Social Change and the Individual: a Study of the Social and Religious Responses to Innovation in a Zambian Rural Community. By Norman Long. Manchester University Press for the Institute for Social Research, University of Zambia, 1968. Pp. xx+257, plates, maps, figures, tables. 55s.

This work poses difficulties in the use of the generation concept as a social research instrument, due to its complex and multidimensional nature. A complexity by which is not a concept widely used in a current Sociology that focuses more on the mathematisation. But some social processes cannot be reduced to algorithms. For the theoretical review we have used contributions from Sociology, Philosophy and History, because it is of a transversal disciplinary nature, and we have applied it to the identification of Spanish generations in the 20th century. Inspired by Ortega’s theses and Strauss and Howe empirical development implemented for American society, the resulting model presents six generations with different collective identities that reflect the social changes in the history of Spain during the last century. A model that, after being tested in sectorial investigations, may constitute a useful new tool for the analysis of social change.

Download Full-text

The Dubai Community Psychiatric Survey: acculturation and the prevalence of psychiatric disorder

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291700026891 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 121-131 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

R. Ghubash ◽

E. Hamdi ◽

P. Bebbington

Keyword(s):

Social Change ◽

Cultural Change ◽

Psychiatric Morbidity ◽

Community Level ◽

Gulf Region ◽

Individual Level ◽

Oil Reserves ◽

Community Psychiatric ◽

The Social ◽

The Individual

SynopsisDubai, an Emirate in the Gulf region, has experienced spectacular social change as a result of the exploitation of its oil reserves. The Dubai Community Psychiatric Survey was designed to study the effects of this social change on the mental health of female nationals.In this paper, we approach the problem by quantifying social change in two main ways: the first focused on social change at the individual level as measured by the Socio-cultural Change Questionnaire (Bebbington et al. 1993). The second examined the effect of social change at the community level by identifying areas of residence at different levels of development. We hypothesized that attitudes and behaviours markedly at odds with traditional prescriptions would be associated with high rates of psychiatric morbidity.On the individual level, the association between psychiatric morbidity and the amount of social change reflected in the behaviours and views of the subjects was not significant. However, there was a significant association between morbidity and between social attitudes and behaviours. At the community level, in contrast, the relationship between psychiatric morbidity and social change was significant: there was more psychiatric morbidity in areas at the extremes of the social change continuum. The hypothesis put forward in this study must be modified accordingly.

Download Full-text

Social change design: disrupting the benchmark template

Journal of Social Marketing ◽

10.1108/jsocm-10-2016-0064 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 119-134 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Marie-Louise Fry ◽

Josephine Previte ◽

Linda Brennan

Keyword(s):

Social Change ◽

Social Marketing ◽

Behavioural Change ◽

Social Forces ◽

Content Type ◽

The Social ◽

Change Framework ◽

The Individual ◽

Marketing Actions ◽

Individual Behaviour Change

Purpose This paper aims to propose a new ecological systems-driven framework, underpinned by a relational marketplace lens, for social marketing practitioners to consider when planning and designing programs. The authors contend that behavioural change does not occur in a vacuum and, as such, point to an ecology in which the individual is but one participant in a broader scope of social change activities. Design/methodology/approach The paper is conceptual and presents the Indicators for Social Change Framework. Findings The Indicators for Social Change Framework puts forward a series of “must-have” indicators to consider when designing and planning social marketing programmes. Across identified indicators, the Framework delineates types of marketing actions to consider when planning for individual-oriented change and those required for wider systems-oriented change. Originality/value This paper contributes to the broadening and deepening of the social marketing argument that reliance on individual behaviour change perspectives is not sufficient to resolve complex social problems that are inherently influenced by wider social forces. In transforming social change design, this paper transitions towards a logic view of social marketing that encourages and supports social change planners to be inclusive of interactions, processes and outcomes of value creation across the wider social marketing system.

Download Full-text

NIA Priorities on Emotional Well-Being

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.784 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 205-205

Author(s):

Janine Simmons

Keyword(s):

Brain Aging ◽

Social Research ◽

Well Being ◽

Research Networks ◽

Adult Lifespan ◽

Health Trajectories ◽

The Social ◽

Core Components ◽

Open Discussion ◽

The Individual

Abstract In 2021, NIH funded six high-priority research networks designed to develop resources to support and advance the study of emotional well-being (EWB) and its core components. These research networks aim to advance the field by facilitating transdisciplinary research in the social, behavioral, psychological, biological, and neurobiological sciences. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) co-sponsored the RFA, and provided funding for NEW Brain Aging, because of the central importance of EWB to health trajectories across the adult lifespan. In this presentation, Dr. Simmons, Chief of the Individual Behavioral Processes Branch within the NIA Division of Behavioral and Social Research (BSR), will discuss how EWB research fits within NIA priorities. She will then facilitate open discussion about NIA and BSR’s vision for the EWB ‘network of networks,’ the synergy of NEW Brain Aging with other members of the larger network, and the opportunities these networks will provide for investigators interested in EWB.

Download Full-text