2.3. Social Order

The meaning of social events or processes often becomes clear through contrasts, just as the letters on the page that you are reading become legible because they contrast against the background. In the same way, social change as a process acquires meaning against the backdrop of continuity or lack of change.

To understand social change, we need to look at what remains stable or unchanged. Just like when reading text, where letters are clear because they stand out against the white page, social change becomes clearer when we compare it to social order. Social order refers to the consistent and predictable ways that societies maintain rules and norms, allowing us to identify what changes are taking place.

Consider a student's journey through school. If a student always changes schools, the stability offered by the familiar school they started from provides a contrasting background. Only through this background can we appreciate how different the new school is. Each school’s norms, rules, and habits represent ‘social order’, while the different experiences signify ‘social change’.

In other words, social change has to be understood together with social order, which is the tendency within established social systems that resists and regulates change.

Social order is crucial for any society to function well. It requires stability so that people can rely on consistent social rules and behavior. If society were constantly changing in unpredictable ways, it would lead to chaos. Hence, social systems often resist changes that threaten their stability, resulting in a tension between change and order.

Think of a family dinner ritual. Each family might have unique traditions—certain dishes served or even how everyone is seated. If someone tried to change the predefined seating arrangement or menu abruptly, it could disrupt the order of the dinner. This shows how the desire for consistency (social order) may resist changes that seem necessary or exciting.

Another way of looking at the relationship between social change and social order is to think about the possible reasons why society needs to prevent, discourage, or at least control change.

Society often has reasons for resisting or controlling change. Primarily, there is a need for stability which ensures that social norms and structures remain intact. This helps individuals predict outcomes based on common rules and behaviors. Change is sometimes resisted because it may lead to conflicts in established social arrangements which can threaten the fabric of society.

Think about the introduction of new technology in a workplace. Employees might prefer the established ways of operating because they are comfortable and familiar. If the boss insists on using a new software system suddenly, there might be resistance. Workers fear that this change may complicate their current process and lead to confusion or inefficiency, reflecting society's broader aversion to change.

Most societies most of the time ar e stratified in unequal ways, that is, the different strata are differently positioned with respect to command over economic resources, social status and political power.

Societies are often divided into different levels or classes that hold varying amounts of power, wealth, and influence. The groups that control more resources tend to resist changes that might disrupt their advantages, while those lower on the social scale may push for change to improve their standing. This creates a natural resistance where those in power want to maintain the status quo.

Consider a company's management structure. The upper management might benefit significantly from keeping things as they are, while lower-level employees may advocate for changes such as better work conditions or pay. Here, the divide in power between management and employees exemplifies societal stratification, where the powerful often resist changes that would redistribute their benefits.

But the notion of social order is not restricted to the idea of resistance to change; it also has a more positive meaning. It refers to the active maintenance and reproduction of particular patterns of social relations and of values and norms.

Social order encompasses not just how societies resist change but also how they maintain their core values and norms. These norms are often accepted and followed by individuals because they make sense within their social context. This acceptance helps ensure cooperation, which contributes to the stability and function of society.

Consider the unwritten rules of polite interaction in a classroom. Students generally have a shared understanding of how to behave—you're supposed to raise your hand to speak, for example. These values and behaviors create an orderly learning environment; it's an example of social order that helps the school function effectively.

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