According to M. E. Lones:

“Social change is a term used to describe variations in our modification of any aspect of social process. Social patterns, social interactions or social organization”.

The characteristics of social change are:

Social change is Universal and Continuous: The change is true for all societies. Whether it is east or west, urban or Rural societies, for example in rural society change may be slow in urban society change may be rapid. Today in India we find rapid change from north to south. The extent of change may be different but every part of society Changes.

Society changes Social Change is Temporal: Social change never stops. It continues and is continuous. It is also called a process. Social change happens in time period and it is called as temporal. We see in society that many innovations, alterations, modifications take place from time to time regularly. Time is the best yard stick to measure change. We observe two different phenomena in two different time period.

Social change is Inevitable and Environment: Naturally change is inevitable because it is natural. Natural phenomena are inevitable to society. Hence, social changes are inevitable. Social change does not occur according to the interest of man. Social change does not go according to our interest only. It is changing naturally. Man changes its direction and speed.

Social change is Human Change: The sociological significance of the change consists in the fact that it involves the human aspect. The composition of society is not constant, but changing. The fact that people affect change and are themselves affected by it makes change extremely important.

Factors of Social change: Social change results from an interaction of a number of factors. A single factor may trigger a particular change, but normally is always associated with a number of factors. The physical, biological, technological cultural and other factors may together bring about social change.