Subject Communication Studies

Paper No and Title Society and Media

Unit No and Title Unit I:Society and Media: A Conceptual Understanding
Module No and Title Module 1: Interpreting Community, Class and Society
Module Tag U1M1

COURSE CO- COURSE TECHNICAL CO-

CO-ORDINATOR CO-ORDINATOR ORDINATOR

Dr. Durgesh Tripathi - Dr. Sachin Bharti,

Assistant Professor, Assistant Professor
USMC, GGSIPU USMC,GGSIPU,
New Delhi.
CONTENT WRITER REVIEWER

(Author) Prof. K.G. Suresh (Former

Dr. Neerja Singh DG, Indian Institute of Mass
Associate Professor, Communication (IIMC),
University of Delhi, New Delhi.
New Delhi.

(Co-Author)
Mr. Namit Vikram Singh
Research Scholar, USMC,
GGSIPU, New Delhi
GURU GOBIND SINGH INDRAPRASTHA UNIVERSITY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Learning Outcome
2. Introduction
3. Understanding Class
4. Interpreting Community
5. Class, Community and Society
6. Conclusion.

1. LEARNING OUTCOME

The learner, after going through this module, will have a conceptual clarity over:

 The basic sociological concepts such as class and community and its relation to
society.

Communication Studies Paper: Society and Media

Module 1: Interpreting Community, Class and Society
1
  The relevance of the concept of “class”.
 The relevance of the concept of “community”.
 The nature of engagement of class and community and its importance within society.
 The role of media in society’s transformation

2. INTRODUCTION

The paper “Society and Media” is an interdisciplinary approach for understanding the
two-way nature of engagement between society and media where these two social
institutions have played a critical role in shaping each other over a period of time.

The 1st module of the 1st unit introduces the learner to the basic and important terms
which are relevant to understand society as a social concept and as an institution and how
with the period of time, the notion of class and community has undergone a change and
impacted the society.

The learner will also be able to conceptualize better, the idea of society and how it has
organically evolved with time and the kind of role media has been playing both as a
channel and agent for change.

Society as a concept, from the sociological point of view, is relevant as it enables an

understanding about the process of evolution of human beings from mere hunters and
gatherers to the creators of civilization. For instance, the society of ancient Greece to the
civilization of Rome and in context of India, the Harappan and Indus Valley civilization,
are some of the historical examples as to how the humans have evolved and shaped the
social environment around them. Society, as a social institution, has played a critical role
in bringing about a degree of balance and order in terms of people’s engagement and
socialization with others.

Within society, the notion of class and community has both played a pivotal role in
defining the social and cultural sphere and at the same time defining the channels of the
evolution of the society by constantly engaging in the process of deconstruction and
reconstruction where new social facets and cultural markers have been integrated and the
society has transcended through the process of amalgamation of these social concepts.

It is important to understand that society is not rigid or fixed rather an organic concept
where community and class have both undergone a major transformation. In this process
of transformation, media has played an important role as a channel for information which
has helped in the moulding of class and community in regard to the changing social
settings. Media has been primarily responsible for the exchange of social and cultural
ideas to the growing awareness about the social surroundings and most importantly
development of consciousness about one’s own wants within the society.This,
collectively has been responsible for the transformational shift of society from one
paradigm to another.

Communication Studies Paper: Society and Media

Module 1: Interpreting Community, Class and Society
2
 3. UNDERSTANDING CLASS

Class as a concept is generally interpreted in terms of differences in the levels of

consumption and distribution of either economic or political power (Bose, 1965). Max
Weber’s interpretation of class as a concept primarily revolves around the economic
parameters of engagement which is the capacity for an individual to purchase or
accumulate capital. The nature and amount of capital, in turn, places the individual in a
hierarchy within the society. For instance, in the case of India, the business community
such as the Marwaris, from Weber’s understanding of class, can be placed on the top of
the hierarchy due to the access to a larger capital.

Marx on the other hand has interpreted class as a social category which can be identified
on the basis of the privileged and the unprivileged (Bose, 1965). Marx introduces the
notion of exploitation within capitalism where he has identified two primary categories of
class. One can be understood as the “laboured” class which is exploited and the other
which produces wealth (capitalists) and has the rights of ownership over the means of
production (Bose, 1965). From this conception of class, Marx explains the process of
social conflict between the class of haves and have-nots where there is a shift in the
control of capital from one hand to another and the process of struggle is continuous and
inevitable.

