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No group can remain unchanged and hope to perpetuate itself. To survive, groups must adapt to changes in the social and physical environment, yet rapid change often comes at a price. It can lead to conflict within a society—between traditional and new ideas and between groups that have vested interests in particular ways of doing things. Rapid change can give rise to protest activities; changing in a controversial direction or failing to change fast enough can spark conflict, including revolution. Governments in several Latin American countries have been challenged or overthrown, springing from citizens’ discontent with corrupt or authoritarian rule. The problem is finding acceptable replacement governments to take over what has been overthrown.

The previous ideas underlying sociology will be relevant in each of the topics we discuss. As you read this book, keep in mind these basic ideas that form the foundation of sociological analysis: People are social; they live and carry out activities largely in groups; interaction influences both individual and group behavior; people share common behavior patterns and expectations; and processes such as change and conflict are always present. Thus, in several important ways, sociological understandings provide new lenses for looking at our social world.

Thinking Sociologically

Try this throughout the book: Apply the core ideas underlying sociology, just discussed, to understand the groups to which you belong—a class, team, religious organization, work group, or other. You can better understand these groups by applying these ideas to examples you can relate to rather than memorizing abstract ideas.