Introduction and Concept of Society

Introduction

A society can be defined as a group of a large or small number of people living in a particular place or time and are linked by common interest or goals. It can also be defined as a group of people who lived in the same geographical or virtual territory and behave according to the existing culture and morality.

Further society may be defined as an economic, social or industrial infrastructure made up of a varied collection of an individual . It forms a group of several ethnic groups and like- minded people governed by their own norms and values. A society may even refer to a social organism group such as ant colony, bee colony .

Concept of Society

In Anthropology

Human societies are organized according to their primary means of subsistence. According to social scientists, there were hunting and gathering societies, nomadic pastoral societies, horticultural societies, agricultural societies, industrial societies, post -industrial societies. Some scientists consider the industrial and post- industrial societies to be qualitatively different from traditional agricultural societies. Today anthropologist and many social scientists oppose the motion of cultural evolution and rigid stages. Instead, the anthropological data has suggested that complexity (civilization, population growth, and density, specialization etc ) does not always take the form of hierarchical social organization.

According to anthropologist Maurice Godelier, one critical novelty in human society , in contrast to humanity's closest biological relatives (Chimpanzees and bonobo), is the parental role assumed by males, which supposedly would be absent in our nearest relatives for whom paternity is not generally determinable.

In Sociology

Sociologist Gerhard Lenski differentiates societies according to their level of technology, communication, and economy :

1) Hunters and gatherers

2) Simple agriculture

3) Advanced agriculture

4) Industrial

5) Special (fishing societies)

This system is similar to the earlier system developed by anthropologists Morton H. Fried, a conflict theorist , and Elman Service, an integration theorist, who have produced a system of classification for societies in all human cultures based on the evolution of social inequality and the role of the state. This system classifies into four categories :

1) Hunter- gatherer bands (categories of duties and responsibilities)

2) Tribal societies (where there are some limited instances of social rank and Prestige)

3) Stratified structures led by chieftains.

4) Civilizations, with complex social hierarchies and organized , institutional governments.In spite of this culture is also associated with society. Cultural evolution has a profound effect on patterns of the community. Hunter- gatherer settled around seasonal food stocks to become the agrarian village. Villages grew into towns and cities slowly . Industries began to be established. Then cities turned to city -states and finally to the nation -states.

However, many societies distribute largeness at the behest of some individual or some larger group of people. The generosity can be seen in all known culture; typically, prestige accrues to the generous individual or group. Members of the society may also boycott the members of society who violets the norms and rules of the society. The mechanisms such as gift giving, joking relationships may be seen in a various human group, that tends to be institutionalized within a society. Hence the social evolution as a phenomenon carries within certain elements that could be beneficial to the population it serves. In many of the societies, the adult male or adult female status is a subject to a ritual or process of this type. The altruistic action in the interests of the larger group is particularly seen in all societies. The phenomena of the community action, shunning, generosity, shared risk, and reward are common to many forms of societies.

Characteristics/ Elements of Society

Society consists following elements /characteristics;

1) Likeness or Similarity

According to Mac Iver "society means likeness. It exists among the like beings, like- bodied and like minded". It is the likeness which provides comfort and causes various institutions and associations to maintain its existence and continuity. The similarity which is found in the social relationship among human beings is based upon the identity of interest, objectives, moral, need, traditions etc.

The sense of similarity that is found among modern society and primitive society is based upon the blood relationship. People cannot form any sort of association , intimacy and friend without some understanding among themselves.

2) Difference

The Society also involves differences.The more similarity or likeness is very close to animal society. There are differences everywhere in the society .People are not similar. They are not alike and are different from one another in their ability, capacity, interest, tendency etc. Such differences are either natural or are developed in the process of socialisation and specialisation .

We human differ from one another in respect to our rights and duties, thoughts. The ideas due to which the economics of society are based upon the division of labour. The division of labour among people implies various profession and economic activities which are not similar.

3) Interdependence

Another essential element of society is interdependence.It is not possible for the human to satisfy all his needs when he is isolated from the society.Nature compels human to live in a society so he needs society. Society fulfills all his needs. For example, the institution of the family depends on the biological interdependence of sexes. The man who is incomplete by himself depends on his wife for his fulfilment.

4. Co-operation

Co-operation simply means the process of working together to the same end. Co-operation is the destructiveness of groups with the opposing interest. People in the society cannot lead a happy and comfortable life without co-operation. It leads to the protection of resources and result of the economy. "Co-operation is the most elementary process of social life without which society is impossible", P.Gisbert.

Not only co-operation conflict is essential for the formation of the society which is caused by the clash of human interest and is present ever in human society.

5. Organization

It is another important factor of society. Society is some kind of organization. Every society has its own individual and unique organization. Organization binds people in a garland and unites them together to fight against the problems in the society. Hence society requires an organization for its formation.

6. Social relationship

Society consists of social relations, customs, laws, etc. These are unseen and can only be felt. They are not in concrete form and therefore society is abstract. Hence abstractness is a significant ingredient of society.

7. We-feeling and social group

We-feeling means feeling of belonging together. Such feeling makes society identifiable and distinct people in comparison to other or distinguishes the societies from one another. We-feeling also binds people in a social group.

8. Dynamic

Society is not static. Changeability is an inherent quality of human society. The society is like water in a stream or river that flows forever. New associations and institutions and groups may come into being and old ones may die a natural death. Changes may take place in society gradually or abruptly.

9. Social Control

Every society has its own ways and means of controlling the behavior of its members. Although co-operation exists, side by side competitions, conflict, tensions,revolts and suppression also appears. They can be controlled . Society has various formal and informal means of social control. Society has customs, traditions, conventions, norms ,values and also laws, legislation, constitutions, police, court, army and so on. Al these are the formal means of social control to regulate the behaviour of members of society.

10. Comprehensive culture

Every society differs from one another and is unique because of its own way of life i.e. culture.

Culture refers to the complex,whole which involves knowledge, beliefs, moral and any other capability and habits acquired by a human as a member of society. It also means the expression of human nature in our ways of living, thinking, behaving and acting as a member of society.

References:

Santa, S.C. Environment Science. India: New Central Book Agency (p) Ltd., 2004.

T., Richard. Towards a Sustainable Future. India: PHI (p)Limited, 2008.