1.4 Conclusion
In this chapter we’ve introduced the art of sociology by peeking into a specific place – Lyons, France – during a historical time period – the Belle Époque – and imagining the experiences of those who lived there and then. We also examined the importance of applying an equity lens to sociology in order to acknowledge the diversity of experiences in the world. Often that means searching deeper to understand the lived experiences of members who are less likely to be acknowledged, or have a chance to relay their own stories in print. We dug deeper into the colonial past of France and inquired about the lives of people of color at that time.
Then, we introduced the study of social change by exploring the experiences of three contemporary communities less entrenched in colonized and European influences. While they only offer a snapshot of the myriad of experiences with social change in the world, their perspectives are shaped by their diverse historical realities, cultural perspectives, and environmental circumstances.
1.4.1 Reflection
Consider the social changes that matter to you and one of the communities of which you belong in a meaningful way. This might be your city, county, or region. It also may be your spiritual community, activist group, or village in which you spent your childhood.
What social changes have influenced you and that community the most? You might find them to be environmental, historical, or cultural as we’ve discussed here. If so, you might ask:
- How are environmental changes shaping the life experiences of you and your community?
- How have historical social changes shaped the lived experiences of your community today?
- What cultural perspectives or worldviews shape how you and your community see social change?
Or, you might find other circumstances are more influential. What are those and how do you see them influencing lives in your community?
In the next chapter we’ll introduce the building blocks and tools necessary to approach the sociological study of social change, along with the process and patterns of social change. We’ll continue to focus on how social changes are experienced with diversity, based on our social locations and life chances.
1.4.2 Review of Learning Objectives
This chapter offered you the opportunity to:
- Explain how experiences of social change are based on diverse environmental circumstances, historical realities, and cultural perspectives.
- Specifically, discuss how Andean Indigenous communities, Colombian war resisters, and members of Sami communities experience social change.
- Discuss what social change means to you and your community according to the history, cultural perspectives, and environmental circumstances you have experienced.
1.4.3 Key Terms
- cultural universal: an element, pattern, trait, or institution that is common to all human cultures worldwide.
- equity lens: the recognition that we do not all receive the same power and resources in society, and acting to address those imbalances by dismantling systems of power, privilege, and oppression.
- social change: changes in human interactions and relationships that transform cultural and social institutions.
- sociology: a science guided by the understanding that the social matters: our lives are affected, not only by our individual characteristics but by our place in the social world, not only by natural forces but by their social dimension.
- worldview: a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world or universe held by an individual or group.
1.4.4 Licenses and Attributions for Conclusion
“Conclusion” by Aimee Krouskop is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Figure 1.11. A map showing the approximate distribution of the various Sami territories and language groups is found in the article, “Will the Sami Languages Disappear?” on the website of the Library of Congress and is public domain.
Figure 1.12. Clickable link to video of reindeer is found on Flickr by Karl Chan and is published with the NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) license.
Figure 1.13. Video: “People under the northern lights,
Figure 1.14. Video: “Indigenous activism in Sweden”
Figure set 1.15. “Peace Community of San José de Apartadó and San Francisco/Colombia” by Aimee Samara Krouskop CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Figure 1.16. Memorial stones built by the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó. From the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó’s web page.
Figure 1.17. Memorial pilgrimage of the Peace Community of San José de Apartado. From the Peace Brigades International website.
Figure 1.18. Image of Quechua dancer in Peru. Photo by Alphis Tay found on Flickr.
Figure 1.19. Image of Evo Morales (Aymara), first Indigenous President of South America. Photo by Sebastian Baryli found on Flickr.