Explain the basic questions that sociologists as they attempt to understand social change across different societies

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Sociologists deal with questions of universality, control, predictability, and utility. The extent and diversity of social change in the modern era has many social scientists agreeing that social change is universal. In particular, the movement toward modernism undergirds this claim. Second, sociologists, when grappling with issues of whether social change can be controlled, recognize that while some changes are within our power to instigate and limit, others, typically at the macro level, are much further out of reach. The ability of sociologists to predict social change has been somewhat unpredictable. While it's not for lack of trying, social scientists have had something less than universal success in anticipating future events and trends. Finally, there is much contention over what counts as "progress" with regards to social change, and indeed, what one society views as positive, another may understand in more negative light.