What question did this study set out to answer?

The objective is to explore the influence of evolutionary theories on social change and propose alternatives to traditional views.

December 1, 2000

From Social Darwinism to Self‐Organization: Implications for Social Change Theory

Key Points

The objective is to explore the influence of evolutionary theories on social change and propose alternatives to traditional views.
Reviewed existing literature on social change theory and evolutionary thought.
Analyzed the transition from social Darwinism to self-organization concepts.
Examined how new theories can address shortcomings in current social change approaches.
Identified that social Darwinist assumptions have hindered the understanding of social change.
Argued that self-organization offers a novel perspective on social dynamics.
Highlighted the growing interest in emergence as a crucial factor in shaping social development.

Abstract

This article reviews the impact of evolutionary thought on social change theory. It argues that social Darwinist assumptions underlie many of the efforts to understand social change. Partly for this reason, social change theory has languished in recent years. Recently, however, nonequilibrium theories have generated a new interest in the notion of emergence, specifically, self‐organization. Theories of self‐organization are now being used by post‐Darwinian evolutionary theorists, and they provide a promising alternative to the traditional view that social change arises primarily through external conflict and selection.

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