Continuity and Change

Question 1

what is persons?

Answer 1

Every person is a unique individual who develops in a social and environmental setting in which he or she is influenced by, and interacts with, other persons and groups.

Question 2

what is society?

Answer 2

Society is made up of people, groups, networks, institutions, organisations and systems.

Question 3

what is culture?

Answer 3

Culture refers to the shared knowledge, attitudes and behaviours that give each society its coherence, identity and distinctive way of life.

Question 4

what is environment?

Answer 4

Every society is located in a particular physical setting and interacts with its environment.

Question 5

what is time?

Answer 5

Every person, society, culture and environment is located in a period of time and is changing with time. Time can be examined as past, present and future.

Question 6

what is power?

Answer 6

Power is the ability or capacity to influence or persuade others to a point of view or action to which they may not always agree.

Question 7

what is authority?

Answer 7

Authority is linked to power and the right to make decisions and to determine, adjudicate or settle issues and disputes in society. Authority is best understood as the legitimate use of power.

Question 8

what is gender?

Answer 8

Gender refers to the socially constructed differences between females and males.

Question 9

what is identity?

Answer 9

Identity refers to the sense of self and can be viewed from a personal, social and cultural level.

Question 10

what is technologies?

Answer 10

The term ‘technologies’ refers to all the tools that we use to assist our interactions in society.

Question 11

what is globalisation?

Answer 11

Globalisation is the process of integration and sharing of goods, capital, labour, services, knowledge, leisure, sport, ideas and culture between countries.

Question 12

what is qualitative research + examples?

Answer 12

• typically open ended questions, allowing for ore in depth quality of information
• aims to gather non-numerical data to gain understanding into individual’s social reality
  e.g. interviews, focus groups, personal reflection

Question 13

what are 2 characteristics of qualitative research?

Answer 13

• relies heavily on the researchers interpretive skills to understand the findings
• it usually consists of a small sample and is not randomly selected

Question 14

what is quantitative research + examples?

Answer 14

• collecting and analysing numerical data
• focuses on quantifying the collection and analysis of data
  e.g. questionnaire, observation, and statistical analysis

Question 15

what are 2 characteristics of quantitative research?

Answer 15

• typically close-ended questions resulting in numerical data
• because it is structured in nature and has a large sample size, it tends to produce more reliable outcomes.

Question 16

what are characteristics of ethical research?

Answer 16

• information collected will be used responsibly and treated with respect and confidentiality
• participants must be fully informed about any risks involved, giving their consent
• not talking about sensitive topics, or making participants uncomfortable
• researcher is open and honest about the topic, and the scope of the project, as well as the nature of information expected from them.
  right to confidentiality and privacy.

Question 17

what are beliefs?

Answer 17

Set of opinions or convictions; ideas we believe in as the truth

Question 18

what is continuity?

Answer 18

persistence or consistency of the existence of cultural elements in a society across time

Question 19

what is change?

Answer 19

alteration or modification of cultural elements in society

Question 20

what is westernisation?

Answer 20

the process of aspects of western culture being spread around the world
e.g. women’s rights, education systems, social expectations like women working outside the home, media and entertainment, and journalism

Question 21

what is modernisation?

Answer 21

• the process of dynamic social change resulting from the adoption of characteristics of ‘more advanced’ societies by ‘less advanced’ societies
• the change from traditional to modern societies
• happens because of demands for independent societies
  e.g. infrastructure, urban development, governments, education, medicine, media, agriculture, and women’s rights.

Question 22

what are some features of primary research?

Answer 22

• original information, collected by the researcher
• can be qualitative or quantitative
• direct interaction with research subjects + sources
  eg. surveys, interviews, and observations

Question 23

what are some features of secondary research?

Answer 23

• collecting existing information, this is used to gather background information
• uses pre-existing data
• systematic review of data that exists
  e.g. statistical analysis, literature review, and content analysis

Question 24

why is change a complex process?

Answer 24

• it is multi-directional and not uni-linear
• social change is complex because everything changes all the time
• no single theory can account for the diversity of human social development
• changes in values and beliefs can bring social movement, as it allows revision of current rules within society.
• social change affects social processes, social patterns, and social interactions.

Question 25

what is evolutionary change?

Answer 25

- Evolutionary change describes incremental changes that accumulate over a long period of time to alter society on a large scale. - Change is gradual, continuous, and non-reversable.

Question 26

what is transformative change?

Answer 26

- Dramatic and rapid change taking place over a shorter time frame. - Transformative change is profound and permanent. - involves a significant break with the past, and occurs at multiple levels of society

Question 27

what is the role of fathers in afghan society?

Answer 27

- Expected to financially support his family - Makes most of the decisions for the individual's in the household, including choices in career, marriage, and financial decisions. - The father has final decision on the type and length of education his children will receive, if any at all. - The father will ultimately pick a suitable man for his daughters. Ultimate power and authority in the family.

Question 28

what is the role of mothers in afghan society?

Answer 28

- Women are seen to be the primary caregivers for their young children up until the age of 12, when they leave the house to work to financially support the family. - Women are forced to conform to this social pressure, therefore making them entirely reliant on men. Rarely any women have control of the family finances. Women know few people outside their immediate and close extended family.

Question 29

what is the role of boys in afgan society?

Answer 29

- Highly valued in the Afghan family. They are the main contributors to the family income, they will continue to live with, and support their family into old age. - Traditionally get education until the age of 12, they are then expected to join the family business or help work on the family farm. Expected to help their family, financially and domestically as the eldest son will become head patriarch of the family when the father dies.

Question 30

what is the role of girls in afghan society?

Answer 30

- Traditionally not as valued as boys - Not able to contribute to the family income in a meaningful way - When they are married they will go live with their husbands family, therefore will not support their family financially or in old age. - Provide some financial support through marriage as the family will receive the dowry from the husbands family. Very rare to be educated.