Social change is the process by which alteration occurs in the structure and function of a social system. Alteration in both the structure and function of a social system is provided by the various individual and group statuses which compose it. The functioning element within this structure of statuses is the role or actual behaviour of an individual in a given status. Status and role reciprocally affect one another. Social change involves alteration in the structure and function of society. Cultural change is implied as it is part of society. Social change occurs in all societies. It is slow in primitive in and folk societies and rapid in complex modern societies. The aspects of social change are
Structural change It involves changes in roles, emergence of new roles, changes in class and caste institutions such as the family, the Government or the educational systems etc.
Functional change It refers to changes in the interactional process between persons and groups. Changes may be frequency of social contact, a shift from primary to secondary group relationships, informal personal to formal contractual relationships, cooperative to competitive forms of relationships etc.
Cultural changes It refers to changes in the culture of society through discovery, invention, adoption and diffusion of new technology, culture, borrowing etc.
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