SOCIETY
and supplementary to each other.
 Term is derived from latin word "Societus"
meaning "companionship"
 In general the word society denotes a group
of people however in sociology it refers to
the relationship between them
 Society is also defined as the web social
relationships
 Man is a social being...
 Needs society
 Enjoys group life
MEANING OF SOCIETY
 A complex of groups in reciprocal
relationships
 Interacting upon one another
 Enabling people to carry on their life
activities and
 Helping each person to fulfill his wishes and
 Accomplish his interest in association with
his fellows
 needs
Elements of society
 Mutual interaction of individuals
 Mutual inter relationship between
individuals
 A pattern of system
 Reciprocal awareness is the most important
ingredient
 Common propensity... "we" feeling
 Like mindedness
 Implication of differences/ diversities/
variations
 Interdependence
 Cooperation
More on elements of society
 Society is responsible for the mental and
intellectual development of its dwellers
 Confers safeguard of our cultures and
guarantees its transmission to the future
generations
 Individual and society interacts with each
other and depends on one another
 Instability in any of the aspect gives rise to
opposition between the individuals and
society
So basically, society and individuals are complimentary
Characteristics of society
 Composed of people
 Mutual awareness, continuous reciprocal
interaction and inter relationship among
members
 Likeness and differences e.g similarities like
needs, activities, ideals values etc.
differences like looks, personally, talents,
attitudes etc.
 Members have cooperation and share
common interest.
 Desire are satisfied and interest fulfilled
with joined efforts promoting solidarity and
social cohesion
 Responsibilities held by means of division
of labor and delegation of authority cont..
 Members shows a pattern of
interdependence necessary to meet social
Interdependence is seen among groups,
communities, societies, and even nations
 Society is dynamic ... changes take place
abruptly or gradually
 Society has its own way of social control
(formal or informal)
 Each society has its distinct culture...
...Its expression of human behavior viz.
attitudes, judgements, moral etc.
Tribal society
 Common territory and language but nomadic
in nature
 Blood relationship (Family) and kinship are
the only interconnected social institutions
  Endogamy viz. marriages within the tribe
 Political organization are not defined as all
people are considered to be equal as they
virtually have no property
 Religion is not developed among these
people in to a complex institution viz.
believed in spirits
 Common name e.g Bushmen of South
Africa, some Eskimo tribes etc.
 Multiple roles
 Impersonal relationships
 Class is more important than caste
 Social mobility feasible
 Women are economically and socially more
independent.

Features of tribal society

 Small and homogeneous (20-40 members) in
composition
 Main economic activity was hunting and
food gathering
 Division of labour is minimal, based on
gender and aga without any specialization
 No private property, viz. property is
common to all members of the tribe
 Folkways and mores are more important
means of social control
 There is no competition and conflict too is
minimal as there is no accumulated surplus
to fight over

Agrarian (agricultural)society
 Dominant economic activity was agriculture
 Characteristic of rural communities
 Minimal division of labour
 Family plays an important role
 sense of unity "WE" feeling
 social control through informal means
 simplicity, homogeneity and closeness to
nature

Industrial society
 Emergence of modern family
 manufacture and services are the dominant
economic activities
 Division of labour according to the
specialization pronounced