Characteristics of society -Understanding society
Objective
Introduction
Society is understood as the collection of a group of people who live in a certain geographical area by persuing common interaction and culture. Though it is abstract in nature but is also very dynamic with change objectivity. To develop an understanding of society it is equally important to comprehend basic characters of the society or we can say primary elements of the society. Looking into the definition and analysis of many sociologists it is been seen the unanimous characteristics of the society which provides a clue to understanding society in a better way.
Whenever we use the word society, it invariably carries three distinct connotations.
1-It is self-perpetuating; for even when individual members are dead, society continues to exist.
2-It is organized. In it, there is always some division of work and each organ must do its allotted work.
3-Since society has to function, it is always guided by some accepted norms and values.
In order to survive, society has certain conditions that must be met before people can be said to be living in one society.
1-They must occupy a common territory.
2-They must not only share this territory but also interact with one another.
3-They must to some extent, have a common culture and shared some of the membership in the commitment of the same group.
Characteristics of Society
One of the essential features of society is that it is universal and all-pervasive. It rests on consciousness of the kind. Its major characteristics are as follows:
1- Likeness: Likeness is an essential prerequisite of society, as Maclver says, "Society means likeness". The sense of likeness was focussed in early society on kinship and in modern societies, the conditions of social likeness have broadened out in the principle of nationality or one world.
2- Society is Social Relation which is Abstract: Society embodies the social relationship among the individuals. It means that it is not something which can be seen, observed, touched or scented but an abstract feeling which cement the fellow human beings with one another. Society is an abstract organization that prevails whenever there is the existence of the social relationship.
3- It is a Permanent Organisation: Society is entirely different from the temporary gathering of the people or the crowd. It is a coherent organization. It is permanent. Society is not born with any temporary objective to achieve but its existence will be until this planet is inhabited by human beings.
4- Difference: But the sense of likeness does not exclude diversity or variation, society, also implies difference and it depends on the latter as much as on likeness. A society based exclusively on likeness and uniformity is bound to be loose in social ties. If people were all exactly alike, their social relationships would become very much limited. There would be little reciprocity, little give and take. All our social system involv relationship in which differences complement one another. There are natural differences of aptitude, interest and capacity. These differences are necessary for society.
Thus while society means likeness, likeness may exist without giving birth to society. Similarly, while the difference is necessary to society, difference by itself does not create society. The difference is subordinate to likeness. As Maclver observes, "Primary likeness and secondary different create the greatest of all social institutions- the division of labor."
5- Inter-dependence: in addition to likeness, interdependence is another essential element to constitution society. Today not only countries but also continents depend upon one another.
6- Co-operation: Co-operation is also essential to constitute society. Without co-operation avoids mutual destructiveness and results in the economy.
7- Conflict: Like co-operation, conflict is a major component of society. Conflict expressed itself in numerous ways and in various degrees. Direct conflict is when individuals or groups thwart or impede or destroy one another in an effort to attain some goals. Indirect conflict is when individuals or groups do not actually impede the efforts of one another but nevertheless seek to attain their ends in ways that obstruct the attainment of some ends by others.
8- Competition: Competition is an impersonal conflict between individuals for the attainment of any object or objects which are limited in supply.
9- Accommodation and Assimilation: Accommodation and assimilation are the other two factors facilitating the functioning of society.
10- Sociability in Society Essential: We cannot predict the notion of 'manless society'. Man cannot live without society.
Society is not a group of people but a structure of their interactions and mutual relationships. It is an abstract organization, pattern or system. The true nature of society consists not in the external factors of inter-dependence or likeness but in the state of mind of the beings who compose society.
Conclusion
In short, society being the largest group comprises much smaller group which comprise two or more people who (a) are aware of their common membership in a group and have a 'we-feeling', (b) interact according to mentally accepted norms that define the expected behavior and differentiate members from non-members, (c) share a system of functional interdependence in a division of labor that facilitates the pursuits of the goals.Members in society are placed in a hierarchical order, each place entailing with it a set of statuses and roles. rights and privileges.
- To understand the characteristics of society.
