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Law and social change

Laws are forms of social change emanating from political agencies.They are directed social change. Social legislations can be an effective means of social change only when the existing social norm is given a legal sanction. Unaided social legislation can hardly bring about social change. Law must bring about social change by influencing people's behavior, beliefs and values. A number of social legislations were made in India with a view to bring about visible social change.

The Hindu Marriage Act 1955 enforced monogamy and permitted judicial separation and divorce, the Hindu Succession Act of 1956 gave absolute rights over property possessed by a Hindu woman. The Untouchability Offences Act 1955 etc made any atrocity against dalit an offense etc.Sometimes laws can bring indirect social changes also for example laws regarding social security of women would have an indirect effect on marriage age and family structure.


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