What is society? Explain in Detail.

What is society? Explain in Detail.

As the name suggests, sociology is the science that studies society. Hence, it is clear that it  is the main subject of this science and therefore without understanding society, we cannot any form of sociology.

It is a term used in everyday life with a particular meaning such as aggregation or collection of individuals. But in sociology, it is used not just as congregation or collectivities of individuals but it refers to the sum total of the relationships existing between them. That is why when we use the words ‘Bharat Yuvak Samaj’, ‘Harijan samaj’, Arya Samaj etc. we mean a group of individuals. Humanly created organization or system of interrelationships that connects individuals in a common culture. All the products of human interaction, the experience of living with others around us. Humans create their interactions, and once created the products of those interactions has the ability or power to act back upon humans to determine or constrain action. Often, we experience it (humanly created organization) as something apart from the individuals and interactions that create it.

Definitions 

1. According to August Comte:-“ It  as a social organism possessing a harmony of structure and function.”

2. According to Talcott Parsons: – Society is a total complex of human relationships in so far as they grow out of the action in terms of means-end relationship intrinsic or symbolic.

3. According to G.H Mead: – “society as an exchange of gestures which involves the use of symbols.”

4. According to Morris Ginsberg: – “society as a collection of individuals united by certain relations or mode of behaviour which mark them off from others who do not enter into these relations or who differ from them in behaviour.”

5. According to Cooley: – “Society as the complex of organized associations and institutions with a community.”

6. According to MacIver and Page: – “society is a system of usages and procedures of authority and mutual aid of many groupings and divisions, of controls of human behaviour and liberties.”

General Characteristics /Essential Elements 

Some elements contribute in the formation of any society and these elements reveal certain characteristics of society or social life. The essential elements or the characteristics of society are as follows-

1. Mutual awareness

2. Co-operation and Conflict 

3. It is in living 

4.  There is a uniformity  all work

5. There is asymmetry in the society (Difference in Society)

6. Interdependence in society

7.  It has co-operative nature

8.  It is Abstract 

9.  Definite territory

10. Progeny

11. Culture

12. Independence

13.  A demographic whole

14. Social interaction

15. Social organization

16. Interdependence and cooperation

17. Likeness and differences

18. Functional differentiations or variations

19. Feeling of solidarity

20. An essential system of institutions with authority

Importance / functions 

1. Recruitment of new individuals (Reproduction)

2. Satisfaction of primary physical needs

3. Socialization

4. Social control

5. Provision of means of communication

6. Human prosperity

Man is a social animal by nature

Aristotle expressed that ‘Man is essentially a social animal by nature’. He cannot live without society, if he does so; he is either beast or God. Man realizes his goals, his existence is in it : he finds various ingredients in society through which he can attain the perfectness of the life. The day, he is born to the day he leaves this planet he is in the society.

‘Robinson Crusoe’ expressed that Man can never develop his personality, language, culture and ‘inner deep’ by living outside the it. The statement that a man is a social animal implies that man cannot live without it. It is indispensable for him. He needs it as matter of nature, necessity and for his well-being.

Example:-Kaspar  Hausar, Anna