Factors shaping major social changes in the twenty-first century

Social Changes in the 21st Century

What factor(s) do you think will shape and/or determine the major social changes that will occur during the twenty-first century?

In the twentieth century we have perhaps witnessed more social changes than our ancestors had had in the preceding several centuries. Technological developments of the last century have affected our social lives in different ways. Since the pace of technological development is also increasing, it is likely that the changes in the twenty first century will be even more significant. Macionis (2008) defines social change as "the transformation of culture and social institutions over time" (p. 485). He identifies four major characteristics of social changes: they happen all the time, social change may be unplanned but may also be intentional, social change is sometimes controversial, and some social changes are more significant than others. In today's globalized world of mass communications, social changes in one place are likely to take a chain effect of setting up changes in other places as well. Therefore, changes in the twenty-first century will be more sweeping around the world, making the changes too radical for some parts of the world, and will profoundly impact our view of the world.

Most of the changes of the twentieth century were brought about by modernization: industrialization, rise of scientific and empirical inquiry, adoption of the principles of the nation-state by all governing polities in the world, and the development of technology which is leading us to a new era -- postindustrial, postmodern, information-based era. Changes in the twenty-first century are going to take place within the framework of postmodernist thinking. Postmodernity challenges modernist thinking on several grounds. The idea of progress through modernity did not eliminate the most pressing problems of humanity -- problems such as poverty, corruption, wars, slavery, and global inequality. On the contrary, the global inequality has increased in the last several decades and modern means of communication and technology are being utilized for facilitating wars, corruption, and slavery. Therefore, many activists in the twenty first century are going to be wary of the idea that technology can solve our problems, and the number of people trying to address problems caused by modernity (environmental degradation, for example) is likely to increase.

While science is going to be important, people in the twenty first century will also be less optimistic about the utility of science in dealing with problems of social nature. Developing countries are going to develop along the Japanese model: embracing technological and scientific innovations but remaining traditional in their outlook. This is going to be a complex development, as the flow of information from the developed countries is going to be disproportionally much higher than the flow of information and know-how from the developing countries. As such, westernization of traditional societies is likely to continue, perhaps in an accelerated manner; the primacy of English as an international language is going to continue in the age of facebooks and twitters, and the MTV and Hollywood are going to shake and in some cases destroy traditional cultures in many parts of the world. But at the same time, people receiving the western flow of information are going to be resistant, trying to preserve their traditional ways of life and even developing anti-Western ideas.