Social Change as a Solution to Poverty Reduction

1.0. Introduction
Social change is an extended process that involves various activities in the development struggle. This paper briefly discusses What Social Change is all about and How Social Change is a Solution to Poverty Reduction in Tanzania. The paper consists of five parties, which are Introduction, Theoretical review, Empirical review, Policy review and Conclusion and References.

2.0. Theoretical Review
The term social change is used in the study of history, economies and politics. It includes topics such as the success or failure of different political systems, globalization, democratization, development and economic growth. The term can encompass concepts as broad as revolution and paradigm shift, to narrow changes such as a particular cause within small town government. While the term is usually applied to changes that are beneficial to society, it may also result in negative side effects or consequences that undermine or eliminate existing ways of life that are considered positive.

Social change refers to change in the nature, the social institutions, the social behaviors or the social relations of a society, community of people, or other social structures. Any event or action that affects a group of individuals that have shared values or characteristics.

Marx is the most famous proponent of the notion that societies/ forms of social organization are largely determined by economic factors, and in particular the impact of industrial capitalism. Among political influences, the state government plays a very large role in social life and change in industrial societies. Cultural influences clearly play an important part in social change. For example, secularization and the development of science have had major effects on the way in which we think, attitudes to legitimacy and authority, and thus influenced social structures, systems and values (Giddens and Duneier, 2000).

Marx argued that factors in societal change may be explained under three main categories namely Economic, Political and Cultural, and if those are the key factors in societal change, there is a need therefore to focus on changing economic, political or cultural structures and processes.

Theories of organizational change
Classical and early modernist theorists are more concerned with stability than change. They see change as planned change in which a change agent introduced change in a deliberate way. In contrast, for the modernists organizational change stems from change in the environment and is outside the organization’s direct control. More recently, population ecology, organizational life cycle and learning theories have seen organizations as not just adapting to external pressures but creating their own internal dynamics.

Theories of Individual and Group Change
The themes of organizational change have parallels in theories of individual and group change. According to Backer (2001), behavior is more likely to change if the person forms a strong positive intention, or makes a commitment to perform the behavior; there are no environmental constraints that make it impossible for the behavior to occur, the person possess the skills necessary to perform the behavior. Change at this level might work to reduce environmental constraints on changing particular behavior.

Theories of Social Movements
The role of individuals, groups and organizing is important in effecting social change. Group can attempt to encourage or discourage social change via social movements. Social movements occur as a result of the contradiction or unresolvable tension in the societies in particular related to economic changes.

3.0. Empirical Review
Tanzania is a developing country; changes are inevitable within the country. Development requires positive change not just growth. Change and development is inspires by the quest for quality life. It is believed that all people would want to be satisfied with their whole life experience.

Most Tanzanians societies comprised with outdated traditions, culture and low economic base. All those together with politics we have today hinder changes to occur in societies. Change in social change are purposeful intended not accidental, therefore strategies need to be planned to necessitate change. Tanzania experience shows that all government sectors need a policy to guide implementation of activities to bring changes. These policies normally have to look on critical problems wants to address for the betterment of its people, but there poor involvement of societal members (who know exactly their felt need) in policy formulation process. It is even surprising to see some government development plans not implemented (as nowadays there is a tendency of political promises that has never been met).
Our leadership structure is questionable, no good governance, no transparency from ward to national level, as today’s leaders are selfish are not for creating changes that is beneficial to their voters, are just there for their own benefits. Leadership and politics is now like a business deal, people want to be there to make their personal profit.

The existing opportunities, skills and knowledge the country holds today not fully utilized, even equally and efficiently shared. In social change, knowledge if well utilized can discover the causes of a problem by researching and come up with innovative actions to solve such a problem. However, what we observe currently is lack of proper coordination to use the available human capacity to bring changes. Tanzania still suffers the consequences of poverty. When looking at the Millennium Development Goals 2015, those stated goals intends to create social change, Non government organization however work to bring about social change, the change that are beneficial to society, though other changes may result in negative side-effects or consequences that undermine or eliminate existing ways of life that are considered positive.

Social change does not come from isolation, there must be something done to solve an existing problem be it water, health, hunger, unemployment problems etc, it need to take some actions to make something of good/positive happen. To facilitate social change some agents of social change need to be adhered. These are education/knowledge, which is vital in researching and identifying the root causes of certain existing problems. and come up with innovative ideas to solutions. Financial institution like Banks, Pride, Seda, Finka and other Banks and Cooperative institutions to be used to finance the actions in solving identified problems, Good leadership at all levels i.e good governance and transparency can create enabling environment for social change. Experts to do some technical actions if needed should be taken into consideration and foreign agency to support the actions and innovation.

4.0. Policy Review
According to “The Tanzania’s National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of poverty”, Tanzania is in the process of helping citizen to achieve economic growth which will help to reduce poverty. The aim is to create good governance and accountability, which will create growth and reduction of income poverty, create improved quality of life and social well-being. Therefore, Social change measures the concerns of poverty, if poverty reduced or eradicated in communities means social changes has taken place. All the strategies for poverty reduction aim at creating social change.

5.0. Conclusion
Most of our communities in Tanzania are very poor, have confronted with many social problems such as environment, economic, political and cultural issues. All these contribute much to not reaching the desired development. Since Social Change is a process that needs various stakeholders’ participation, there is a need therefore to focus solving the above-mentioned problems seriously as the NSGRP aimed. This will help making positive social changes in the country.

The impact of our policies and actions to create social change (reduce poverty) would be improved by enhancing our responsiveness to the voices of the poor and marginalized, including the voice of women who tend to be the poorest and vulnerable group.


References.

1. Ministry of Planning, economy and empowerment (2006) Millennium Development Goals progrss report.

2. Social change; "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_change.

3. Theories of Social Change, paper 4 Diana Leat January 2005. The INSP.
4. United Republic of Tanzania, (2005). National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty, Mkuki na Nyota Publishers Dar es Salaam