Change and social forms

Abstract

The social structure is constantly changing. While striving to study society, it is therefore clear that sociology has to identify, highlight and embrace the fundamental concepts, the conceptual categories that make it possible to become familiar with, understand, interpret and explain events. However, if the analysis of social transformations can reveal a common denominator that appears to be the characteristic interpretative key for each society, does it mean that there is a common underlying structure at the root of every change?

After the existence of a common principle (form) or a common denominator for every society and historical-social period has been established, we need to ask if this common denominator contributes towards the organisation of social phenomena (first perspective) or whether it is an interpretive category, an analytical grid that the subject applies in his knowledge of society (second perspective). Does the subject give form to society through specific interpretive categories (Panofsky), or is society generated and modified by a formal social structure (Goldmann)?