Factors of Social Change

a. Biological Factor

• Human population changes in number, composition, heredity, and quality affect society.
• Each generation is different from the previous one in ideas and behaviors.
• Demographic shifts like rural-to-urban migration and population density impact social structure.
• Changes in genetic traits and species extinction in the biological environment also influence societal change.

 

b. Natural/Physical Factor

• Natural disasters (floods, earthquakes, landslides, etc.) cause sudden social upheaval.
• These physical changes often lead to long-term transformations in settlement and community life.

 

c. Technological Factor

• New technologies alter institutions, customs, and social organization.
• Mechanization has transformed economies and devalued traditional social systems.
• According to Ogburn, technology changes society by changing the material environment, prompting social adaptation.
• Example: Replacement of horse-drawn transport by automobiles reshaped infrastructure and lifestyle.

 

d. Cultural Factor

• Culture changes through diffusion, invention, discovery, and borrowing.
• Culture both responds to change and generates it from within.
• Shifts in cultural values directly impact social institutions and behavior.

 

e. Social Factor

• Changes in customs and social practices (e.g., end of Sati, child marriage, widow remarriage) affect society.
• In Nepal, changes in caste system, family structure, marriage laws, and traditions lead to broader social transformation.

 

f. Political Factor

• Political changes (e.g., revolutions, regime shifts) bring about social restructuring.
• In Nepal, major changes were seen before and after 2007 B.S. and 2046 B.S., including the shift to multi-party democracy, which modified the social system.