Every society undergoes social changes one time or the other. Social change often occurs when changes are introduced into the existing cultural patterns of a society. This new idea may just modify or totally change the old system of living. Social change may occur gradually as the society is transformed from a simple, rural or agrarian society or to a developing one and later to an industrian or developed society.
Social changes may occur in all the part of our life, Nigeria for example, changes have brought new things such as feeding , health care etc. Although social changes are not necessarily a result of contact with a more civilized culture.
Before the coming of the British colony, Nigerians were traditional worshippers of gods, but the missionaries through their doctrine introduce Christianity. And not just that, the Christian doctrine thought that polygamy is harmful and risky to the family system. Since christian worshippers are monogamy thus, it has affect our marriage system.
THE PROCESS OF CHANGE
All social and cultural changes are as a result of two major changes which are
i. Diffusion
ii. Innovation
Diffusion is a process in which a society adopts the pattern of life of members of another society either in a modified or total form. Diffusion also means Adoption or Acculturation
Innovation is a process of introducing a new cultural pattern or style. Innovation can be through discovery or invention.
Discovery means finding something that already exist like discovering a mineral deposit, while Invention means reframing an existing cultural items into new form thereby creating something new, like invention of a new drugs