MODULE 1.2
Social forces
Social forces are anything human or otherwise created that influence, pressure, or push people to interact, behave, or think in specified ways. People can embrace social forces, be swept along, be bypassed by them, or challenge them. Examples of the many social forces sociologists study include globalization, racial classification, technology, symbolic meanings, and institutions.
The Social Force of Globalization
Globalization refers to the growing movement of goods, services, money, people, technology, information, and more across national borders. Though often invisible, globalization profoundly influences our everyday lives in countless ways. Take, for example, the simple act of listening to music—an age-old activity now shaped by globalization.
The creation of an iPod and its music involves a global network. Programmers in India and the United States work tirelessly to write the code enabling the storage and management of thousands of videos, songs, and photos. Miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo extract coltan, a crucial metal for the battery that powers the device. The iPod itself is assembled in China, transported by freighters across oceans, and distributed to warehouses by truck drivers before reaching stores or homes. Moreover, the music it plays represents the labor and creativity of countless artists worldwide.
This interconnected process highlights how globalization shapes even the most ordinary aspects of our lives, demonstrating its pervasive impact.
The Social Force of Racial Classification
Race is not a biological reality but a social construct used to categorize people based on physical traits like skin color. Despite having no scientific foundation, it remains a powerful social force.
For example, in the United States, a parent and their biological child can be classified as belonging to different races. This practice of categorizing related individuals as distinct races highlights the significant role racial classifications play in shaping personal identity and influencing connections with others.
The Social Force of Technology
Technology refers to any human invention created to fulfill a need. The microwave oven, for example, was designed to make food preparation easier and faster. However, it has also contributed to a decline in the tradition of families eating together. Before the microwave became widely available in 1976, cooking a meal was time-consuming, and it was more efficient for one person to prepare food for the entire household. With the microwave, pre-cooked meals can be ready in minutes, giving individuals more freedom. This technology has promoted greater individuality, as people, including young children, are no longer bound to a specific meal or time to eat.
The Social Force of Symbolic Meanings
Humans have attached significant symbolic meanings to diamonds, viewing them as symbols of engagement, marriage, love, and wealth. These associations create a powerful social force that drives an insatiable demand for the stones. This demand has led to the extraction of around 800 million gem-quality and industrial diamonds each year, often by miners working under harsh conditions in places like the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo. Despite representing only about 4.6% of the global population, U.S. consumers purchase nearly 50% of these diamonds. The ongoing conflicts in the DRC are partly fueled by factions vying for control of diamond mines and other valuable resources.
The Social Force of Institutions
It often feels as though much of our daily routines and life choices are pre-determined. This is because humans create institutions—structured systems designed to organize and direct human activity to meet specific needs, such as passing down knowledge to future generations. In the United States, nearly 70% of high school graduates go on to college immediately, often because they see it as the only option or feel social pressure to attend (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2009). Meanwhile, the 30% who choose not to pursue higher education often find themselves having to explain their decision or justify it to others.