SOCIETY

Topic#2

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DEFINING SOCIOLOGY
• Sociology is the systematic study of human society
and social interaction.
• The society and the individual are inherently
connected, and each depends on the other.
• Sociologists study this link: how society affects the
individual and how the individual affects society.

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THE EVOLUTION OF HUMAN SOCIETY
• In the simplest sense ,evolution means the slow
process of change from a simple to a more complex
structure.
• Human societies are essentially adaptive mechanisms .
• In human societies we find the evidence of both
continuity and change

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THE EVOLUTION OF HUMAN SOCIETY
• Gerhard Lenski
-the amount of technology a society had could allow a society
to evolve and change.
- a process of change involving a society's level of innovation,
transmissions and technological advances. Types of Societies
-He has broken the level of societies into five types:

a) Hunters and gatherers

b) Horticultural
c) Pastoral
d) Agricultural
e) Industrial

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HUNTING & GATHERING
➢These societies have been here since the beginning of human life.
➢They are nomadic and rely on readily available food and fiber from nature.
➢Primarily depend on the hunting of animal and gathering wild plants
(Hunting conducted by men, gathering by women).
➢Population size limited by availability of food. These are groups of about
25 to 50 women, men, and children who cooperate with each other in the
quest for subsistence.
➢Hunters and gatherers do not appear to work hard or long. They generally
work less than the members of more technologically advanced societies.
➢Egalitarian - equal access to resources
➢ No social stratification
➢No individual ownership of resources

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PASTORAL SOCIETIES
➢Subsistence Strategy :Tend to rely on the domestication and
breeding of animals for food.
➢Population Size : These societies have hundreds or even
thousands of people.
➢Geographical Mobility: Nomadic &People live in portable tents
or temporary structures and move only when the grazing land
ceases to be usable.
➢Property: Some individuals can become more powerful than
others on the basis of their wealth. Warfare is more frequent
than in Hunting and Gathering societies. Most fights are over
grazing areas.

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PASTORAL SOCIETIES
➢Social Structure: simple. Besides family, the religious, economic and
political institutions began to develop.
➢The Family is the major institution. These are very male dominated as
males control the food supply.
➢ Religion is characterized by a God(s) seen as taking active role in
human affairs. Christianity, Islam and Judaism are examples of
religions developing in Pastoral societies. Note that God in these
religion is often likened to a shepherd and humans to domesticated
animals (e.g., sheep).
➢Stratification and social status is based on the size of one's herd.

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HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES
➢Subsistence Strategy: relying on the cultivation of
domesticated plants, they used hand tools to raise crops.
➢ Slash & burn technology.
➢Population Size: Usually consist of several thousand people.
➢Geographical Mobility: Raise crops for two to three years and
then prefer to move when the soil is exhausted.
➢Social Structure: specialized new roles and statuses appear.
➢ Political and economic institutions become well developed.
➢Ownership of Property: Some people become more powerful
than others due to the possibility of surplus.(wealth)

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AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES

➢ Subsistence Strategy: relying on cultivation of crops through the use of

plows and draft animals.
➢ Population Size: Usually consist of several million people.
➢ Geographical Mobility: Permanent settlement, very low geographical
mobility is found.
➢ Social Structure: specialized new roles and statuses appear. As crop
yields are high, it is no longer necessary for every member of the society
to engage in some form of farming, so some people begin developing
other skills. Job specialization increases.
➢ Political institution become much more elaborate, power becomes
concentrated in the hands of single individual.(monarchy, feudal system)
➢ Ownership of Property: Social classes appear. The wealth is almost
unequally shared.

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INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
➢People and goods pass through much longer distances
because of innovations in transportation, such as the train and
the steamship.
➢Rural areas lost population because more and more people
were engaged in factory work and had to move to the cities.
➢Fewer people were needed in agriculture, and societies
became urbanized, which means that the majority of the
population lived within commuting distance of a major city.

