TRANSITORY SOCIAL CHANGE
· Short-lived
social changes
· Usually
have little sustained impact on society
· Often
indicate a problem in society
· People
adapting to new needs: example - duct
tape sales, local tourism
· People expressing
discontent: example - labor strikes, riots
· Sometimes
deflects attention from more important social changes: example – drug use, hip-hop, school policing
1. Changes of Fads
Fads = what is “cutting edge” for particular sub-group in a short time period –
usually doesn’t last longer than a year or two ideas -- clothing, hair, music,
recreation, etc.
· Examples:
dances, Mohawks, communes, ‘power bars’, ‘no carb diets’, talk radio, bungee
jumping, “military dress”
· Identifies
in and out group membership
2.
Changes of Fashion
Fashion = what is popular across 2-10 years – ideas (total quality management, political
correctness), clothing, hair, music, art, housing, computers, recreation, etc..
· Usually
spreads over several groups and social classes
· Changes
quickly, but less quickly than fads
· Fashion
designates class identity and boundaries: Example – branding
· Defines
cultural capital
· Automobiles,
golf, clothing
· Others try
to assimilate: off brands
· Sometimes
reverse assimilation: jeans, rap, tattoos, body piercing
· Fashion
changes are usually tied to social class
· Changes in
fashion often represent the system need for people to consume. Example: cars,
laptops
Dictates member behavior, attitudes and values
Usually a religious connection
Does not try to change mainstream culture
Life separate from mainstream society
Examples: Branch Dividians, Heaven’s Gate, Krishna, Sun
Myung Moon, Mormon polygamist
Cohorts
1950: Careerism and the “organizational man”
1960s: Social values – against war, for civil rights, hippie culture
1980s-1990s: Generation X apathy, lack self-efficacy (likely in response to
AIDS, global economies and hostilities, divorce, environmental crises)
Try to change mainstream behavior, attitudes and values
Puts pressure on mainstream culture, often leading to
widespread social change
Often have their own way of communicating, dressing, living,
etc.. But don’t separate from
mainstream society completely
Examples:
1960s and 70s college protests
Scientology
Skinheads and Straight Edge
MTV (anti-prejudice message, political action, diversity of programming,
influence over media, access to youth)
Counter cultures usually don’t last long historically (10
years or so max): Why?
Pressures to conform – children, jobs
Lack of new recruits
Don’t hold positions of power in institutions and if they seek them they
usually must start conforming in order to get them and keep them
Social movements
Long-term collective behavior to produce widespread social
change in attitudes, beliefs, values, behaviors, institutions and social
structure (rules, traditions, ways of life)
Examples: civil rights movement, women’s movement, gay rights movement, moral
majority, Mothers against Drunk Driving
Once institutionalized, movements either disband because
goal is reached or they take on new agenda
Sometimes goals and agenda are co-opted by other groups, usually more
mainstream groups. Examples: Green
party, civil rights movement, women’s movement
Movements often grow from counter cultures: civil rights movement (Abbie
Hoffman, Malcom X)