Society
Meaning and
Definition
The term society is derived from the
Latin word Socius, which means companionship or friendship. Society is a
complex of group in reciprocal relationship interacting upon each other
enabling people to carry out their daily activities and helping each other to
fulfill their various needs and interest. Thus society is the network of social
relationship, the pattern of norms of interaction by which the members of the
social group maintain themselves.
It is an
abstract social concept.
Mac Iver: “Society is a web of social
relationship”
C.H. Cooley: “Society is a complex of
forms or processes each f which is living and growing by interaction with
others, the whole being so unified that what takes place in one part affect all
the rest.”
Nature/characteristics of Society
-
Society
consist of people
-
Mutual
interaction and mutual awareness
-
Society
depends on likeness and differences
-
Interdependence
and co-operation
-
Dynamics
-
Abstractness
-
Social
control
-
Culture
is an indispensable part
-
Division
of labor
Essential Factors of Society
-
Individuals
-
Mutual
cooperation, relation, interaction and competition.
-
Social
norms and values
-
Awareness
-
Control.
Community
The term
community is derived from the latin word ‘com’ and ‘munis’ meaning coming
together or to serve respectively. Thus the etymological meaning of community
is serving together or working together.
Community
stands for a group of persons who live with certain ideals that can be regarded
as basic conditions of a life in common. It is a group of individuals who has
certain geographical area, having common culture, centres of interest, and
activities as well as common economic, political, religious, educational and
other identities or character.
T. Parsons: “A
community is that collectivity the numbers of which share a common territorial
area as their base of operation for a daily life.”
E.S. Bogardus:
“Community is a social group living in a given area with some degree of we
feeling.”
Nature of Community
-
Group
of people or individuals
-
Common
life or likeness
-
Permanency
-
A
Particular name
-
Spontaneous
growth
-
Inborn
membership
-
Concreteness
-
We
feeling
-
Specify
territory
-
Run
by common rule
Basic elements of Community
-
Group
of individuals
-
Locality
-
Community
sentiment
-
Stability
-
Size
of community
-
We
feeling
Difference
between society and community
-
Society
is abstract where as community is concrete concept
-
Society
is a web of social relationship where as community consists of a group of
individuals living in an area with some degree of we felling.
-
In
society, there is not necessary to be the definite boundary but community is a
group of people living together in a particular locality.
-
There
is similarity as well as differentiation in society but in community, we can
get more similarities than differentiations.
-
Society
is more complex and universal but community is comparatively less complex and
limited.
-
Objectives
of the society are wider and different among others but the objectives of
community are limited and similar.
-
Society
is the network of social relation. We feeling is not compulsory in society but
community is formed on the basis of particular group of people. There is we
feeling between the members in community.
Culture
The term culture is central subject
matter of anthropology. Culture is very broad term that includes in itself all
of our works of life, our modes of behavior, ethics, morals, manners, customs,
traditions, religious, political, economic and other types of activities. It is
the man made part of the environment for the fulfillment of their various
needs. It is a complex whole of various human activities such as food habits,
dressing, language, norms, values, tradition, and civilization and other
various material and non material aspect.
E.B. Tylor: “Culture is the complex
whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other
capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”
M.J. Herskovits: “Culture is the man
made part of the environment.”
Characteristics
-
Culture
is manmade and achieved
-
,,
learned behavior
-
,,
dynamic and adaptive
-
,,
transmissive
-
,,
symbolic
-
,,
social
-
,,
satisfies human needs
-
,,
includes both material and non material aspects
Types of
Culture
1.
Material culture
2.
Non
material Culture
Functions
of Culture
-
Culture
provides behavior pattern of people
-
It
fulfills human needs
-
It
defines attitudes, values and goals
-
Helps
for the socialization process.
-
Elements of Culture
-
Norms
-
Values
-
Beliefs
-
Knowledge
-
Technology
-
Signs
Group
Those collection of individuals who
are located with the sense of unity is social group. Every member show the
intimacy and close relation with each other. It is the plurality of persons who
are having a common identity, some feeling of unity, certain common goals and
shared norms. Direct or indirect communication among its members, standardized
patterns of interaction based on a system of interrelated roles and some degree
of interdependence among the members are found in a group. The common purpose
of mass of people for their existence and survive in society with common goals
and feeling, etc is the social group.
Harry m. Johnson;” A social group is
a system of social interaction.”
Bogardus:’ A number of persons, two
or more, who have common objects of attention, who are stimulating to each
other, who have common loyalty and participate in similar activities.”
Nature of Group
-
Collective
forms of individuals
-
Interactional
relationship
-
We
– feeling
-
Common
interests
-
Group
norms
-
Similar
behavior
-
Size
of group
-
Mutual
awareness
Types of Group
1.
Primary
group (Small face to face group family
)
2.
Secondary group( political parities trade unions
religious associations)
3.
In
– group(family, school caste)
4.
Out group ( Political..)
