The Concept of Society

Objectives

• Identify different definitions of society under different perspectives.
• Reason why people live as a society
• Determine the major characteristics of a society.
• Determine the major functions of a society.
• Classify different types of societies and their characteristics according to: their economic and material system, evolutionary view, and the people’s subsistence
• Give the ways how a society might dissolve.

What is Society?

Warning

The following section is too complex. Please simplify this section.

• In general, society has been defined in a variety of ways.

  • It can be described as a group of people with common territory, interaction, and culture.
  • One sociologist described it as: “a group of people living together in a definite territory, having a sense of belongingness, mutually independent of each other, and follow a certain way of life.”
    • Sociologist Arcinas defined it in his book Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics in 2016.
  • The word society can be derived from the Latin term societas, and then socius.
    • This words means companion or associate.
    • This indicates that it can refer to all people that are collectively regarded as a community of related, interdependent individuals living in a definite place and following a certain mode of life.

• Society can also be defined in different points of view: the functional point-of-view and the structural point-of-view.

  • In the functional definition, society is a complex of groups in reciprocal relationships interacting upon one another, enabling humans carry on their life-activities and helping each person fulfill their wishes and accomplish their interests in association with their fellows
  • In the structural definition, society is a total social heritage of folkways, mores, and institutions, as wall as habits, sentiments, and ideals.
    • One important aspect of society in this definition is the system of relationships, the pattern of the norms of interaction, by which the members of the society maintain themselves.

Reasons for Living in a Society

• Some reasons why we live in a society are:
  • Survival (For survival)
    • Man always depends upon others from birth till death.
    • The care, support and protection given to them are essential factors for survival.
  • Emotional Warmth and Belongingness (Feeling of gregariousness)
    • People bond together for emotional warmth and belongingness, as well as the need for approval, sympathy, and understanding.
    • This allows the individual fulfill their psychological needs
  • Specialization
    • People who specialize in one field may organize themselves into societies with a goal of performing a social role.
    • Different roles cater the different needs of the people in society, which enables them to function together.
    • This allows people in a society to be dependent on one another, strengthening social bonds and ensuring that people work together harmoniously.

Characteristics of a Society

• A society can have the following characteristics:
  • Social System
    (It is a social system.)
    • It consists of individuals interacting with one another.
    • When a change affects one part of the society, it also affects the stability of other parts as well.
  • Relatively Large
    (It is relatively large.)
    • When people or groups of people are individually scattered, they do not form deep social bonds.
      • This will make them less likely to form a large-scale society.
    • When people are socially integrated, it allows them to work together, form bonds, and have common values and beliefs.
      • This allows them to contribute for the development of the overall society, which leads to its expansion.
  • Socialization
    (It socializes its members and from those from outside it.)
    • People from within a society are taught by the society’s basic norms and expectations.
    • People from other societies are socialized and taught the basic norms and expectations first before being accepted as functioning members.
  • Sustainability and Survival
    (It endures, produces, and sustains its members for generations.)
    • The survival of a society depends on its ability to produce, endure and sustain its new members for several generations.
    • This ensures that a society will survive in times of extreme conditions like poverty and hunger.
  • Common Culture
    (It holds its members through a common culture.)
    • People inside a society are held with ways of life that is shares and specific to a society.
    • These individuals can be held together by a society’s symbols, norms, values, beliefs, patterns of interaction, and their mission and vision.
  • Defined Territory
    • Members in a society lives in a certain specific habitat.

Major Functions of Society

• A society has the following functions:
  • System for Socialization
    (It provides a system for socialization.)
    • Young people learn knowledge and skills, patterns of behavior, moral and social values that are considered acceptable in a society.
    • Different institutions and organizations play a role in a person’s development.
      • These organizations may consist of the family, the peer group, the school, the church, and other government and non-government organizations.
  • Satisfaction of Basic Needs
    (It provides the basic needs of its members.)
    • The society provides the basic needs of its members, such as food, clothing, shelter, medicine, education, transportation, and communication facilities.
  • Regulating Behavior
    (It regulates and controls people’s behavior)
    • Peace and order is accomplished through a system of norms and formal organizations.
      • Norms are things or actions that are considered acceptable in a society.
    • Obedience to a society’s norms of conduct ensures social control.
    • Organizations such as law enforcement, armed forces and the church exist as means of social control.
      • Using these organizations, peace and order is achieved through social control.
  • Means for Social Participation
    (It provides the means for social participation.)
    • Social participation allows individuals in a society to:
      • learn to interact with one another,
      • present and discuss concerns within the society,
      • solve their own problems,
      • renew their commitment and values.
    • This allows other people in the society to contribute their knowledge and skills for the development of their family, neighborhood, and community.
    • Some organizations may also do their part in community development.
  • For Mutual Support
    (It provides mutual support to the members)
    • People from within the society may provide assistance to their fellow members.
      • This may be in form of relief or solutions to problems they meet.
      • This assistance may come from members of the family, neighbors, clans, and other groups: government and non-government agencies, civic and religious organizations.

