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SOCIAL CHANGE AND SOCIAL ORDER IN RURAL AND URBAN SOCIETY 33 strata are differently positioned with may be more or less efficient in respect to command over economic different contexts, but however resources, social status and political efficient it is, it can never completely power. It is not surprising that those erase the will of the individual. In who are favourably placed wish for other words, socialisation cannot turn things to continue as they are, while people into programmed robots — it those who are suffering disadvantages cannot produce complete and are anxious for change. So the ruling permanent consent for all norms at or dominant groups in society all times. You may have experienced generally resist any social changes this in your own lives: rules or beliefs that may alter their status, because which seem very natural and right at they have a vested intert in stability. one point of time, don’t seem so On the other hand, the subordinated obviously correct at other times. We or oppressed groups have a vested question things we believed in the interest in change. ‘Normal’ conditions past, and change our minds about usually favour the rich and powerful, what we regard as right or wrong. and they are able to resist change. Sometimes, we may even return to This is another broad reason why beliefs we once held and then societies are generally stable. abandoned, only to rediscover them However, the notion of social order afresh at some later stage of life or in is not restricted to the idea of different circumstances. So, while resistance to change, it also has a socialisation does take on much of the more positive meaning. It refers to the burden of producing social order, it is active maintenance and reproduction never enough by itself. of particular pattern of social relations Thus, most modern societies must and of values and norms. Broadly also depend on some form of power or speaking, social order can be achieved coercion to ensure that institutions in one of two ways — when people and individuals conform to established spontaneously wish to abide by a set social norms. Power is usually defined of rules and norms; or when people as the ability to make others do what are compelled in various ways to obey you want regardless of what they such norms. Every society employs a themselves want. When a relationship combination of these methods to of power is stable and settled, and the sustain social order. parties involved have become Spontaneous consent to social accustomed to their relative positions, order derives ultimately from shared we have a situation of domination. If values and norms which are a social entity (a person, institution internalised by people through the or group) is routinely or habitually in process of socialisation. (Revisit the a position of power , it is said to be discussion of socialisation in dominant. In normal times, dominant Introducing Sociology). Socialisation institutions, groups or individuals Reprint 2026-27