ABSTRACT
Change can create uncertainties, which have implications for social stability and the maintenance of social order. One of the big issues in contemporary society and for social scientists in offering explanations is how do societies hold together, especially when things are changing fast and people feel insecure? How does society fit together and what causes disorder and the breakdown of social order? Social order relates to the everyday practices which hold societies together, as well as more formal mechanisms for maintaining order when disorder is threatened, such as those involving the law and the intervention of the police and the courts. Order includes what we expect from our neighbours and the people we meet at work and in our everyday pursuits; order involves playing by the rules. Imagine if at the checkout at your local supermarket someone started haggling about the price of the items in their trolley and tried bartering instead of getting out their card or searching for the money in their wallet. Disorder is not necessarily a complete breakdown of society but for societies to work there has to be some agreement about how we conduct our everyday lives and about what rights we have as well as what obligations.
