"Change alone is unchanging."  -Heraclitus (c. 535-c. 475 B.C.),
Greek philosopher.

In this course we will look at what seems to be a paradox--social
change is aconstant.
Societies are never really static, but rather constantly changing.
We will examine not only how social life has changed over time, but
also the possible causes and consequences of such change.  We will
frame our discussion by exploring sociological theories of change
and by investigating what it is like to 1) face dramatic changes
that seem  beyond one's control and 2) create changes to bring about
desired ends.  In this way, we will consider both unintentional and
intentional social change.  We will pay particular attention to
concepts such as industrialization and globalization as well as to
changes initiated by social movement organizations.  Other topics we
may address include: colonialism, revolution, modernization, and
changes in the family, education, religion. work, and politics.
Although our primary focus will be on the United States, we will
also analyze changes occurring around the world.