SOCIETY
Society
According to sociologists,
a Society is a group of people
with common territory,
interaction, and culture.
A society is a group of people
who live together in order to
assist each other in living life and
improving their circumstances.
Types OF SOCIETIES
hunter-gatherer societies,
pastoral societies,
horticultural societies, and
agricultural societies.
Industrial societies
Post industrial societies
Hunter-gatherers
Hunter-gatherers hunted wild
animals and gathered plants for
food. Since these societies were
dependent on the environment
for their food, they often had to
move to new areas. Hunter-
gatherer societies were,
therefore, nomadic. They didn’t
build permanent settlements.
Pastoral society
A pastoral society is a type of
preindustrial society whose way of life
is based on pastoralism (that is, the
domestication of animals).
Pastoral societies, like hunter-gatherer
societies, are typically nomadic: they
do not build permanent settlements
such as villages. This is because
pastoralists must constantly take
their herds to new grazing lands.
Horticultural society.
Around the same time as
pastoral societies, there
emerged another type of society:
horticultural society. It was based
on the newly developed capacity to
grow and cultivate plants.
Horticultural societies have
specialized roles for different
individuals. These roles include
craftspeople, shamans, and traders.
Horticultural societies, because
they relied on the environment,
usually formed around areas
where rainfall and other
conditions allowed them to grow
crops.
Agricultural societies
Agricultural societies were those that
relied on permanent tools for survival.
They used agricultural technological
advances to cultivate crops over a large
piece of land.
New and better tools for digging and
harvesting appeared. Improved technology
led to an increase in the food supply, which in
turn led to the formation of towns that
became centers of trade.
Agricultural societies were even more socially
stratified than horticultural or pastoral ones.
For example, the role of women
became increasingly subordinate
to that of men. Those who had
more resources developed into a
separate noble class. A system of
rulers with high social status also
appeared.
Industrial societies
Industrial societies used external
energy sources, such as fossil fuels,
to increase the rate and scale of
production. Human labor gets
replaced by machinery, so workers
tend to shift towards tertiary sector
activities.
This led to dramatic increases in
efficiency, which, in turn, led to a
greater surplus of goods than ever
seen before.
One of the consequences of
increased productivity was the
rise of urban centers. Workers
preferred living close to factories,
so city populations became larger
and larger.
Post-industrial
societies
Post-industrial societies are those
which are dominated by
information, services, and high
technology rather than the
production of tangible goods.
This is why they are often
referred to as “
information societies” or “digital
societies”
Inpost-industrial societies, blue-
collar work tends to decline in
importance, whereas professional
work tends to be highly valued.
knowledge becomes more and more
powerful. Research institutes, think
tanks, universities, and schools have
a larger role to play. All this results
in a general increase in expertise.
COMMUNITY
The word 'community' has been
derived from two Latin words:
namely, 'Com' and 'munis.
In English, 'com’ means together
and 'munis' means to serve. Thus,
community means to serve
together.
It means, the 'community is an
organization of human beings framed
for the purposes of serving together.
Definition
Community is a group of people
with a common characteristic or
interest living together within a
larger society.
community
A community is a social unit
with a shared socially-significant
characteristic, such as place, set
of norms, culture, religion, values
, customs.
Communities may share a sense
of place situated in a given
geographical area (e.g. a country
, village, town, or neighborhood.
For example, a geographical
community may be defined by
having a shared location,
whereas a social community is
defined by a sense of fellowship.
An academic community may
refer to a group of people who
have all completed the same
education level, while a religious
community refers to a shared
belief system.
Definitions of Communi
ty
Bogardus: It is a social group with some degree
of “we feeling and living in a given area”
• According to Davis: “It is the smallest
territorial group that can embrace all aspects of
social life”
• Manheim: Community is “any circle of people
who live together and belong together in such a
way that they do not share this or that particular
interest only, but a whole set of interests.”
Difference Between Society and Community
In a society, the members are Whereas in a community,
diverse as it comprises various members share common
communities. hence it is characteristics, so they are
heterogeneous. quite similar to each other.
hence it is rather
homogeneous.
