Social Change: Movements, Politics, and Technology is a groundbreaking exploration of social transformation from a conflict theory perspective, offering a deep dive into the historical and sociological analysis of leaders within contemporary social movements. This text-reader is an essential guide for those seeking to understand the dynamics of social change and the role of social actors in shaping the future.

This introduction to social change covers the momentous and relatively recent changes that have occurred in the human condition, examining not only the major causes and conditions underlying our current situation, but also the main choices and options we face as we strive to shape our individual and collective futures. This edition of Social Change has been thoroughly updated and revised. Building on previous editions, the book introduces a social scientific approach to change, discusses the components of change and the factors driving them, examines change on the macro-level, then looks toward the future with a discussion of planned change. Most chapters explore societies of yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and include comparative dimensions, especially along First, Second, and Third World lines. The engaging narrative traces several themes, such as the rise of capitalism and the socialist alternative, or civil rights movements in the United States and elsewhere, throughout the book. Social Change, Third Edition features a new discussion of the recent economic crisis and the interconnectedness of the global economy, new empirical data on globalization, and updated discussions of the concepts of evolution and altruism. It also incorporates the dramatic changes in India and China throughout the book.

The world is at our fingertips, but understanding what is going on has never been more daunting. Garth Massey’s Ways of Social Change is a primer for making sense of both rapidly moving events and the cultural and structural forces on which social life is built, while teaching critical thinking skills needed to understand social change. With an approach that is fresh, timely, challenging, and engaging, Ways of Social Change shows students how social change is both a lived experience and the result of our actions in the world. It invites the reader into the realm of social science, where clarification, understanding, and inquiry provide for both informed opinions and a path to effective involvement. The core of the book focuses on five forces that powerfully influence the direction, scope and speed of social change: science and technology, social movements, war and revolution, large corporations, and the state. A concluding chapter encourages students to examine their own perspectives and offers ways to engage in social change, now and in their lifetime.

Essays on the need to develop new research methods in social research in order to explain social change - examines the contribution of social problems, social conflicts and cultural factors to political problems and revolution; includes a cross cultural analysis of nationalism; criticizes capitalism in the USA and the role of USA in exporting a postindustrial society life style; reviews the interpretation of social movements by different social theories, etc. Bibliography.

Collection of essays on social change, including 3 case studies of change in Israel and among American Jewry - also includes a study of the elite, social planning for change, psychological aspects, and social theories. References.