Sociology · Structure, order and change. The idea in plain words, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid and a worked example, written and checked by Mega Lecture.
Social change is a lasting alteration in the structure, institutions and culture of a society. Its sources include technology, the physical environment, population, ideas, conflict and contact with other cultures.
Theories differ on its shape. Evolutionary theories see steady progress through stages. Cyclical theories see rise and decline. Conflict theory sees change coming from struggle between classes, and functionalists see slow adjustment that restores balance. Modernisation describes the move from traditional, rural society to industrial, urban society.
A social movement is an organised, sustained collective effort to promote or resist change. Movements are classed by how much change they want and in which direction.
Reform is not a slow revolution. The difference is scope, not speed: reform accepts the existing system and corrects part of it, while revolution aims to replace the basic structure.
Answer: A reform movement.
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