Theories of Social Progress

Technological Determinism is a theory that argues that technological innovations are the primary drivers of social change.

Durkheim argued that religion serves to create a sense of shared values and beliefs that bind individuals together and promote social solidarity.

Marxism is a theory that argues that class conflict is the primary driver of social change.

Weber argued that economic class is the primary source of social stratification, as it determines an individual's access to resources and opportunities.

Symbolic Interactionism is a theory that argues that individuals actively construct their social reality through their interactions with others.

Parsons argued that societies must fulfill four functional imperatives in order to survive: adaptation to the environment, goal attainment, integration of its members, and latency (the maintenance of social order).

Cultural Determinism is a theory that argues that cultural values and beliefs are the primary drivers of social change.

Merton argued that anomie is a state of normlessness that occurs when individuals are unable to achieve their culturally defined goals through legitimate means.

Institutionalism is a theory that argues that social institutions are the primary drivers of social change.

Bourdieu argued that habitus is a system of dispositions that shape individual behavior and are acquired through socialization.

Network Theory is a theory that argues that social networks are the primary drivers of social change.

Coleman argued that social capital is the resources that individuals can access through their social networks.

Human Agency Theory is a theory that argues that human agency is the primary driver of social change.

Giddens argued that structuration is the process by which social structures are created and reproduced through the interaction between social structure and human agency.

Globalization Theory is a theory that argues that global interconnectedness is the primary driver of social change.