ABSTRACT
In the final chapter of this part, we focus on the diverse ways in which areas of the Global South participate in social and cultural change. Social change and cultural change are concepts that incorporate a wide range of processes and realities. They can intersect (and they shape each other), but are also relatively distinct. Social changes relate to society and people more specifically: often distinguishable from political, economic or physical change, they are trends which shape and are shaped by society, such as education, welfare, crime, health, and demography. Social changes are more commonly considered within a ‘development’ framework because they are seen to be important in shaping levels of poverty and development (and are therefore suitable subjects for governmentality; see Key Concept 3.1). Also, unlike cultural changes, they are usually measurable or quantifiable in part. This question of measurability is key, and the immeasurability of cultural changes has made them less likely to be included in development studies texts, as their connection to poverty and development is often poorly understood. This has occurred despite the fact that cultural changes are fundamental to the lives of people everywhere and thus shape our understanding of people in the Global South. Cultural changes relate to the cultural identities and practices of people. These trends link identity with people's ways of living and they give us insight into the shifting dynamics that shape people's lives. Common types of cultural changes that are considered are religion, community or group identity, cultural attitudes towards consumption, cultural impacts of changing technologies, city-scale identities and ideas of nationalism.
