2.
Introduction to Society
SOCIETY
- derived from the Latin word socius
- a relatively large grouping who share more or less common and distinct attributes and
characteristics
Definition of Society from Sociologists (A-AC-ED TP GH MCM)
Aristotle
> man is a social being
August Comte
> as social organism possessing harmony and structure
> rules, Mindanao as a dysfunctional society (Abu Sayyaf-civilians-military)
Emile Durkheim
> as a reality in its own right, bound by cultures, beliefs, norms
> the state of reality we know are different to others
Talcott Parson
> a total complex of human relationships
GH Mead
> as an exchanged of gestures which involves the use of symbols
Morris Ginsberg
> the collection of individuals united by certain relations or mode of behavior
Cole Saw
> complex of organized associations and Institutions in the community
MacIver and Page
> as web of social relationships
> laws and written contract help individuals how to react and exercise thereof
FUNCTIONAL and STRUCTURAL Definition of Society
*Collaboratively used in studying society*
Functional = complex group of reciprocal relationships
Structural = folk ways
Calhoun et al (1994) It is an autonomous grouping of people who inhabit a common territory,
have a common culture and are linked to one another
through routinized social interactions and interdependent statuses and roles.
Basic Features of Society by Calhoun et. al. 1994 (sct bom)
- large grouping of people (in terms of size)
- members share common and distinct culture
- definite, limited space or territory
- members has a feeling of belongingness and identity
- group of people have a common origin and historical experience
- share common mother tongue
Nature of Society (MacIver)
- means Likeness
> was focused in early society on kinships that is real or supposed blood relations
> for mutuality and reciprocity
> without it there would be no mutual recognition and sense of belongingness
- implies Differences
>sense of likeness is not always sufficient
- Interdependence
> form of symbiosis, of close mutual interdependence of two species of organisms (MW)
> cooperation and interdependence
- Co-operation
> a social interaction wherein two or more work together to gain a common end
- Conflict
> expresses itself in numerous ways and in various degrees and over
every range of human conduct.
> modes are always changing with changing social and cultural conditions
[ types disappear and new emerge ]
Origin of Society [ DI FO SO OR GRO PA EVOLU]
*based on historical evidences*
Divine origin in 16th and 17th century
-makes society the creation of God. The state is created by God, who in
turn has bestowed upon royalty a “divine right” to rule.
Force theory
- makes society the result of superior physical force.
- society originated in the subjugation of the weaker by the stronger
- form of recruitment: war, compulsion, coercion
Social contract theory
- views society as a contrivance deliberately set up by men for certain ends
- all men were born free and equal
- Individual precedes society. Individuals made a mutual agreement and created society.
- morality was defined
Organic theory
- compares society to a living organism
- individuals as integral part and parcel of society
- indicates social nature of man
Group Mind Theory
- individual develop rules, regulations, and norms in the social system
- facilitates collective thinking, collective acting each group exhibits their own goals.
- realization of social self
- an individual loses/experiences alteration (of) individuality then develops crowd consciousness
Patriarchal and Matriarchal theories
- father as the head of the family and his control and authority was complete in all respects over
all its members.
- They reject outright the proposition that the patriarchal family was the earliest form of society.
Kinship could only be traced through mother, matriarch.
Evolutionary theory
- growth/the result of a gradual evolution.
- continuous development from unorganized to organized, from less
perfect to more perfect and various factors helped in its development from time to time.
- Kinship and family were the earliest bonds uniting man with man.
*September 20, 2021*
