HUMAN SOCIETY

P R E PA R E D B Y:
HERALDO, RACHEL
LEE, HANNAH ELAINE
 Humans generally do not live alone,
isolated from each other. Instead,
individuals tend to live in communities with
other people related by ethnicity, nationality,
religion, or some other cultural element.
A human society is a group of people who
share a common lifestyle and organization.
 The human society has been viewed as a
unique and complex society. Because of its
dynamic features, it is capable of
developing and improving its structures.
 One of the basic components of society is
people.
 MEANING OF SOCIETY

• Composed of a large number of people who form

relatively organized, self-sufficient, enduring body.
• Society is composed of interacting individuals and
interacting groups sharing a common culture.
• Society is a systematic network of social relations and it
is the venue where the dynamics of cooperation and
conflict occurs.
SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES AND
PERSPECTIVES OF SOCIETY
1. THE STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONAL
PERSPECTIVE
• Also known as the “Concensus Theory”
• This perspective addresses the question of social
organization and how it is maintained.
• The structural-functional perspective stresses the idea
that relations among the individuals, groups, and
societies, follow well-defined patterns of social
organization.
• Functionalism views social organizations as a system
composed of interrelated parts.
• This perspective emphasizes on – stability, harmony and
evolution.
STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONAL
METHOD
2. THE CONFLICT THEORY

• This theory addresses the point of stress and conflict in

society and the way they contribute to social change.
• Society’s legal system as a political instrument rather
than resolution of conflict and preservation order.
• Conflict theorists are concerned with identifying the
conditions that lead to discontent and conflict, they
believe that social change can only be attained through
conflict.
The Conflict Model
3. THE SYMBOLIC-INTERACTION
PERSPECTIVE
• This theory addresses the subjective meanings of
human acts and the processes through which people
come to develop and communicate shared meanings.
• Symbolic-Interaction directs attention to analysis of the
interaction of persons in face-to-face communication.
 The Symbolic-Interaction
Model

INDIVIDUAL INTERACTION INDIVIDUAL

Analysis of the
interaction by
other persons
 CONCEPT SUMMARY
STRUCTURAL- CONFLICT SYMBOLIC-
FUNCTIONAL PERSPECTIVE INTERACTION
PERSPECTIVE PERSPECTIVE
NATURE OF Interrelated social Competing interest Interacting individuals,
SOCIETY structure that fit group with each group social networks and
together to form an seeking to secure its groups.
integrated whole. own.

BASIS OF Consensus and Constraint, power and Shared meaning

INTERACTION shared values conflict regarding symbols.

FOCUS ON Social order and Social change and Development of self

INQUIRY maintenance conflict and adaptation of
individual to society.

LEVEL OF Social structure Social structure Interpersonal

ANALYSIS interaction
SOCIOLOGY
 SOCIOLOGY

• Sociology is taken from the Latin word “SOCIUS”

meaning companion or associate and the Greek word
“LOGOS” meaning study, combining the two words will
mean the study of associates or companions.
• Study of society, groups and social behavior.
• Scientific study of human society.
 WHY STUDY SOCIETY?

1. To understand the world we live in and the intricate

realities of group interactions and social processes.
2. To explain and understand human behavior in a
society.
3. To determine the existence of groups, their functions,
nature and characteristics.
4. To understand “how” and “why” human beings act the
way they do.
THE EMERGENCE OF SOCIOLOGY

• The emergence of Industrial Revolution

paved the way for the development of
Sociology.
1. AUGUSTE COMTE (1798-1857)
- Founder of Sociology
- A French mathematician and
philosopher who proposed a separate new science
of society. This science was known as “Social
Physics” or what it is now as Sociology.

SOCIOLOGY

a. Social b. Social
Static Dynamics
 3 STAGES IN UNDERSTANDING
SOCIETY

a. Theological • The society is an expression of God’s will.

Stage

b. Metaphysical • People were less likely to see society as the

work of supernatural forces and placed
Stage more emphasis on the forces of nature.

c. Scientific • Final stage of understanding.

Stage
2. HERBERT SPENCER (1820-1903)
- A British philosopher-scientist
who advanced the thesis that evolution
accounts for the development of social and
natural life.
- He stressed that society is similar
to a living organism with parts working
together to survive.
3. KARL MARX (1818-1883)
- A philosopher, economist
and a social activist.
- He regarded private property
and capitalism as the root causes of
poverty.

a. Economic Determinism –
Economic relationships provide the
foundation of which all other social
and political arrangements are built.
b. The Dialect – it advocates that
conflict is the only factor that can
bring change to a society.
4. EMILE DURKHEIM (1858-1919)
- A French intellectual who
viewed society as a total entity, as
something more than the sum of its
parts.

