Transcript 7. Approaches to Social Change

An Introduction to Human
Services: Policy and Practice
Approaches to Social Change
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Demands for Change
 Some people work for change through the
electoral process, in the belief that only
elected leaders can change social policy.
 They believe that change “trickles down” from
the top.
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Demands for Change
 Some people have little faith in the electoral
process, believing that change occurs by
organizing people at the grassroots
community level, so that people will pressure
officials to be responsive to their demands.
 They believe that change “bubbles up” from
the bottom.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2002
Strategies for Change
 Differing philosophies about change lead to
different strategies to achieve change.
 Some people combine bottom up and top down
approaches, doing both grassroots organizing and
lobbying elected officials.
 Law suits can be used with either bottom up or
top down approaches to change.
 Grass roots organizing can force bureaucrats to
change policy.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2002
Political Influence
 The social and political climate affects the kinds
of changes that are possible at any given moment.
 A liberal political climate during the 1960s and
early 1970s made it possible to organize a national
welfare rights movement.
 The conservative political climate of the 1980s
and 1990s brought about repressive welfare
reform.
 Conservatives want to privatize Social Security,
while liberals oppose that.
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Change Agents
 Change agents come in two basic models: the infighter and the outside agitator.
 In-fighters are legitimate members of the
established authority who work for or administer a
particular system.
 Outside agitators are neither employed by nor
beholden to any of the established systems.
 Both kinds of change agents are needed.
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Guarding Social Change
 Change must be guarded after it has been won.
 If left unattended, a new law or policy can turn
out to be totally ineffective.
 School desegregation is an example of a law that
has met great resistance to implementation.
 If a school is segregated and no one complains
about it, it is likely to stay that way.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2002
Anti-smoking Campaign Strategy
 The anti-smoking campaign used several
approaches to change.
 They conducted educational campaigns to change
people’s consciousness.
 At the same time, they worked for laws to prohibit
advertising, to ban smoking in many public places,
and to place labels on cigarette packages.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2002