Marx further adds that class can be further sub-categorized between the capitalists and the
labourers where each category has a defined scope for consumption and exercise power
over their fellowmen. It is determined on the basis of surplus accumulated by the
individual of a particular class. Another means of understanding these two social classes
can be in terms of “exploited” (the labour) and the “exploiter” (the capitalist).

CLASS

EXPLOITER EXPLOITED

This process of assessment can be generally seen in almost every society where the
population is categorized in a hierarchy on the basis of access to income, economic
security, advancement, authority and autonomy, etc. which varies within the society. As a
result, we have a general category of class which is the upper class followed by the upper
middle class, the middle class, the lower middle class and the lower class.

However, it has been argued by different scholars of social sciences as to whether the
economic parameters for the assessment of class are sound for overall analyze of society.
The answer to this question is that yes economic factors are the prominent ones which are
easily visible within the society but they cannot be taken as the sole factor for the
assessment of class. There is a social and cultural aspect which is also pivotal in order to
have a multi-dimensional understanding of class. For instance, the Brahmins in India,

Communication Studies Paper: Society and Media

Module 1: Interpreting Community, Class and Society
3
 from the social and cultural aspect are regarded as the supreme since they are seen as a
community which possesses access to knowledge in the forms of Vedas and traditional
scriptures. This form of social and cultural capital accumulated by them puts them on a
higher mantel in the social hierarchy (Marshall and Swift, 1993).

Scholars argue that mere economic approach for interpreting class is not sufficient. They
agree that economic factor runs through generations in terms of identifying class since a
member of an underprivileged category may face issues of accessibility due to the burden
of generations of deprivation. However, with time, with the change in accessibility and
the scope for such class in gaining access to other important resources such as education,
job security, political power, etc., it enables them to move vertically upwards to a higher
class category. However, this process of change requires some degree of social and
political intervention in the form of reservations, injections and etc. The key aspect to
focus here is that the notion of “social justice” which can be weakened if only understood
from an economic perspective. There develops a dire need for intervention in order for
social justice to prevail within all the classes. However, this form of intervention also
provides the scope for mobility which can be seen over a period of time within the
society. As a result, class as a category becomes a flexible and dynamic category which is
evolving over the period of time.

Scholars such as T.H. Marshall have argued that class can also be evaluated in terms of
other salient features such as religion, ethnicity, etc., which may contain economic
dimensions, but are not entirely defined in economic terms. Marshall has argued that class
can also be interpreted on the basis of their respective citizenship status as it empowers
them the political power of voting which in totality can alter the social category of class
within the society.

Box 1.1
For instance, in different parts of Uttar Pradesh, there is a dominance of Yadavs and other
communities of Other Backward Classes (OBC) who can be seen as potential voters due to
their good number. As a result, these communities for the notion of class cannot entirely be
placed at the bottom of the hierarchy as in terms of political capital, they have a wider access
to the political resources in comparison with other communities

In a similar manner, if an individual through his process of socialization has acquired a

higher social capital on the basis of which he/she can exercise some form of control over
the other members of the society, then that particular individual can be identified as a
member of a higher class in the overall hierarchy.

Max Weber, points out some of the important facets of this social category. Weber argues
that class can be understood as a broader multi-dimensional schema of stratification.
From the social context, he defines the category of “status groups” who are a group of
individuals within the sphere of communal interaction and are always identified on the
basis of some recognized positive or negative social estimation of honour (Wright, 2003).

Communication Studies Paper: Society and Media

Module 1: Interpreting Community, Class and Society
4
 Such a category always exists as a group as it provides a degree of legitimacy to this
category within the society. However, status, unlike class, does not impact directly rather
it affects indirectly. Therefore, what can be understood from the different social
viewpoints is that class as a category and as a concept is dynamic and related to the
specific common causal components of people’s lives which are common within the
population but the components are represented purely in terms of economic interests.

4. UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY

Community is another important social concept that is relevant to understand in order to

better interpret the changing trends of society. Community, in layman’s terms, can be
understood as a group of people sharing distinct social characteristics and are bound by
social ties, share common goals and objectives and reside in a common geographical
space (Villanueva, 2011). The mode of ownership in a community is common and the
members represent common social values and norms. The membership in a community is
generally determined by birth and is highly restricted to the outside population.
Community cannot be seen as an individual unit rather, it is always a collective unit. The
larger the number of members, the greater its legitimacy. Community cannot be seen as
an individual unit. The social ties are formed on the basis of the social identity which is
common to all its members. For instance, the Rajputs, Brahmins, Kayasthas, etc. are some
of the Indian communities where the social interaction and ties are being formed on the
basis of common social identity. There is a limited role of interpersonal socialization
which can validate the membership within a community. The membership is validated on
the basis of common social values and identity which in turn, determine the nature of
socialization of the individual (Villanueva, 2011).

