Social change refers to changes in human interactions and social relationships over time. It is a universal and continuous process that occurs at uneven rates across societies due to multiple interrelated factors. Some key characteristics of social change are that it is social, universal, occurs through time factors, and shows chain reactions across different aspects of society. Major factors influencing social change include physical environment changes, population changes, technological advances, industrialization, urbanization, modernization, improved transportation and communication, and events like wars and diseases.