There has been a great deal of intellectual activity around the phenomenon of change. This has resulted in a wide variety of theories differing in their range, focus, and emphases. The universal theories, taking the entire human society in their coverage. Stand out for their grand imagination. The apocalyptic, evolutionary, and cyclical theories recognize the inevitability of change. But they start with fundamentally different assumptions and hold widely divergent views regarding the destiny of human society. One believes in the perfectability of man and his society, the other lays emphasis only on progress, and the third visualizes trend less fluctuations through cycles of growth and decline. Other important theories were built around single factors identified as the prime movers of change. The more important among them were economic factors, ideas, technology, conflict, adaptation to environment, and tension-management. Many of these theories attributed universal primacy to the factor which they believed caused all change. Some of these theories were focused only on the directions of change and illuminated the paths of culture; others aimed at off erring causal analyses. Some explanations of change adopted the idiom of being, others of becoming. They must be subjected to a process of rigorous verification and testing. Even if they do not stand proved and validated, they at least can be credited with having generated debates and controversies which contributed significantly to conceptual clarification and methodological refinement. The search for a universal theory of change is being gradually abandoned; contextual multi-factor analyses now appear more rewarding. This approach draws heavily from the insights and formulations of the earlier theorists whose position it questions and seek to modify. Since 1950's the study of change has recieved an added impetus from the increasing awareness in the affluent and the less affluent societies, from the recognition of the alarming international gap between the rich and poor nations, and from the powerful urge in the third world to raise their standard of life. Modernization is not just another term for economic development and technological change. It has an important bearing on social organization. The social structure has to be adapted to the changing conditions, and ways have to be found to minimize the injuries of change and reduce its social costs. Modernization generates a variety of forces which make a powerful impact on society: stress and strain, alienation. And anomie often figure prominently in societies under going rapid transition. To handle them effectively it is essential to go to their root causes. Growing material affluence is also not without its problems. It often creates a spirtual void. In the midst of economic development the individual may find himself deprived of his identity and autonomy. This situation also call for imaginative management. The management change in the final analysis, will depend upon the quality and validity of the explanations and predictions of change. The explanatory and predictive capabilities need to be refined and sharpened.