Proposition 071 – Mechanism of purposive social change

Purposive action may cause social change when the actor influ­ences the conditions under which civilisation elements are presented to individuals and subsequently disseminated, internalised and institu­tionalised within social circles.

• Explanation. An actor does not influence a circle civilisation directly. Purposive action operates through individuals: by influencing the conditions under which civilisation ele­ments are pre­sented to them, the actor increases or decreases the likelihood that these elements will be se­lected, internalised and become operative in their personal civilisa­tions. When this occurs among sufficient numbers of individuals and the relevant ele­ments are shared and become socially opera­tive within a circle, the circle civilisation may change. Insofar as these elements are subse­quently embedded in institutions, they may also be institutionalised.