Immanent and contact change One of the more useful ways of viewing social change is to focus on the source of change.
When the source is from within the social system under analysis, it is imminent change.
When the source of the new ideas is outside the social system, it is contact change.
Immanent change occurs when the members of a social system with little or no external influence create and develop a new idea, then spreads within the system. Immanent change is a within system phenomenon.
Contact change occurs when sources external to the social system introduce a new idea. Contact change is a between system phenomenon. It may be selective or directed, depending on whether the recognition of the need for change is internal or external.
Selective contact change results when the members of a social system are exposed to external influences and adopt or reject a new idea from that source on the basis of their needs. The exposure to innovations is spontaneous or accidental, the receivers are left to choose, interpret and adopt or reject the new ideas. An illustration of selective contact change occurs when school teachers visit a neighbouring school that is especially innovative. They may return to their own classroom with a new teaching method, but with no pressure from school administrators to seek and adopt such innovations.
Direct contact change or planned change is caused by outsiders who, on their own or as representatives of change agencies, intentionally seek to introduce new ideas in order to achieve goals they have defined. The many government sponsored development programmes designed to introduce technological innovations in agriculture, education, health and industry are examples of contemporary directed change.
Participants