Marriage
Introduction
Mechung Lee; “Marriage is
the public joining together under socially specified relationship of man and
women as husband wife.’
Malinowski: “Marriage is a
contract for the production and maintenance of children.”
Characteristics
- Universality
- Relationship
between male and female
- Stable
and permanent institution
- Creates
mutual obligation
- Marriage
fulfills the sexual needs
- Base
of the family
- It
requires social approval
Types
of Marriage
1. Monogamy
2. Polygamy
a. Polygyny
b. Polyandry
c. Biogamy
d. Group
Marriage
Marriage on the Basis social
rules
a. Endogamy
b. Exogamy
c. Cousin
Marriage
Basic Functions of Marriage
1. Regulation
of sexual life
2. Marriage
leads to the establishment of the family
3. Provides
the economic cooperation
4. Marriage
aims at social solidarity
5. Identification
of children
6. Marriage
contributes to emotional and intellectual interstimulation of the partners.
7. Creates
mutual rights and obligation.
Family
Family
is one of the fundamental and important primary institution for the
establishment of society. It is the simplest and the most elementary form of
society. The term family is derived from the roman word “famulus” meaning
servant. Thus the word denotes the group of persons who are ties in the
relation like servant with each other as well as those members connected by
common descent or marriage. It is a group of persons united by ties of
marriage, blood, or adaptation constituting single household, interacting and
intercommunicating with each other in their respective social role of husband
and wife, brother and sister, father and mother and others creating and
maintaining a common culture. The face to face and very intimate relationship
that grows up among the members of a family.
Elliot
and Merrill: “Family is the biological social unit composed of husband, wife
and children.”
Clare:”
Family is a system of relationship existing between parents and children.”
Characteristics
- Universality
- Emotional
basis
- Limited
size
- Mutual
awareness
- Institution
based on marriage
- Primary
group
- Temporary
and permanent nature of family
- Regulation
of sexual life
Types
of family
1. Family
on the basis of numbers
a. Nuclear
family
b. Joint
family
c. Extended
family
2. Family
on the basis of Authority
a. Patriarchal
family
b. Matriarchal
family
3. Family
on the basis of marriage
a. Monogamous
family
b. Polygamous
family
4. Family
on the basis of residence
a. Patrilocal
family.
b. Matrilocal
family
c. Neo
local family
5. Family
on the basis of lineage
a. Patrilineal
family
b. Matrilineal
family
Functions of family
1. Biological
function of Family
a. Sexual
satisfaction
b. Reproduction
c. Racial
regulation
2. Physical
function of Family
a. Bodily
care
b. Nurture
of children
c. Provision
of food, clothes and shelter
3. Economic
function of family
a. Inheritance
determination
b. Division
of labor
c. Management
of income and property
4. Political
function of family
5. Educational
function of family
6. Religious
function of family
7. Recreational
function of family
8. Cultural
function of family
9. Social
Control
Changing Situation of Family
Pattern in Nepal.
-
Change
the joint family into nuclear family
-
Reduce
the size of family
-
Change
the relation between husband and wife
-
Change
the decision making process
-
Change
the status of women
-
Growth
of instability
-
Less
importance of the kin group
-
Change
the various economic activities
-
Change
the model of intertentment.
-
Change
the religious beliefs.
-
Change
the form of division of labor.
-
Change
the forms of marriage and sexual relation.
Kinship System
No
man exists alone and each man has certain relationship with anyone among the
people, which creates a kind of mutual company. With such kinship they don’t
feel lonely in the society and it can go for a long lasting period or till
death. The relations based on blood or marriage may bring closer to the
members. The bound of marriage or blood, which binds people together in closed
group, is kinship. This kind of bound makes people feel a sense of ours in the
society.
Such
types of relations exist between father and son, mother and daughter, brother
and sister, uncle and aunty, husband and wife and so on.
MacIver
and Page: The bound of blood or marriage which binds together a group is called
kinship.”
A.
R. Brown:”Kinship is a genealogical
relationship recognized for social purpose and made on the basis
of customary relation of social relation.”
Characteristics
- Universal
- Developed
through affinal and consanguinal relationship
- Approved
by society
- Relations
of several categories
- It
is permanent
Types
of kinship
1. Consnguineousl
Kinship
2. Affinal
Kinship
3. Others
(Fictive Kin)
Functions of Kinship
Social Function of kinship
Polittcal,, ,,
Economis, ,,
Social security
Controls social problems
Provide social integration
Determines the status and
role of the individual
Provide the certainty of
marriage
Degree of Kinship.
1.
Primary
Kinship
Very closed, direct and nearest relatives are called primary kinship
which, is formulated on the basis of blood relationship and marriage. Father
and son, Mother and son, husband and wife etc. are the example of this kin.
There are eight types of primly kin found in society.
2.
Secondary
Kinship
The relation between people, who are arising from primary kin is
secondary kinship. It is also known as the kin of primary kin. Grandfather,
grandmother, brother’s wife, mother’s brother, wife’s brother and sister etc
are the examples of this kin.
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