Lecture Note on Concept of Social Change in Rural Society

Change is necessary for improving the welfare of people. Most of the problems
associated with human beings are rooted in change process in one form or the
other. However, there are problems that are usually associated with every type
of change or innovation brought about since change indicates a deviation from
what they have been accustomed to. The basis behind social change is that all
societies are changing at all times. Social change can be defined as the
modification in social systems and their sub-units in terms of their functioning
or structure for a specified period of time i.e. it involves the change in the way
people interact socially, in their structured relationships and in the functions
performed by these relationships.
Social change is the significant alteration of social structures including
consequences and manifestations of such structures embodies in norms
values, cultural products and symbols.
Social change may take either of the following forms.
1. Modification in human attitudes and behavior pattern as a result of
education for example, a farmer changing his system of farming as a result of
innovation received from the extension agent.
2. Alteration in social conditions as a result of changes in policies of a social
organization
3. Effecting reforms in major legal and functional systems of a society.
Whenever laws are passed, they call for changes in the way sand conduct of
people and which usually demands for adjustment.
4. Changes in material culture involve the change in the arts and artifacts of
cultures. It is the outwards manifestation of changes in the non material
aspects of culture.
Types of Social Change
There are different types of changes and it is imperative that the extension
should get acquainted with them so as to know which one to apply for its rural
development projects.
1. Planned change.
Planned change is the one in which deliberate intervention effort is made to
alter existing practice. It entails mutual goal setting by one or both parties.
Goals and objectives must be clear to minimize trial and error. Planned change
is used to correct some of the consequences of unintended or unplanned
changes. It is also used in improving the rural system and for seeking
assistance from out side.
2. Unplanned/ unintended plan/ natural change.
This type of change has no apparent deliberation or goal getting. It involves
operations or activities which human being has no control over. For example,
unplanned change may involve natural disaster such as flood or earthquake
which can make people to shift from their locations to the other.
3. Total Change
This type of change is encompassing and comprehensive in nature. It covers all
aspect of the social system such as economic, social, political and so on. This
type of change may pose some difficulties for resource mobilization and
ordering of priorities.
4. Segmental Change
This occurs in part as opposed to total change above. Resources mobilization is
less difficult. It touches only an aspect of life of the people or a small
percentage of people living in a place, the most important thing to note in this
type of change is that the change should be sufficient enough to make a
meaningful impact.
5. Coercive Change
Coercive change is a change of force. Goal setting is usually done by one side
and it is non mutual. Goal setting may be done by the change agent or
government and the beneficiaries are not involved. The opposite of coercive
change is voluntary change whereby people themselves make a plan for change
and such include embarking on self helped projects.
6. Immanent Change and Contact Change
Immanent change is that which takes place internally among people without
external influence e.g. when a local blacksmith comes up with a new farm
implement. In case of contact change it occurs when an external person
unintentionally introduce a change (selective contact change) or represents a
planned change organization to effect a change among the people (direct
contact change)
7. Emulative Change
This is generally associated with formal organization or parastatas with clear
cut superior/subordinate relationship. It can be viewed as an influence
through identification. Change could be brought about sometimes
uncourageously through identification and emulation of power figures by the
subordinates as we have in the civil service.
8. Technocratic Change
This is a type of change that relies on collecting and interpreting data e.g.
the researchers or engineering models.
9. Indoctrination
This involves mutual goal setting and is deliberate. It involves an imbalance
power ratio. The followers imbibe injunctions and tenets of the doctrine for
example Christianity, Islam and traditional worshippers.
Sources of Change
The major sources of social change are through invention, discovery, and
diffusion. Others include religions, urbanization, governmental policies,
application of science and technology and natural physical forces.
1. Invention: Is the recombination of existing cultural traits to design a new
things and the rate at which it takes place is directly related to the existing
cultural base
2. Discovery: Is an act of sharing with others a perception of fact object or
relationship which has always existed but was not known. This method is used
to enhance the cultural base in a society.
3. Diffusion: entails the spreading of cultural traits from one group to another.
Cultural diffusion involves both material and non material things and that is
facilitated through the use of efficient technology communication gadgets,
interaction facilities, telephoning and specialists, who are well trained for the
diffusion of innovation and other sources
4. Religious institution: Brought changes through formal preaching,
indoctrination and the use of metaphors and phrases to change people from
one mode of life to another and also through the provision of education.
5. Government policies: Many changes have been brought about in the
Nigeria society through governmental policies. The military era promulgate
decrees while the civilian era pass legislative bills which require a major social
change to be effected.
