Basic Sociological concepts

• Society: Derived from the Latin word

‘socius’.
• A web of social relationships.
• It does not just refers to group of people,
but to the complex pattern of the norms of
interaction that arise between them.
 Nature of society
• It is abstract
• Not just a group of people
• It is a organization of relationship
• There is a psychical element in social
relationship.
 Characteristics of society
• Mutual interaction and awareness among people.
• Similarity and Difference
• Co-operation and Division of Labour
• Society is dynamic
• Social Control
• Culture
• Gregarious nature of man
 Community
• A community is a social group with some
degree of ‘we feeling’ and living in a given
area.
• Definite locality, community sentiment,
stability, naturalness are some of its
features.
 Association
• An association is ‘an organization
deliberately formed for the collective
pursuit of some interest or set of interest by
its members.
• Common interest, co-operative spirit,
organization, Durability of association.
 Institutions
• Institutions represent ‘the social structure
and the machinery through which human
society organizes, directs and executes its
various activities required to satisfy human
needs.
• An institution consists of a concept (which
could be an idea, doctrine or interest) and a
structure
 Characteristics of Institutions
• Universality
• Institutions are standardized norms
• Means of satisfying needs.
• Institutions are the controlling mechanisms.
• Relatively permanent
• Abstract in nature
• Oral and written traditions
• Synthesizing symbols
 Difference between
Society and Community
• It is a web of social • Consists of group of
relationship individuals
• Wider • Smaller
• Community sentiment • Community sentiment and
may or may not be present ‘we feeling is quite
• Abstract (no locality ) essential
• There can be more than • Relatively Concrete
one community in the • There can be more than
society one society in a
community
 Diff between
Association and Community
• It is constituted voluntarily
• Membership is voluntary
• Has definite objective
• Relatively unstable
• May have legal status
• It is a part of a
community. There can be
many associations in one
community
• Comes into existence by
itself
• Membership is compulsory
• Has general interest
• Stable
• No legal status
• It employs an association
as means to fulfill specific
needs of a community
 Functions of Institutions
• Simplify actions for individuals
• Assigns roles and status to the individuals
• Control human behavior
• Negative functions
 Differences
Institution Association
• Formless and abstract • Concrete
• Evolved • Constituted
• Permanent • Temporary
• It is a group of people organized • Refers to the organized way of
for the purpose of fulfilling a doing things. Represents
need. common procedure.
• Denotes only a mode or means • Denotes membership (we belong
of services. (we do not belong to to different associations, clubs
a institution ) etc)
• Comprised of laws, rules, • Comprises of human
systems and regulation. beings/individuals.
 Differences (Continued)
Institutions Associations
• Laws based upon racial • Laws formed after rational
customs and dogma consideration
• Compulsory observance of • Rules and laws are not very
laws strict
• Symbolic in expression • Has definite name
• Based on human activity • Based on mutual human co-
operation