Box 1.2
For instance, in the Muslim community, the members socialize and celebrate the cultural
event of Eid with each other on the basis of common social and cultural values. These values
are determining the process of socialization. It is devoid of individual identity, rather it is the
collective or group identity of being a Muslim which determines the member’s nature of
engagement and interaction.

In a similar manner, the Marathi community celebrates the eve of “Ganesh Chaturthi” in a
manner which is distinct to that particular community and the mode of social interaction is
being determined by the collective identity.

However, with the process of modernization and migration of the workforce from rural to
urban settlements, there has been a transformation in the nature of community within the
society. Scholars mostly identify it as a contemporary dilemma. Since urban settlements
in terms of economic capital have more to offer in comparison with rural, most of the
workforce while migrating to urban settlements also shape up newer social identities
which are nuclear and devoid of traditional roots. For instance, in the rural settlements,
the members apart from their respective families, enjoy closer kinship ties which are
reflective in a community. However, this process is missing in the case of urban areas as

Communication Studies Paper: Society and Media

Module 1: Interpreting Community, Class and Society
5
 the identity is mostly anonymous and the mode of socialization is more goal-oriented than
based on shared social values.

The process of urbanization has given way to newer aspects of interpreting community
which can be seen to be either common thoughts, language, rhetoric or love. The nature
of membership is no longer defined on the basis of birth or sharing common geographical
space rather, it becomes primarily determined by common interests of the people.

The notion of community in the context of urban spaces or metropolis has been shattered
with the advancement of technology and changing livelihood of people. There has
emerged a growing trend of individual identity and personal space where the communal
nodes hold little to no strength in governing the people’s interactions. Community exists,
especially in the context of political bodies determined by consensus and commonality.
However, community as a social concept within the urban spaces appear fractured
(Secomb, 2000).

Within the urban society there has emerged a far greater scope for diversity,
heterogeneity, disagreement and resistance which can be seen as counters to communal
commonality. Instead, the concept of community takes a different shape of aggregation of
likes of similar isolated subjects within the society driven by a common purpose. The
whole notions of commonality, consensus and harmony etc., appear to be the common
threads, however, they remain fragmented and disputed in regard to community.

For instance, in today’s era, we have different forms of cultural communities in regard to
art and craft. Such communities are a collective on the basis of common interests. They
are placed across different geographical spaces but remain in contact with each other and
socialize as a community. The key aspect to notice here is that the entry and exit of a
member is no longer determined by the traditional norms, rather the pattern of
membership is fluid and evolving after a period of time. As a result, the communal space
that appears communal is rather superficial and distorted (Secomb, 2000). Therefore,
what can be seen in the case of community is that it is always a process which is
unraveling itself and sharing different singularities who are together unbecoming in their
sharing and social binding (Secomb, 2000).

5. CLASS, COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY

Society, from a sociological point of view, can be understood as the totality of all human
beings living together in a given period of time (Adorno, 1970). The individual is seen as
the basic component who, together with other members forms a social group which
interacts and develops social relationships which ultimately leads to the development of
the society. Within society, there are patterns and groupings on the basis of likeness and
differences. Society here is seen as a system of different social relationships which exist
among the individuals of the groups. Maclver and Adam Smith have interpreted society
as a web of social relationship which is constantly changing and seen as a natural device
of the natural economy.

Communication Studies Paper: Society and Media

Module 1: Interpreting Community, Class and Society
6
 Within this process of societal change, class and community have a pivotal role to play.
With the changing social trends and the transmission of information, there has emerged a
growing class-consciousness within the society where different members have begun to
realize and understand that class as a concept is fluid and constantly evolving. It can be
seen more as an operational instrument which covers a wide range of camouflaged and
un-camouflaged class antagonisms (Bose, 1965). As M.N. Srinivas rightly points out that
the Indian society had the upper caste (class) which took the advantage of modern
education and progressively westernized itself to join the ranks of the ruling classes.
However, due to the state’s interventional measures, the classes positioned at the bottom
of the hierarchy acquired the knowledge for a vertical upward boost within the society.
Despite that, the nature of inequality still existed and it was observed that there was a
constant shift in the category of class from lower to higher and vice-versa. Also scholars
such as Friedrich Heyer have argued that the nature of inequality within the society can
be interpreted as a form of functional inequality as it ensures a sense of competition
within the class and allows the market to expand itself by providing the material needs to
the diverse set of class existing within the society. Marx’s notion of exploitation here
works as a triggering effect which initiates the process of class struggle which ultimately
leads to a shift in the overall structures of the society.

