Chapter 6 SOCIETY AND ITS BASIC ORGANIZATION

WHAT DEFINES SOCIETY?

• Gerhard Lenski: Society is defined through its sociocultural evolution to mean changes that occur as a society gains
new technology – inventing or adopting new technology sends ripples of change throughout a society;
• Karl Marx: Society is defined through the idea of social conflict the struggle between segments of society over
valued resources;
• Max Weber: Society is defined through philosophical approach, called idealism, emphasizing how human ideas –
especially beliefs and values – shape society;
• Emile Durkheim: Society exists beyond individuals who compose it, it shapes us while we live through existing
patterns of human behavior (cultural norms, values, and beliefs) that construct social facts as an objective reality
beyond the lives of individuals;
• SOCIETY – a group of people involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same
geographical or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations.
• SOCIETY AND TECHNOLOGY
Sociocultural evolution – social changes that occur as a society gains new technology (Gerhard Lenski)
• 3 mil. Years ago – 12.000 years ago: Hunting and Gathering Societies, making use of simple tools to hunt animals and
gather vegetation for food – family based, social equality, rarely making wars – small groups, nomads on vast
territories, no permanent homes (man are hunting, women gather vegetation), shamans are spiritual leaders;
• 10.000-12.000 years ago: Horticultural and Pastoral Societies, use hand tools to raise corps and start domestication of
animals – bigger groups of few hundreds; horticulturalists form more permanent settlements, while pastorals remain
nomadic; extra food is produced, trade occurs, greater specialization starts increasing social diversity; beginning of
religion and greater spirituality related to the well-being of communities;
• About 5.000 years ago: Agrarian Societies, (“the dawn of civilization”) large-scale cultivation using plows harnessed to
animals or more powerful energy source, as well as irrigation, the wheel, writing, numbers, use of various metals,
ceramics, construction technics, invention of money… Social stratification and extreme inequality, further
specialization, development of arts, free time and fun; permanent settlements, men raises to social dominance,
religion reinforces the power of elites defining loyalty and hard work as moral obligations;
• 300-400 years ago: Industrial Society, production of goods using advanced sources of energy, transport and
machinery; fast social changes in few centuries; professionalization; mobility and urbanization; weakening of the
family ties, strengthening of the social communities – organized mass education, organized religion, development of
workers’ rights… Raising living standards and increased political voice;
• Postindustrial Societies, production of information using computer technology;
THE RATIONALIZATION OF SOCIETY
Max Weber understood the power of technology, and he shared many of Marx’s ideas about social conflicts, but instead of
materialism he emphasized that human ideas (idealism) – especially beliefs and values – shape society.
• Societies differ not in terms of how people produce things, but in how people think about the world;
• In preindustrial society what is important is tradition (values and beliefs passed from generation to generation); in
postindustrial, modern societies what is important is rationality, a way of thinking that emphasizes deliberate, matter-of-
fact calculation of the most efficient way to accomplish a particular task;
• Rationality leads to scientific thinking and improvement of technology which leads to improvement of society;
• Capitalism is a rational social system because it improves efficiency;
• Relationship between Protestantism (Calvinism) and capitalism = worldly prosperity is a sign of God’s grace, success is
blessed, profit needs to be pursued and reinvested for greater success, wealth should be used for making greater wealth;
religious ethics is transformed into work ethic;
• Rationality as a bases for modern society with 7 characteristics of rational social organization: 1) Distinctive social
institutions; 2) Large-scale organizations; 3) Specialized tasks; 4) Personal discipline; 5) Awareness of time („Time is
money!“); 6) Technical competence; 7) Impersonality; === rationality, bureaucracy, and science
SOCIETY AND FUNCTION
Society exists beyond ourselves, it is more than the individuals who compose it, and patterns of human behavior – cultural norms,
values, and beliefs – exist as established structures as social facts, they have an objective reality beyond the lives of individuals.
(Emile Durkheim)
• Society is structured, works as a system, with its functions;
• Society is not only “beyond ourselves” but also “in ourselves,” helping form our personalities, how we act, think or feel;
• Increased social anomie – a condition in which society provides little moral guidance to individuals;
• Mechanical solidarity – social bonds based on common sentiments and shared moral values that are strong among the
members of preindustrial society;
• Organic solidarity – social bonds based on specialization and interdependence that are strong among members of
industrial society;
• Division of labor is the key of modern society – to build solidarity and trust among people who do not know each other,
but depend on each other;
Modern society rests far less on moral consensus and far more on functional interdependence