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POST- INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
➢Post industrialism to refer to the production of information using
computer technology. Production in industrial societies centers on
factories and machinery generating material goods; postindustrial
production relies on computers and other electronic devices that
create, process, store, and apply information.
➢Focus on ideas: Tangible goods no longer drive the economy.
➢Need for higher education: Factory work does not require advanced
training, and the new focus on information and technology means
that people must pursue greater education.
➢Shift in workplace from cities to homes: New communications
technology allows work to be performed from a variety of locations.

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A society is a large social grouping that shares
the same geographical territory and is
subject to the same political authority and
dominant cultural expectations.

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A SOCIETY IS…
• Any group of people who have lived and worked
together long enough to get themselves organized
and to think of themselves as a social unit with well
defined limits (Linton )

• Society refers to people who interact in a defined

territory and share a culture. (John J. Macionis).

• Society is the web of social relationships which is ever

changing (MacIver and Page)

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CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIETY
• Population is one of the basic characteristics of
society as society is considered to be a largest
social group of people living together.
• The demographic properties of a population
(size, composition and density) have direct,
demonstrable and far reaching consequences for
human societies.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIETY…
• Subgroups are the important components of the
lager group. Individuals are organized into a
variety of units we call groups . These range from
small family units to giant corporations.
• Within one society, these different subgroups are
classified on the basis of age, profession, sex,
religion, literacy and so on.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIETY
•Interdependence; another important
characteristic of society. The survival and
well being of each member is very much
depended on this interdependence. No
individual is self sufficient. He has to depend
on others for food, shelter and security and
for the fulfillment of many of his needs and
necessities.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIETY
• Social institutions are the main organs of the
society. A social institution is a complex,
integrated set of social norms organized around
the preservation of a basic societal value.
• The interrelationship among institutions create
structure for the society.
• The family, education, economic, political and
religion.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIETY…
• Culture is fundamental for the survival of
societies. Culture can be said to include all the
human phenomena in a society and all learned
behaviour.
• Culture is a very board term that includes in itself
all walks of life, modes of behaviour, philosophies
and ethics, morals and manners, religious,
political, economic and other types of activities.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIETY…
• Socialization ;a life long process which enables
the individual to learn the content of her/his
culture and the many behavioural patterns of the
group to which s/he belongs.
• The individual learns to become a functioning and
participating member of the society or group
through the socialization.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIETY…

•Permanent Group; Permanency is another

important characteristic of society. It is not a
temporary organization of individuals.
Society continues to exist even after the
death of individual members. Society is a
coherent organization.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIETY…
• Dynamism is also an important aspect of a
society. No society is static. Every society
changes and changes continuously. Old customs,
traditions, folkways, mores, values and
institutions got changed and new customs and
values takes place.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIETY…

•Rural-Urban Composition; Human

societies have at least two aspects
•Rural; sparsely residing group of people with
simple culture.
•Urban; people living in clusters with complex
culture.

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CHARACTERITICS OF RURAL AND URBAN
COMMUNITY
RURAL
URBAN
1. Density of Population: 1. Density of Population:
• Rural areas are Sparsely • Urban areas are thickly
populated. Most of the people populated. Houses are
live in their own farms called constructed contiguous to
‘Farmstead Settlement’. each other.
• Open Settlement • Dense settlement pattern.

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Nature of Relations

RURAL URBAN

• Informal interaction is more • Indirect and impersonal social

frequent, deep, face-to-face interaction can be found more
intimate relations. frequently.
• Emile Durkeim used the term • Emile Durkeim used the term
Mechanical Solidarity for such Organic Solidarity for such
areas on the basis of their areas on the basis of their
relations. relations.

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Occupation

RURAL URBAN
• In rural areas majority of the • The urban areas have a
people earn through large number of professional
agricultural activities. activities due to diverse social
• Very few or no choice of conditions.
occupation. • Different nature of jobs
available according to skills
and qualifications.

