R. Morrow, Dept.

of Sociology, University of Alberta

Theories of Social Change

• Two Dimensions of Society
– Static (synchronic) perspective
• view of society as a snap-shot of essential
structure
• explains how a society reproduces itself as
essentially the same
• examples: feudal society, market society
– Dynamic (diachronic) perspective
• view of changing forms of society over time
• resulting in theories of periodization (e.g. as
epoches, stages of evolution)
• historical vs. evolutionary models
(deterministic)
• example: classic Marxist versus functionalist
models of evolution
• Classical Models of Social Change
– Enlightenment: progress of scientific reason
– Marx: conflict and revolution
– Durkheim: integration and differentiation
– Weber: rationalization and domination

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 Contemporary Models of Change

• Introduction
– Build on and revise classical theories of change
• Shift from Europe to Third World(s)
• Focus on overcoming inequalities and
“backwardness” of “traditional” societies
• Dilemmas: dangers of Eurocentrism and
orientalism
• Development Studies (1950s-70s)
– modernization theory
• economic
• sociological (functionalist)
– critics of modernization theories
• classical Marxist
• dependency theory
• world-system theory
• Globalization theories (1980s-)
– Neoliberal globalization theory: economic variant of
modernization theory
– Alternative and critical globalization theories (world-
system theory, critical social theory)

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 Classical Models I: The 18th Century
Enlightenment
• Introduction: pre-modern theories of change
– No conception of change as progress
– Change as cyclical
• 18th century Enlightenment: Science of
Man
– Application of scientific reason to history: problematic
model of Newton (positivism)
– Rejection of religious and feudal accounts of social life
- “dark ages” vs. “modernity”
– Discovery of “society”
• previous focus on political regimes
• new analysis of the division of labour
• social processes as explanation of possible
political regimes
– Theory of progress as a philosophy of history
• Based on the development of reason (and science
and technology)
• Creates basis for the “perfectibility of man”
• Limited understanding of social change as a
process
• Eurocentric tendencies: Europe vs. “noble
savage” and “uncivilized”, “primitive peoples
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 Classical Models II: Marx on
Commodification and Revolution
• Introduction
– Karl Marx (1818-1883)
• German origins, ended up in London
• Collaborated with Friedrich Engels
• Early vs. late Marx
– Contextualizing his work
• Marxism as revolutionary ideology vs.
(academic) theories of social change as
historical materialism
• Extended the Enlightenment science of man to
emergence of capitalist industrialism
• Marx as a variant of utopian socialism based on
the evolution of modes of production
• Capitalist development as contradictory
– Capitalism as a new mode of production based on a
market system (= commodification)
– Capital-labour as class contradiction
– Theory of crisis and revolution
• Marx’s Theory of Imperialism
– necessity of imperial expansion on a global scale
– colonial exploitation makes industrialization
impossible without revolution
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 Classical Models III: Durkheim on
Differentiation as Evolution
• Classic functionalism
– Key founder: Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)
– Founder of French sociology; anticipates modern
welfare state - informs social liberal ideologies
– Theory of change: distinction between traditional and
modern society as a division of labour
• traditional society: mechanical solidarity
• modern: organic solidarity
– Social change: evolution as differentiation
• Modern functionalism
– Key founder: Talcott Parsons (1902-1979)
• American sociologist; studied in Germany
• Studied Durkheim and Weber, but model based on
Durkheim’s theory of differentiation
• Static model: the social system as 4 functional
prequisites of society (AGIL model)
• Dynamic: evolution as differentiation
– Applications in comparative politics and sociology:
functionalist modernization theory
• “new societies” required modernization of political,
social and cultural institutions for economic growth
• Critique of Marxism: “liberal” alternative to
revolutionary socialism 5
 Classical Models IV: Weber I on Domination
and Rationalization
• Introduction
– Max Weber (1864-1920) as German classical
sociological theorist
– Rejection of functionalism; revision of Marx
• Critique of Marx
– no inevitable evolutionary stages
– rejection of economic reductionism
– emphasis on importance of subjective, cultural and
contingent historical (contextual) factors
– economic factors must be viewed in context
• Domination: theory of political power
– Used in a technical sense - does not refer primarily to
physical control or oppression
– Refers to rulership - the variety of forms of relations
between rulers and ruled throughout history
– Domination based on two factors:
• coercion (physical and material)
• legitimation (authority, ideas)
– Typology of three forms of domination (authority)
• traditional
• charismatic
• rational-legal
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 Weber II: The Theory of Rationalization
• Rationalization
– along with commodification, one of the two key
processes of modernity for Weber
– different than psychological rationalization (Freud)
– refers to instrumental rationality (or technical
rationality)
• thinking and action based scientific-technical
calculation of best means to realize pre-given ends
• opposed to the substantive rationality of ends
– rationalization = cumulative effects of science,
technology and bureaucracy with no necessary relation
to human purposes (substantive rationality, e.g. USSR,
Nazism)
• Modern bureaucracy as rationalization
– traditional bureaucracy
• Ancient Egypt, China, etc.
• Experts: no autonomy; no necessary scientific basis
– modern bureaucracy: based on expertise & efficiency
• autonomy of civil servants makes technical
rationality possible (modern university & science)
• politics determines end; bureaucracy responsible
for means
• contemporary term = complex organization
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 Weber III: Patrimonial Domination and
Modernization
• Patrimonialism
– Patrimonial domination variant of traditional
domination
– Generally refers to forms of bureaucracy based on a
royal household (or other elites)
– Control based directly on will of ruler(s):
• areas of arbitrary use of power
• other areas limited by tradition
• unstable and subject to continuous resistance by
those dominated
• Weber viewed as an obstacle to modernization
and rational-legal domination (the modern state)
• Updating Weber: Patrimonial
Modernization
– Contexts where patrimonial domination mixed with
modernization and technical rationality
– Latin American case: origins in Spanish and
Portuguese Empires
– “Revolutions” of independency introduced formal
institutions of modernization (legal-rational
authority, democracy) but power still controlled by
traditional patrimonial elites (Mexico = the “political
class”) 8
 Development Studies I: Modernization
Theory
• Context of origins: post World War II
• Modernization theories
– Based on unilinear model of evolution as
convergence; focus on internal (endogenous) causes
of change
– economic: inevitable stages of economic
development (Rostow)
• economic reductionism
• neglects sociocultural contexts
– sociological: (origins in functionalism)
• evolutionary theory based on process of
differentiation: low to high (complex)
• economic development has sociocultural
prequisties
– politics: democracy
– culture: education, communications
– social structure: class mobility, emergence
of a middle class
• criticisms:
– based on problematic model of USA
– failure to occur in most cases
– not suitable for the classic Latin American
context 9
 Development Studies II: Alternative Views
• Introduction
– New focus on external (exogenous) causes of change
– Internal causes/obstacles of change linked to class
conflicts
• Classical Marxist Ideology: revolutionary
models
– Castroism: Marxism-Leninism
– Guevarism and Maosim
• Dependency theories: reformist models
– Originates among Latin American economists
– Often described as a form of political economy
– Focus on unequal terms of trade in the 1950s-
– Possibility of internal colonization: dual economy
– Policy alternative: protectionist models
• World-System theory: pioneering
globalization theory
– Draws upon Marx and dependency theory, but not
policy oriented
– Attempts to adapt Marx to new historical realities of
a global economy (16th century onward)
– Key founder: Immanuel Wallerstein (1930-)
– Analytical focus: centre-periphery relations 10
 Globalization theories (1980s-)
• Neoliberal Globalization theory
– origins in economics: globalization as an inevitable
economic imperative
– globalization from above - basis of US policy
– free trade, markets and formal democracy as
guarantee of change as progress
– need for strategies of economic, structural
adjustment policies
• balance budgets, reduction of state
• opening of market to global investment
– trickle down theory for reducing inequality
– critiques of populism, socialism and defenses of
marginal groups and classes
– official policy basis of many international insitutions
• IMF - International Monetary Fund
• World Bank
• Regional associations (NAFTA)
– Rejected or criticized by other international
institutions
• NGO’s - Non-governmental institutions
• UN agencies (UNESCO)

