The best way for Society

The word society is used in a very simple way in common life.

But what is society in real form?

Is it society in the sense in which we say society?

Many such questions come before us.

In this article, appropriate terminology has been used through various books, periodicals, etc.

The meaning of writing articles is only to increase the information about the society.

Society is the central concept of sociology.

Therefore, it becomes necessary to understand the concept of society in sociology.

It may be a different matter that sociologists may have different opinions and ideas about society.

Society as defined by McIver and Page is abstract in nature.

He says that

“Society is a system of customs and practices, authority and cooperation, multiple groups and divisions, controls, and freedoms of human behaviour.

It is this ever-changing complex system that we call society.

It is a web of social relations, and it is constantly changing.

If this definition is analysed, the following features emerge:

1. Customs –

Customs refer to the accepted ways of society.

Its area, food, and drink, getting up and sitting, speaking, and walking, wearing, and wearing, can be anything.

Rituals are like ‘guides’ of a person’s behaviour which tell him when, where, and what to do.

Certainty comes in behaviour and relationships only through rituals.

For example, it is a custom among Hindus that a son will bow down to his father or a married woman will apply vermilion.

The same happens in all societies.

2. Work methods-

There are some methods of doing work in all societies and through those methods, society encourages the person to fulfill his desires or goals.

This definite arrangement of working systems is called an institution. Society expects its members to fulfill their desires through recognized methods of work.

For example, married to fulfill sexual needs, not prostitution.

Do job or employment to meet the economic needs, not theft, etc.

There are specific working methods in society to meet all kinds of needs.

But it is not that the working methods are universal.

Due to the difference in these working methods, one society appears different from the other society.

3. Authority-

There is a certain authority system in all areas of society.

Like the father in the house, the head in the village, the government in the state, etc.

They have been given the authority at different levels to keep the behaviour of the person disciplined and in accordance with social norms and punish those who do not do so.

In modern societies, the nature of authority is very complex and wide.

4. Mutual cooperation-

The continuity and stability of any society depend on how much collaboration is there between the members of that society.

The stronger the cooperation, the healthier the society.

Society cannot be imagined without cooperation.

It is the basis of any society.

It should never be taken to mean that there is no conflict in society.

Where there are four utensils, it is natural to knock them, but the mainstay of the society is cooperation.

5. Groups and divisions-

Society is not a monolithic system.

It has many small and big departments and sub-divisions.

If seen carefully, there are so many units within society.

Family, neighborhood, village, city, province, and nation, all are groups and divisions of society.

All these are related to each other, and society is formed only by their association.

The better these groups and departments are related to each other, the stronger and more organized the society will be.

This means that-

Society is not a group of individuals, but a mutual relationship found between individuals.

Society is not a tangible organization, that is, it cannot be seen or touched.

It is only a web of relationships.

It can be clearly said that society is not made up of individuals, but of the relationships found between individuals.

When people are bound in a system, we call that system a ‘society’.

Social relations refer to those interactions of individuals, which are established meaningfully or to fulfill a particular purpose.

For example, if a person is doing any action with another person to fulfill his biological or social needs, then we will call the relationship established because of such action a social relationship.

Social relations refer to those interactions of individuals, which are established meaningfully or to fulfill a particular purpose.

Social relations are formed through social interaction.

This is possible at three levels—individual-individual interaction, individual-group interaction, and group-group interaction.

The activities that are exchanged at these three levels, because of which different types of relationships are formed, are called society.

The activities that are exchanged at these three levels, because of which different types of relationships are formed, are called society.

It is worth mentioning here that the meaning of the mutually meaningful action of individuals is that keeping an objective in front, all the individuals perform social actions consciously, being fully aware.

Unknowingly or accidentally, if an action takes place between two persons, then it will not be called a social action.

For example, if there is a collision between a person and a scooter rider while walking on the road and there is an action-reaction between the two, then it will not be called a social relationship.

Individuals establish social relationships basically in the process of satisfying their different types of needs.

Apart from this, there are many other reasons, such as the fulfillment of all kinds of interests and goals through different types of social relations, fulfillment or satisfaction of a person’s mental needs is also possible only through social relations, the social action of a person in some circumstances is related to other person or accomplishes together with the group.

In this action, both expect each other to behave according to the situation.

Every person wants to get physical and mental security in society.

This is such a need, whose fulfillment is not possible without the cooperation of others.

There are constant changes in social relations with time.

That is, due to technical and political reasons, the form of relationships keeps on changing.

Today, in rural communities, mutual relations between people of different castes are not only based on traditional status but are also seen to be influenced by modern values and norms.

According to McIver and Page, the characteristics of society are-

(1) mutual awareness

(2) equality

(3) differences

(4) cooperation and conflict

(5) abstract society

(6) mutual dependence

(7) society is constantly changing.

Johnson has defined society concretely-

He has told that society is a group in which four elements are found –

(1) fixed territory

(2) reproduction

(3) widespread culture

(4) freedom.

So, we can say that the form of society given by Johnson can be called an ideal pattern.

Other definitions of society-

According to Gillin and Gillin-

‘Society is a complex of different forms of social interactions.

According to Alfred Schutz-

‘Society is the dialectical unity between objective reality and subjective experiences.’

According to Peter Berger-

‘Society is the form of human consciousness.’

According to C. Wright Mills-

‘Society is a set of different human experiences that they create and develop on the basis of their immediate environment.’

Reference
1. Singh, J.P. (2017), ‘Sociology: Concepts and Principles’, (3rd ed.), PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd., Delhi, pp. 77-80.
2. Dharmendra, (2010), ‘Sociology’, Tata McGraw-Hill Education Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, pp. 3-4.
3. Sidana, Jyoti (2020), ‘Sociology: An Evaluative Introduction’, Rawat Publication, Jaipur, p.109.
4. Singh, J.P. (2017), ‘Encyclopedia of Sociology’, PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd., Delhi.

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