- To develop sociological understanding of society by referring to the various elements of society.
Content Outline
- Introduction.
- Characteristics of society.
Introduction
Society is understood as the collection of a group of people who live in a certain geographical area by persuing common interaction and culture. Though it is abstract in nature but is also very dynamic with change objectivity. To develop an understanding of society it is equally important to comprehend basic characters of the society or we can say primary elements of the society. Looking into the definition and analysis of many sociologists it is been seen the unanimous characteristics of the society which provides a clue to understanding society in a better way.
Whenever we use the word society, it invariably carries three distinct connotations.
1-It is self-perpetuating; for even when individual members are dead, society continues to exist.
2-It is organized. In it, there is always some division of work and each organ must do its allotted work.
3-Since society has to function, it is always guided by some accepted norms and values.
In order to survive, society has certain conditions that must be met before people can be said to be living in one society.
1-They must occupy a common territory.
2-They must not only share this territory but also interact with one another.
3-They must to some extent, have a common culture and shared some of the membership in the commitment of the same group.
Characteristics of Society
One of the essential features of society is that it is universal and all-pervasive. It rests on consciousness of the kind. Its major characteristics are as follows:
1- Likeness: Likeness is an essential prerequisite of society, as Maclver says, "Society means likeness". The sense of likeness was focussed in early society on kinship and in modern societies, the conditions of social likeness have broadened out in the principle of nationality or one world.
2- Society is Social Relation which is Abstract: Society embodies the social relationship among the individuals. It means that it is not something which can be seen, observed, touched or scented but an abstract feeling which cement the fellow human beings with one another. Society is an abstract organization that prevails whenever there is the existence of the social relationship.
3- It is a Permanent Organisation: Society is entirely different from the temporary gathering of the people or the crowd. It is a coherent organization. It is permanent. Society is not born with any temporary objective to achieve but its existence will be until this planet is inhabited by human beings.
4- Difference: But the sense of likeness does not exclude diversity or variation, society, also implies difference and it depends on the latter as much as on likeness. A society based exclusively on likeness and uniformity is bound to be loose in social ties. If people were all exactly alike, their social relationships would become very much limited. There would be little reciprocity, little give and take. All our social system involv relationship in which differences complement one another. There are natural differences of aptitude, interest and capacity. These differences are necessary for society.
Thus while society means likeness, likeness may exist without giving birth to society. Similarly, while the difference is necessary to society, difference by itself does not create society. The difference is subordinate to likeness. As Maclver observes, "Primary likeness and secondary different create the greatest of all social institutions- the division of labor."
5- Inter-dependence: in addition to likeness, interdependence is another essential element to constitution society. Today not only countries but also continents depend upon one another.
6- Co-operation: Co-operation is also essential to constitute society. Without co-operation avoids mutual destructiveness and results in the economy.
7- Conflict: Like co-operation, conflict is a major component of society. Conflict expressed itself in numerous ways and in various degrees. Direct conflict is when individuals or groups thwart or impede or destroy one another in an effort to attain some goals. Indirect conflict is when individuals or groups do not actually impede the efforts of one another but nevertheless seek to attain their ends in ways that obstruct the attainment of some ends by others.
8- Competition: Competition is an impersonal conflict between individuals for the attainment of any object or objects which are limited in supply.
9- Accommodation and Assimilation: Accommodation and assimilation are the other two factors facilitating the functioning of society.
10- Sociability in Society Essential: We cannot predict the notion of 'manless society'. Man cannot live without society.
Society is not a group of people but a structure of their interactions and mutual relationships. It is an abstract organization, pattern or system. The true nature of society consists not in the external factors of inter-dependence or likeness but in the state of mind of the beings who compose society.
Conclusion
In short, society being the largest group comprises much smaller group which comprise two or more people who (a) are aware of their common membership in a group and have a 'we-feeling', (b) interact according to mentally accepted norms that define the expected behavior and differentiate members from non-members, (c) share a system of functional interdependence in a division of labor that facilitates the pursuits of the goals.Members in society are placed in a hierarchical order, each place entailing with it a set of statuses and roles. rights and privileges.
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