Another aspects to be explored in terms of class and society dynamics are “conflict” and
“coercion”. These two aspects in itself complement the idea of class conflict and class
consciousness within the society. It allows for the formulation of awareness about the
individual’s and group’s interests and willingness to engage with another class to combat
for resources and upliftment.

Similarly, in the case of community and society, the former concept involves agitation
and chaos as a process for transmogrification (to transform). Community within the
society is seen to be nomadic and disruptive. It can be interpreted as a polymorphous field
of forces and intensities. This fractured community, in turn, is also crucial for enriching
and sustaining well-being with others (Adorno, 1970).

All these crucial processes of the society also require a means of transmitting information
from one domain to another and media here plays a very critical role in terms of
channeling information from one social structure to another which in turn initiates the
process of change. This change can be interpreted in the form of popular culture, cultural
and social assimilation, political participation and many more. All these aspects through
media experience a process of change which ultimately shifts the overall structures of the
society to a different stage.

6. CONCLUSION

From the above arguments, the learner should now be clear that:

a) Understanding society as an isolated concept is not enough from an academic point of

view. It has various facets which require an inter-disciplinary understanding. Media is

Communication Studies Paper: Society and Media

Module 1: Interpreting Community, Class and Society
7
 one such form of institution which plays a pivotal role in the shaping of the society
and is important to analyze in order to decode the society’s future trends.

b) The notion of class has various interpretations in terms of social, cultural, political
and economic spheres. However, the aspect to keep in mind is that the accumulation
of capital, from an economic perspective, provides clarity over the hierarchical ladder
that exists within the society. Class can also be seen as a social category which
involves the process of conflict and coercion which ultimately leads to a structural
change in the notion of class within the society.
c) The notion of community has also moved from its traditional roots to a more
contemporary category which appears both fractured and distorted yet has a crucial
role in terms of ensuring overall well-being within the society.
d) Society transforms with the changes in its social, political and cultural characteristics
and media plays a critical role in altering the roots of class and community
interactions which ultimately leads to a paradigm shift in the society.
******

References
 Bose, A. (1965). Six Decades of Urbanization in India 1901—1961. The
Indian Economic & Social History Review, 2(1), 23–
41. https://doi.org/10.1177/001946466400200102

 Browning, G. K., Halcli, A., & Webster, F. (2000). Understanding

contemporary society: Theories of the present. London: SAGE.

 Buck, N., & McFall, S. (2011). Understanding Society: design

overview. Longitudinal and Life Course Studies, 3(1), 5 - 17.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.14301/llcs.v3i1.159

 Hoffer, C. (1931). Understanding the Community. American Journal of

Sociology, 36(4), 616-624. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2767166

 McLaverty, P. (2005). Class. In Blakeley G. & Bryson V. (Eds.), Marx and

Other Four-Letter Words (pp. 46-60). LONDON; ANN ARBOR, MI: Pluto
Press. doi:10.2307/j.ctt18fsbp5.7

 PECKHAM, I. (2010). SOCIAL CLASS. In Going North Thinking West: The

Intersections of Social Class, Critical Thinking, and Politicized Writing
Instruction (pp. 16-27). University Press of Colorado. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt4cgpx8.5

Communication Studies Paper: Society and Media

Module 1: Interpreting Community, Class and Society
8
  Reghu, J.(2003). Visvakarmas: Understanding 'Community'. Economic and
Political Weekly, 38(50). Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4414406

 Secomb, Linnell (2000) Fractured community. Hypatia, 15 (2). pp. 133-150.

doi:https://doi.org/10.1353/hyp.2000.0028.

 Somerville, P. (2016). Understanding Community (2nd Edition): Politics,

Policy and Practice. Bristol: Bristol University Press.
doi:10.2307/j.ctt1t89368

 Wright, E. O. (2009). Understanding Class. Towards an Integrated Analytical

Approach. New Left Review, 60 101-116.

Communication Studies Paper: Society and Media

Module 1: Interpreting Community, Class and Society
9