Toward the Measurement of Sociocultural Change

An instrunment for mleasuiring sociocultural change in the Ulnited States, 1940-1960, is presenlted. It conlsists of 32 inclicators whliich assess clhanige in various parts of the society and culture and wlhich are shown to lhave four components or dimensiolns: (1) a rising standard of living, (2) population growth, (3) industrial-teclhnological-urbaln development, (4) increasing eduication. Forty-eight of the states are compared with regard to rate of sociocultural change. The components of change are establislhed tlhrouglh factor anialysis. D uring recent years sociological studies of sociocultural change have concentrate(l upon tlheoretical aspects of the subject. Emphasis has miostly been placed on the functional alnalysis of change.' The irniiiai(ic7it view lhas also received imiuclh attelntion, positilng as it does that sociocultural systemiis have special natures aind properties whiclh gradcually unlfold anld bring new developments inlto bein"g. Thus, according to this view, clhalnges of social systems comiie largely from witl in. MWoreover, flexibilities and(l strainls in the systemloperate as sources of change.3 Bock,4 hiowever, conitends that the functionialimmiiiianielnt approaclh (like the earlier evolutionar-y view) lhas failed to recognize the iimpoortalnce of hiistorical factors. Clhalnge, he declares, miay occur apart from the inlherent clharacteristics of the existing systemii or subsy,stem. Loomis5 lhas nmaiintainiecl that both immiiiianienlt anid externial influences are imilpor* The authors are indebted for helpftul critical comilmenits to Professors Meyer F. Nimkoff of Florida State University, Gideon Sjoberg of the University of Texas, and Otis Dudley Duncan of the University of Michigan; for statistical aid to Dr. F. J. King, Departmenit of Educational Research and Testing, and Dr. Richard G. Cornell, Associate Professor of Statistics, both of Florida State University; for aid in factor analyzilng data on an IBM 709 computer to Mr. Donald C. Martin, Researclh Associate at the Computer Center, Florida State University; for advice in early stage of project to Professors F. Ivan Nye of Washington State University and Charles M. Grigg of Florida State University; and for early tabulation aid to Edward V. Mednick, former gracluate student at Florida State (now associated witlh Rutgers, the State University) . The aid of National Science Foundation Grant Numh:)er NSFGP-671 in supporting the Florida State University Computer Center is also acknowledged. 1 Talcott Parsons, The Social SystemZi (Glencoe, Illinois: The Free Press, 1951), chap. 11; Parsolus, "Sotue Considerations on the Theory of Social Change," Ritral Sociology, 26 (September 1961), pp. 219-239; Talcott Parsons and Neil J. Smelser, Econonty anid Society (Glencoe, Illinois: The Free Press, 1956) ; Neil J. Smelser, Social Clhiange in the Inidustrial Rezolintion (Chicago: University of Clhicago Press, 1959) ; Wilbert E. Moore, "Theories of Social Change," Ainericoni Sociological Rc'iczqc, 25 (December 1960), pp. 810-817; Francesca Cancian, "Functional Analysis of Clhanige," Amiiereican7? Sociological Rcziew, il)id., pp. 818-827; Harold Fallding, "Functional Anialysis in Sociology," Amnicricani7 Sociological Rfevic w., 28 (February 1963), pp. 5-12; and Kennetlh E. Bock, "Evolution, Functioni, ancl Change," A macrican Sociological Reviczc, 28 (April 1963), pp. 229-237. 2 Pitir-im A. Sorokini, Social and Cmmltmmral Dynoaumiics (abr. 1 vol. ed.; Boston: Porter, Sargent, 1957), chap. 38. 3 Wilbert E. Moore, op. cit., p. 814. 4 K. E. Bock, op. cit., esp. pp. 235-237. Clharles P. Loolmiis, "Social Change and Social Systems," in Edward A. Tiryakian (ed.), Sociological Theory, /Valmues, a1td Socio-CuGltmmral Clmiamge (New York: Thie Free Press of Glencoe, 1963), p. 185. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.144 on Thu, 22 Sep 2016 05:25:25 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms MEASUREMENT OF CHANGE 523 tant in causing clhanges in social systems. Further contributions to the tlheory of clhange