Society

Society is found even at the level of sub-humans, the primates such as monkeys and chimpanzees. Sociologists submit that what distinguishes human beings from other animals is the presence of culture among human communities; thus, human beings came to be characterized as ‘beings with culture’. For understanding human beings, therefore, we have to look at the dynamics of society and culture.

The concept of society has both empirical and abstract aspects. Empirically, society is viewed as an entity made up of individuals who can internalize social values, norms, and technological knowledge of their community. These individuals establish relationships with one another, and when a person becomes an object of socialization, they are referred to as a ‘person.’ In simple terms, a socialized individual who learns the shared ways of living becomes a person. These interpersonal relationships form the fundamental fabric of society. Aristotle coined the phrase, ‘man is a political (social) animal,’ emphasizing that human beings naturally live together in a social context. Human beings are not meant to live in isolation, and solitary confinement is considered a severe punishment.

As an abstract construct, society refers to the normative and social structure created and maintained by interacting individuals to regulate, control, and socialize human behavior.

Society is defined as a congregation of individuals. However, not all congregations constitute a society. For instance, a crowd or mob is also a gathering of individuals, but it disperses once the stimulus bringing them together disappears. In contrast, a society endures over time, fostering a sense of solidarity among its members. Members of a society share an attachment to their territory, collectively defending it. They also divide labor among themselves, with each unit assigned different tasks and activities. Societies are further divided into smaller entities known as groups.

Thus, society is an entity composed of individuals who share relationships based on mutual sharing. At the empirical level, individuals internalize social norms and values, becoming socialized ‘persons.’ As an abstract construct, society aids sociologists and other social scientists in understanding and analyzing human behavior. Societies endure over time, fostering solidarity among members and dividing labor into smaller groups.

Meaning and Definition of Society

The term society has been derived from the Latin word ‘Socius’ which means a companion, association, or fellowship. It is because man always lives in the company of his fellow beings. This led George Simmel to remark that sociability is the essence of society. The term society is understood in different senses in different situations. In our day-to-day discussion society is used to refer to the members of specific groups for example- Tribal Society. Other times it refers to some institutions like Arya Samaj, and Brahmo Samaj. Sometime society refers to an association like consumer society, cooperative society or cultural society. Society is also used in the sense of a group such as rural society or urban society.

But in Sociology, Society refers not to a group of people but to the complex pattern of the norms or interaction or relationships that arise among them. People exists only as an agent of social relationships. Mere congregation of individuals do not constitute society. Rather society refers to the complicated network of social relationships by which every individual is interrelated with his fellowmen. Hence Society is more abstract than concrete, in nature. We can’t touch it but feel it. Because society resides in the minds of individual. Society is a process of living not a thing, a motion rather than structure. A system of social relationships is the most important aspect of society. Not all relationships are social. A social relationship implies reciprocal awareness among individuals. This reciprocal awareness direct and indirect are the characteristic of every social relationship. This idea of reciprocal awareness is implied in F.H. Giddings definition of society i.e. “a number of like-minded individuals, who know and enjoy their like-mindedness and are, therefore, able to work together for common ends.” Thus elements of society exists in the ‘Consciousness of Kind’ of Giddings, ‘we feeling’ of cooley or ‘a common propensity of W.I. Thomas.

When more than one individual live together and mutual relationships develop among them and different social processes like mutual co-operation, competition and conflict constantly take place in society. The relationship established around these creates society. Here exists blood relationship between parents and children, brothers and sisters. Voters and leaders are bound in a political relationship. There exists economic relationships between the customer and shopkeeper. There exists social relationships among neighbours. There exists religious relationships between the priest and the family members. The network of these relationships is what we call society. To understand the meaning of the term society more clearly and exactly we must have to give a look towards the definitions given by Sociologists. But Sociologists are not unanimous in their opinion about society. As a result we come across two types of definitions such as structural and functional definitions. But these two views are not contradictory but complementary to each other. These two views are discussed below :

Structural views of Society

According to the Structural View Society is a structure. Accordingly society refers to the social heritage of folkways, mores, ideals, institutions and habits. Supporters of this view are Morris Ginsberg, F.H. Giddings, G.D.H. cole, J.F.Cuber and others. Their views are as follows :

(a) According to F.H.Giddings, “Society is the union itself, the organization, the sum of formal relations in which associated individuals are bound together”.

(b) According to G.D.H. Cole, “Society is the complex of organized associations and institutions within the community”.

(c) According to Morris Ginsburg, “A society is a collection of individuals united by certain relations or modes of behaviours which mark them off from others who do not enter into these relations or who differ from them in behavior.”

(d) According to J.F. Cuber, “A Society may be defined as a group of people who have lived long enough to become organized and to consider themselves and be considered as a unit more or less distinct from other human units.”