total |
|
81.00% |
76% |
70% |
|
|
|
|
Higher
population growth in less developed countries, lower pop growth in more
developed countries. The population in less developed countries is becoming an increasingly
large proportion of world total population, growing from 70% in 1960 to 81% in
2001.
Consequences: less developed countries are increasingly
dependent on other countries for resources
Population
decreases in more developed countries due to older ages at first marriage and
higher education, particularly among women (more people use birth control)
Births per 1000 population
|
|
N |
|
|
|
World |
133 |
30.2 |
22.7 |
|
Less Developed Countries |
99 |
36.1 |
25.9 |
|
More Developed Countries |
34 |
15.1 |
11.9 |
The
population age 65 and older is increasing, particularly among women in
developed countries.
|
Population
age distribution (WHO Data) |
|||
|
|
N |
1990 pct pop |
2000 pct pop |
|
world |
187 |
8.95% |
9.97% |
|
LDC |
142 |
6.78% |
7.65% |
|
MDC |
45 |
17.68% |
19.42% |
The
population age 0-4 is larger in less developed countries than in more developed
countries, but is declining in both developed and less developed countries.
|
Population
age distribution (US Census Data) |
|||
|
|
N |
1990 pct pop |
2001 pct pop |
|
world |
177 |
11.8% |
9.9% |
|
LDC |
149 |
12.9% |
10.9% |
|
MDC |
28 |
7.1% |
5.7% |
4. Health
Infant Mortality Rates: Unicef Data
|
Regional summaries |
1960 |
1970 |
1980 |
1990 |
1995 |
2000 |
|
World |
126 |
96 |
79 |
64 |
60 |
57 |
|
Least developed
countries |
170 |
150 |
130 |
114 |
108 |
102 |
|
Developing countries |
141 |
108 |
88 |
70 |
66 |
63 |
|
Industrialized
countries |
31 |
20 |
12 |
8 |
6 |
6 |
IMR among developing
countries declined from 141 infant deaths per 1000 births in 1960 to 63 in
2000. However, infant mortality rate was and still is very high for some
countries. In 2000, the IMR among developing countries, on average, was
about 10 times as large as it was among industrialized countries, and the IMR
among less developed countries was over 15 times higher than industrialized
countries. The IMR for several west and
north Africa countries was still above 150.
5. Education
Illiteracy rates: Percent Illiterate Aged 15 years and over
|
|
1970 |
2000 |
|
World |
37 |
20.3 |
|
Less developed
countries |
52.3 |
26.4 |
|
More developed
countries |
5.5 |
1.4 |
There
have been large decreases in illiteracy
among more developed and less developed countries. However, the illiteracy rates are much higher
for less developed countries. Illiteracy rates were about 10 times larger in less developed
countries than they were in more developed countries in 1970, and about 20 times larger in 2000.
Population over age 25
without any schooling
|
|
1960 |
1980 |
2000 |
|
World |
36.3% |
33.0% |
25.3% |
|
China |
|
44.9% |
20.9% |
|
Least developed
countries |
67.6% |
55.9% |
36.8% |
|
More developed
countries |
5.1% |
3.47% |
2.1% |
The
percent of population without any school decreased from 36% in 1960 to 25% in
2000. Among developing countries,
the percent without school in 2000 was about half of what it was in 1960. Percent of population with no school varied
greatly among LDCs in 2000, from less than 10% to over 65%. Variation
among MDCs was much less, varying from less than 2% to 17%.
Illiteracy rate: Population aged 15 years and over, Male and Females
|
|
1970 |
1980 Males/Females |
1990 Males/Females |
2000 Males/Females |
|
World |
29 / 45 |
23 / 38 |
18 / 31 |
15 / 26 |
|
Least developed
countries |
62 / 84 |
56 / 77 |
46 / 68 |
38 / 58 |
|
More developed
countries |
3.2 /
7.6 |
2.2 /
4.9 |
1.5 /
3.1 |
1.0 /
1.9 |