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 Cost of living

RURAL URBAN
• While incomes tend to be • Cost and standard of
lower in rural areas, the cost living is high as compare
of living is also proportionally to rural areas.
lower.
• Simple life style and the fact • Housing rents are higher
that majority live in their own in urban areas and food
houses. staples cost more.
• Individuals share their • Safe and decent housing
resources with each other. is more expensive

The cost of living is the amount of money needed to sustain a certain standard of
living by affording basic expenses such as housing, food, taxes, and healthcare.
The cost of living is often used to compare how expensive it is to live in one city
versus village.

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Availability of Services/Facilities

RURAL URBAN

• Less or very few services • Adequate and better quality of

both in terms of quality and services.
quantity. • More facilities available to the
• Rural people often have a residents of urban areas
hard time finding medical especially living in big cities.
care, education, electricity
etc.

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Social Control

RURAL URBAN

• Informal social control is more • Formal mode of social control

effective . is more effective.
• The family and the religious • Effective role of Police, law
institutions have a key role. and courts.
• Norms, values and mores are • Written laws are more
important. important.

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Social Change

RURAL URBAN
• Rural culture tends to be • People appreciate social
conservative. change and are prone to
• Very slow and selective mode adapt it readily, little
of social change take place. resistance against the new
trends is shown by them.
• Reasons: Lack of adaptability
due to illiteracy, • High rate of change.
traditionalism, etc. • Reasons: Fast means of
communication, education,
cultural diversity.

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Social Stratification And Social Mobility
RURAL URBAN

• The rural community is • On the other hand, social

divided into various strata stratification in urban
on the basis of caste. areas is based on (socio-
economic) class.
• Social mobility is rigid as • Social mobility is found
all the occupations are faster in these areas.
based on caste.
• Shifting from one • Vertical--- upward and
occupation to another is downward
difficult as caste is • Horizontal---An alteration
determined by birth. of profession
• Ascribed status is more • Achieved status is more
important important

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Anonymity

RURAL URBAN
• As interaction in rural areas is • Anonymity is a condition in
more frequent and direct so which a large number of urban
everyone is connected to other people are strangers to each
person in the community. other.
• Everyone is known to others by • Nobody is fully aware about the
his/her own name or family . neighbourhood.
• Strangers are easily • This condition may leads to
recognized. security issues as well.

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Recreational Facilities

RURAL URBAN
• The popular recreations of • Modern facilities available to
the rural people are traditional the people of urban areas and
games Hide-and-seek, the cricket, hockey, soccer,
marbles, kite flying, gulli- tennis, badminton, table
danda (a stick game played
by boys), and kabaddi, tennis, squash etc ,are some
wrestling, dog fighting etc. of the prominent games that
• Beside these, fairs are are played by the urban
arranged at different youth.
occasions.

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Characteristics of Rural Areas
• Origin: from Latin ruralis, from rus, rur- country.
• Village, countryside, small towns & farms etc.
• Dispersed farmstead
• Low cost of living
• Slower-paced life; Minimum social change
• Homogeneous population
• Sense of belongingness
• Ascribed status is more important
• Less or lack of facilities
• Greater kinship network connections
• Traditional games Hide-and-seek, marbles, kite flying, gulli-danda (a
stick game played by boys), and kabaddi, wrestling, dog fighting etc.
• Slow means of communication, roads and transport etc
• Gemeinschaft

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Characteristics of Urban Areas
• Origin: from Latin urbanus, from urbs, urb- city.
• Cities, developed areas
• Densely populated, overcrowded
• High cost of living in big cities
• Fast paced ; Faster social change
• Heterogeneous population
• Impersonal relations
• Individualism
• Achieved status is more important
• Modern sports and games are played like cricket, hockey, soccer, tennis, badminton, and
table tennis, squash etc.
• Rapid means of transport and a wide network of communications
• Gesselschaft

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