Society refers to a larger,
social structure that often community represents a
involves multiple communities smaller, more localized group
and has a broader of individuals who share
geographical, cultural, and common interests, values, and
social scope. goals within a specific
geographic area.
Characteristics of Community
Locality means a community occupies a
territorial area . The people are having
belonging to their locality and develop “we”
feeling with each other.
Social Networks and Interaction:
Communities are characterized by dense
social networks that facilitate frequent
interactions among members.
These interactions can range from face-to-face
encounters in local settings to digital
communications in online communities.
Common Life
One of the elements of
community is that there is always
common life.
Particular Name A community
is always identified by its name.
Thus it has its own particular
name. For example religious
communities, Ethnic group,
Business communities
Charateristics
● Sentiments. This sense of belonging together
and to the residence is the real sentiment of
community.
● Social Participation :The community fulfills the
need for companionship. Social participation refers
to the active involvement of individuals within their
community. It involves various forms of
engagement, such as volunteering, attending
community events, joining clubs or organizations,
and interacting with neighbors and fellow citizens..
Homogeneity :. There is similarity in psychosocial
characteristics of people living in the defined
boundaries of the community. Similarity in language,
life style, customs, interest, traditions etc
Social Control
The community is an important agent of
social control and socialization. Communities
with weak bonds and cohesion tend to have
higher crime rates. In the same way,
communities with strong bonds have lower
crime rates.
For Example :shaming individuals who have
engaged in crime by exposing .Acknowledging
accomplishments of individuals who have
contributed to society or reached certain
milestones such as a specific level of
education.
Shared Norms and Values
Another characteristic of communities is the
presence of shared norms, values, and beliefs.
These shared elements create a sense of identity
and belonging among members, guiding their
behavior and fostering social solidarity.
Mutual Support and Reciprocity
Mutual support and reciprocity are crucial
elements of community life. Members of a
community often engage in acts of cooperation
and assistance, which can range from informal
help among neighbors to organized support
networks. This reciprocal exchange strengthens
social bonds and enhances the well-being of
individuals within the community.
Types of Communities
RuralCommunity
Urban Community
Rural Community
Means community that lives in
village, and is dependent on
natural environment. Rich in
culture and tradition, and are
socio-economically less
developed.
Rural Community
Size of the Community:
The village communities are smaller in area than the
urban communities. As the village communities are
small, the population is also low.
Density of Population:
As the density of population is low, the people have
intimate relationships and face-to-face contacts with
each other. In a village, everyone knows everyone.
Agriculture is the Main Occupation:
Agriculture is the fundamental occupation of the rural
people and forms the basis of rural economy. A farmer
has to perform various agricultural activities for which
he needs the cooperation of other members. Usually,
these members are from his family. Thus, the members
of the entire family share agricultural activities.
Close Contact with Nature:
The rural people are in close contact with
nature as most of their daily activities revolve
around the natural environment. The villagers
consider land as their real mother as they
depend on it for their food, clothing and
shelter.
Homogeneity of Population:
The village communities are homogenous in
nature. Most of their inhabitants are
connected with agriculture and its allied
occupations, though there are people
belonging to different castes, religions and
classes.
Social Stratification:
In rural society, social
stratification is a traditional
characteristic, based on caste.
The rural society is divided into
various strata on the basis of
caste.
Social Mobility
In rural areas, mobility is rigid as all the
occupations are based on caste. Shifting from
one occupation to another is difficult as caste
is determined by birth. Thus, caste hierarchy
determines the social status of the rural
people.
Social Solidarity:
The degree of social solidarity is greater in
villages as compared to urban areas.
Common experience, purposes, customs and
traditions form the basis of unity in the
villages.
Joint Family
Another characteristic feature of
the rural society is the joint
family system. The family
controls the behavior of the
individuals. Generally, the father
is the head of the family and is
also responsible for maintaining
the discipline among members.
He manages the affairs of the
family.
Social Control
The behavior of individuals in the rural
areas tends to be guided more by the
internalization of societal norms and
values. Informal means such as
ostracism and gossips are used or
applied to effect control on violation
while instant justice is determined in
cases of the violation of mores. Urban
areas tend to depend more on formal
institutions such as the police, traffic
wardens among others for the
maintenance of law and ordered.