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• Democratic transition theory (1980s-)
– origins in modernization problematic and political
science
– thesis: “three waves” of democratization (Samuel
Huntington)
• first: French and American revolutions
• second: post World War II -liberation of
colonies, fascist Europe
• third 1970s (related to globalization): collapse of
fascism (Spain, Portugal) and failures of
revolutionary Marxism
– in a radicalized form, embraced by many critics of
modernization theory
• “formal” democracy versus “real” democracy
that includes marginalized groups
• effectiveness depends on strength of civil
society (non-state voluntary associations)
• Examples of new possibilities: Brazil,
Argentina, Chile, Mexico?

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• Alternative and critical globalization
theories
– So-called anti-globalization movement
– Diverse theories of alternative forms of globalization
• critiques of economic determinism
• focus on multiple contexts of change
– Examples in the social sciences:
• world-system theory
• network society theory (Castells)
– sequel to dependency theory
– focus on advanced global sectors vs.
marginal ones
• post-development theory: rejection of
modernization as a Eurocentric imposition
• critical social theory: alternative modernities?
– post-Marxist but uses political economy
– origins as a European theory of social
change, but now adapted to development
studies
– approach of this course influenced by Weber,
Habermas, etc as part of the analysis of
patrimonial modernization
– not opposed to globalization per se - depends
on form and consequences
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 Social Change in the New World
• Two Basic Patterns of Colonization
– Settler colonies: USA and Canada
• No feudal origins (no classical conservative-
liberal polarization)
• Colonies develop in isolation from indigenous
peoples
• Early development of constitutional regimes
• All politics “liberal” ( = Hartz thesis)
– Classic conquest colonies based on traditional
(patrimonial) domination (Spain, Portugal)
• Based on feudal models of power (patrimonial)
• Colonies often based on integration with
indigenous peoples (mestizos as hybridization)
• Early 19th century independence, but unstable and
failed constitutional regimes
• Efforts to fail French and American models of
Enlightenment fail
• Politics defined by opposition between liberals
and conservatives
– liberals: defend Enlightenment (freedom and
equality) and progress
– conservatives: defend church, traditional
political authority
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 Implications of the New World Context?

• Classical modernization theories fail for

Latin America
– No country has followed the American-Canadian
path directly
– Many breakdowns, dictatorships
– Uneven economic growth (Argentina comparable to
the USA in 1900)
• Classical Marxist revolutionary theory
also failed
– Some “practical” successes in gaining power
• Castroism: 1956-; guerrilla movements
• Central America: early 1980s: Nicaragua,
Guatemala, El Salvador
• Largely abandoned in late 1980s
– Valuable analysis of many problems; problematic
alternatives
– shift to democratic transition problematic
• Dependency theory: key assumptions have
changed with economic globalization
– movement of labor from periphery to center
– peripheral cities sites of transnational production
• Critical social theory as an alternative? 15