Types of Societies

• Different types of societies can be organized according to one of three factors:
  • according to economic and material system,
  • according to evolutionary view, and
  • according to people’s subsistence

According to Economic and Material System

• Societies under this factor can be classified as:
  • Pre-class: characterized with communal ownership of property and division of labor
  • Asiatic: has economically self-sufficient people; has powerful and authoritative leader.
  • Ancient: characterized with land ownership; rich owns property, poor work as laborers.
  • Feudal: the aristocrats control the wealth; peasants work for them for few benefits.
    • They collapsed due to the rise of cities and metropolis, which catalyzed by the rise of trade and industry.
  • Capitalist: the bourgeoise control means of production; the proletariat work or sell property to them.
  • Democratic: with free enterprise: people can engage in any business for their own gain.
    • People can work on their own livelihood according to what the law mandates.

According to Evolutionary View

• Societies under this factor can be classified as:
  • Simple: predominantly small; nomadic; unstable leadership; has no specialization of skills; had a simple life.
  • Compound: two or more societies that merge; tends to be agricultural societies; has division of 4-5 social classes.
  • Doubly Compound: completely integrated; has definite societal organizations; has complex division of labor; with considerable progress in infrastructure and arts.
  • Militant: individuals in this society exist to serve the state.
    • They can be characterized by these three traits:
      • Existence of a military organization and military rank.
      • The life and the private possessions of an individual are at the disposal of the state.
      • Activities of an individual are regulated by the state.
  • Industrial: the rights, the initiatives and the freedom of an individual is protected.
    • They can be characterized by these four traits:
      • People can elect representatives to protect their individual ideals.
      • There is freedom of belief, religion, and production of industrial goods.
      • Disputes and grievances are settled through peaceful arbitration.
      • Labor in business are based on contractual agreement.
  • Post-industrial: societies with huge advancements in technology
    • They can be characterized by these three traits:
      • The widespread use of computers and the existence of information and communication technology.
      • Emergence of discoveries and inventions in medicine, agriculture, business and in other fields of physical and natural sciences.
      • High prevalence of pollution, disease, and calamity due to use of advanced technology.

According to People’s Subsistence

• Societies under this factor can be classified as:
  • Food Gathering: people survive from collecting hunting, and gathering food.
    • Characterized with tools made of stone, wood, and bones.
    • Existed around 16,000 years ago.
  • Horticultural: people survive through planting seeds as means of subsistence.
    • Existed around 15,000 to 12,000 years ago.
  • Pastoral: people survive in this society through raising animals.
    • Often relatively small, wandering communities.
    • They are organized along male-centered kinship groups.
  • Agricultural: food production is increased through the use of a plow and irrigation farming.
  • Industrial: machines become the means for production of food and materials.
    • They are characterized by:
      • the invention of guns, steam locomotives, and a huge production of steel.
      • occupations become more diversified and people become highly skilled.
      • it began during the Industrial Revolution during the 18th century.
        • It even continued till the turn of the 19th century.
  • Post-industrial/Information: the hallmark in this society is the advancements in information and communication technology.
    • They are characterized by:
      • spread of advancements in computer technology and the capabilities of the Internet.
      • the rise of technological problems such as pollution, lung illness, and others.

Dissolution

• A society can be dissolved in several number of ways:
  • people inside a society kill each other through civil revolution,
  • an outside force exterminates the members of a society,
  • people inside a society no longer have a sense of belongingness,
  • a small society is absorbed by an other society by means of territorial conquest,
  • members of an existing society is killed by natural calamities (submerged in water, etc.),
  • people living in a society voluntarily attach themselves to an existing society.