6. Application of Science and Technology: The patterned daily life in most
rural settlements have changed considerably today as a result of new road
construction, rural electrification and water supply schemes. Many varieties of
foreign food and cash crops have been introduced within traditional farming
system and we now raise and enjoy exotic breeds of livestock as a result of
research and improved technology.
7. Natural physical forces: These includes natural forces like water flood ,
erosion, and fire disaster, erosion and flood have necessitated the relocation of
villages while excessive drought have caused the migration of the entire
population within a region.
8. Urbanization: the growth of town/cities or urbanization has led to the
attraction of youths and schools leavers aware from rural areas. In the cities
there is increase in populations, in industries, in trades thereby resulting in
water and light shortages. This have called for a tremendous adjustments on
parts of urban dwellers
Factors that are Conducive to Change
The following factors within the social systems are conducive for bringing
about change and the change agent could exploit these to his advantage and
also pay more attention to the ones that can inhibit the change in a social
system.
(a) Education: Is liberation from ignorance, poverty and diseases. Education
helps to diffuse knowledge, skills and attitudes to people which help them in
their adjustment to the new ways. Research findings have shown that people
with higher level of education adopt (accept) change earlier than none or less
educated people.
(b) Social disorganization: This occurs as a result of rapid and
uncoordinated change which may bring about further change for good of the
social system. The experiences the people of Nigeria heard during the civil war
of late 1960’s have been a factor that has kept multi-nationalities and
multiethnic group together as a nation.
(c) Heterogeneous population: The migration of people from one place to
another brings them in contact with new cultural traits. Several studies have
been conducted and reported that, societies which compose of people with
different ethnic backgrounds who interact freely an diffuse their customs,
knowledge, technology and ideology generally experience rapid change.
(d) Contact with other cultures: Contact with other societies is an important
force for cultural change. With exposure to other cultures through contact and
diffusion, resistance to change can be minimized.
(e) Favourable Political and Economic climate: change is usually promoted
when the political and economic climate is conducive. In a situation of chaos
change is usually impeded. Other factors that are of importance to rural
dwellers, are the change that can quickly bring economic returns to them and
which will improve their socio-economic life rather than the ones in which they
will have to wait for a long time before they start enjoying the benefits.
They are also more likely to be accepted than the ideas which are though good,
but do not appear to result in saving greater income for the farmer.
(f) Active Involvement of the people;
The involvement of the members of the social system in the planning and
execution of the change made them to feel that the activity is partly their own
and not one imposed from outside. With such arrangement, the people have a
sense of belonging in what goes on to make change happen.

(g)Relative Advantage;
Relative advantage of the change being introduced is also factor to be
considered. If the newly introduced change is superior to the one it is meant to
supersede, for example, manual processing of oil palm fruits is tedious and
inefficient when compared with the use of machine that can process palm
fruits in a matter of minutes into oil palm and with less tediousness.
RESISTANCE TO CHANGE
There are various sources of resistance to change by the people for whom
such change is intended. These factors could be of assistance to the change
agent, as explained below.
1. Cost: Though a change may be perceived to have greater satisfaction than
the one the people precise, however it may not be adopted because of its higher
cost. The cost may be considered, in terms of what the adopter is supposed to
give up and what he is to gain, in adopting the change/innovation. Therefore
the cost of change must be affordable to the people it is meant for.
2. Fear of Disruption, Suspicions and Anxiety: some people usually feel
satisfied and protected under the old arrangement where they have remained
unchallenged. In the face of a change which they do not know the details, they
often feel threatened and become suspicious what the outcome would be,
particularly as refers to their prestige, influence and present power of
positions.
They therefore, demonstrate fear and anxiety over the unknown. These results
in the imperativeness of resistance to the new change.
3. Vested interest: Social change meets opposition or resistance whenever it
threatens the vested interest of key individuals or groups. In a social system
where stratification is strongly entrenched, any change that affects their
superior class will be voluntarily opposed, also change that affects the income,
prestige or personal ambition of some people would be totally opposed.
4. Cultural Resistance: this occurs when the proposed change is in conflict
with the prevalent social norms and belief of the people. Introduction of pig
production, domestication and consumption in a Muslim dominated area for
example, would likely be strongly opposed since such a change runs foul of
Islamic injunction which people cherish and defend with all their vigour.
5. The Degree of Complexity: occurs when the use of an innovation or
some fact in it is beyond the present level of understanding of the people or if
some training becomes necessary for the people to understand its use. People
do not show enthusiasm to accept such change or adopt it, the use of farm
record by the peasant farmers is an example because of the difficulty in its
operations.
6. Compatibility: change meant for the people should be ecologically and
socially and economically compatible with the people of the area otherwise, the
change may be rejected. The change must conform to the existing values,
norms and past experiences of the adopters.