“When society over regulates and

there is less freedom, fatalistic
suicide occurs. When there is too
much freedom and less
regulation, we have anomic
suicide.”
5. MAX WEBER (1864-1920)
- A German economist, historian
and philosopher.
- He believes that to understand
the behavior of the individual, we have to
understand the meaning of the individual
attributes to that behavior.
THE EARLY SOCIETY
 A. HUNTING AND GATHERING
SOCIETIES
• From the inception of human social life until the
discovery of the techniques of planting sometime
between ten and twelve thousand years ago, humans
survived primarily by hunting wild animals and gathering
wild vegetation.
• The hunting and gathering society that uses simple
technology to hunt animals and gather vegetation for
survival.

“HEADMAN” – political leader

“SHAMAN” – spiritual leader
 B. HORTICULTURAL, FISHING AND
PASTORAL SOCIETIES
• The horticultural society developed a society that uses
hand tools to raise crops.
• The beginning of this society has their first records in the
Middle East.
• About the pastoral societies, the main activity of them
was the domestication of animals. Today, there are a mix
among these two societies. Horticulture and pastorals
can be found throughout South America, Africa, and
Asia.
The domestication of plants and animals transformed
societies in various ways:

1. Producing more food allowed societies to become larger.

2. The domestication of plants and animals enabled societies
to generate a material surplus – more resources than
necessary to sustain day-to-day living.
3. Advances in housing technology and home industries such
as weaving, pottery, and leather making.
4. Efficiency and effectiveness of tools and weapons have
markedly improved.
5. The technological capacity to produce a surplus of food also
results in pronounced social inequality. With more resources
to fight for, conflicts became prevalent and slavery has
grown widespread.
 C. AGRARIAN SOCIETIES

• Agricultural societies come as an extension of the

horticultural societies. Their coming marks a major
improvement in the lives of the people during that time.
• This era was then regarded as the “dawn of civilization”.
The major features of this society are:

1. The animal-drown plow produced food far more efficiently

than the hand tools used in horticultural society.
2. The greater surplus of food produced by agriculture
enabled a large proportion of the population to engage in
various special activities.
3. Money emerged as a mean of exchange replacing barter
as a system for trade among people engaged in
specialized activities.
4. Communication and transportation facilities are greatly
improved.
5. The expansion of trade sparked the growth of cities as
economic and political centers.
6. Agrarian societies produce dramatic social inequality.
7. The social power of the elite greatly expands and
exercises absolute control over large empires.
 D. INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY

• A society that uses sophisticated machinery powered by

advanced fuels to produce material goods.
• The muscle power of humans and animals is no longer
the basis of production.
• Tools and machinery become more complex and efficient
owing to the incorporation of metal alloys such as steel.
Industrialism has generated societies of
unparalleled size and prosperity. The effects are:

1. It has brought about a greater concentration of

population in the urban areas.
2. Rising of standard living of the people due to
inventions.
3. Occupational specialization becomes more
pronounced than ever.
4. The family loses much of its traditional significance as
the center of social life.
5. Advanced health-related technology increased the life
expectancy of the people leading to population
growth.
 TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY ECONOMY SETTLEMENTS SOCIAL ORG.
SOCIETY
A. Hunting and Very simple-fire Bare subsistence- Nomadic 25-40 All resting within
arrows, baskets no surplus people family
Gathering
Society
B. Digging sticks, Simple crop Semi-permanent Family centered;
occasionally blade cultivation, some some cities, Religious system
Horticultural tools surplus and occasionally begins to develop
and Pastoral exchange kingdoms moderate
Society specialization;
Increased social
inequality

C. Agrarian Irrigation, Largely agricultural Permanent – Family loses

fertilization, but much surplus; urbanization significance as
Society metallurgy, animal- Increase market becoming important; distinctive religious,
drawn plow exchange and empires covering political, and
substantial trade continent economic system
emerged. Increased
social inequality.

D. Industrial Advance sources of Industrial – few Permanent – urban Complex set of

energy; Mechanized engaged in living predominating. interdependent
Society production agriculture or direct Cities now contain institutions.
production; Much most of the
surplus; Fully population
developed market
economy