How Societies Change
Question 3 of 6: How does society turn those resources into what people need? · The whole story
In short: Societies can seem fixed, but they change all the time, mostly slowly and sometimes very fast. Big changes usually come from a mix of new technology, pressure from outside, and people organising for a new idea. They last when they become part of laws, institutions and everyday habits. Knowing how change happens helps us see which of today’s forces matter most, and where effort makes a difference.
The Question
Section titled “The Question”The articles so far describe how a society works today. But everything in them, from welfare states to the internet, was once new. This article asks: how do societies change, and what makes a change stick?
Slowly, Then Suddenly
Section titled “Slowly, Then Suddenly”Change rarely happens at an even pace. Long calm periods are broken by short bursts where much changes at once. Wars, depressions and pandemics often open those windows: after the Second World War, many European countries built their welfare states within a few years. Ideas that seemed impossible become possible, and then normal.
Three Main Drivers
Section titled “Three Main Drivers”- Technology: the printing press, the steam engine, electricity and the internet each changed how people work, live and think. Technology rarely decides the outcome on its own, but it changes what is possible.
- Pressure from outside: wars, disasters, resource shortages and competition between countries force change, whether people want it or not.
- Ideas and movements: people organising around a new idea of what is fair. The end of slavery, votes for women, workers’ rights and the protection of nature all started as minority causes.
How Ideas Spread
Section titled “How Ideas Spread”- From unthinkable to normal: political scientists talk about the range of ideas considered acceptable at a given time. Movements work by moving that range, until what was once radical becomes common sense.
- Tipping points: a 2018 experiment by the sociologist Damon Centola found that once about a quarter of a group adopted a new norm, the rest tended to follow.
- Peaceful pressure: the political scientist Erica Chenoweth found that, over the past century, non-violent mass movements succeeded about twice as often as violent ones. Her finding that few succeed without broad participation is widely cited, though the exact share is debated.
What Makes a Change Last
Section titled “What Makes a Change Last”A change lasts when it is built into more than one layer:
- laws and institutions, such as a pension system or a court;
- the economy, so that people’s jobs and savings depend on it;
- habits and identity, so that people see it as “how we do things”.
That is also why the economist Karl Polanyi described a “double movement”: when markets push too far, society pushes back with protections, and the balance shifts again.
Examples
Section titled “Examples”- Smoking: within about fifty years, smoking went from normal everywhere to banned in most public places in many countries. Research, campaigns, taxes and laws each played a part.
- Renewable energy: solar power went from a niche to the cheapest electricity in much of the world in about fifteen years, once its price fell below that of coal and gas. See The Energy Transition.
The Human Side
Section titled “The Human Side”Change can bring hope, and also fear of losing what we know. People accept change more easily when they feel safe, are treated fairly, and have a say. A change imposed from above, with no voice for those it affects, often triggers a backlash. See Human needs in the Personal Guide.
Open Questions
Section titled “Open Questions”- Can societies change before a crisis forces them to, rather than after?
- How can a change be fast enough for problems like climate change, and still have broad support?
- What role can a small group play in starting a big change?
Where Next
Section titled “Where Next”- Previous: Global Health and Extreme Poverty
- Next: Climate Change, the first of the big forces reshaping society
- Related: From Inherited Wealth to a Fair Start, Vision & Roadmap
Sources
Section titled “Sources”- Karl Polanyi, The Great Transformation (1944)
- Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan, Why Civil Resistance Works (2011)
- Centola et al., “Experimental evidence for tipping points in social convention”, Science (2018)
- Frank Baumgartner and Bryan Jones, Agendas and Instability in American Politics (1993), on “punctuated equilibrium”
- IRENA, Renewable Power Generation Costs (yearly)