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Week 6

Our society consists of different organizations. Each

organization has its own contribution which affects certain

individuals, or the whole society itself.

Social organization is defined as the system of relations hips

between persons and among groups with regard to the division of

activity and the functional arrangement of mutual obligations within

society. Knowing what social organization can help us understand

the importance of each organization’s role to the development of the

entire society.

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to:

1. Describe the organized nature of social life and rules governing

behavior

2. Compare different social forms of social organization according to

their manifest and latent functions

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Social Organization

In sociology, the term social organization is used to refer to the

interdependence of parts in groups within our society today. These

groups may vary in size and nature. Workers, professionals, and

businessmen – the society is divided into these organizations, which are

inevitably interrelated.

Nowadays, the term is commonly used in sociological studies

and researches, especially when sociologists want to stress the relevance

of the arrangement of part of the society and how they are related to

each other.

It is hard to imagine how we can develop without being affected

by the social organizations. Humans can be a part of more than one

social organization; an individual can be a member of a family, and

belong to the group of workers at the same time. The actions and

behavior of both of these organizations will affect the individual, and

can even affect each other.

Kinship, Marriage, and the household

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The family is defined by sociologists Ernest Burgess and Harvey

Lock as a group of persons united by ties of marriage, blood or adoption

constituting a single household interacting with each other in their

respective social role of husband and wife, mother and father, brother

and sister creating a common culture.

The family serves as an important universal social institution –

if not the most important. It is the basic unit of social organization that

is commonly seen everywhere, and it is such an essential part of human

society that it is hard to imagine how we can function without it.

Sociologists recognize the significance of families in providing

their members with valuable resources, both economic and

noneconomic, which are all necessary for their development. It is also

involved in creating and shaping self and collective identities, and in the

rearing and socialization of children. Moreover, family relations hips

and processes affect individual well-being in profound ways.

Families, just like other parts of organization, is never isolated;

it can also interact with other social institutions and contribute to social

stability and change.

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There are several kinds of families: nuclear, extended, and

reconstituted families. Nuclear families are families that consist of

parents and children. Extended families, on the other hand, are

composed of the nuclear family plus other relatives such as

grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. And then the Reconstituted

families refer to families composed of spouses and their children from

a previous marriage.

Man is does not live alone in society. He is surrounded by a

number of people, some which are his relatives, while others are mere

strangers to him. He is inevitably bound to all the people who are related

to him by blood or marriage.

Aside from being a relevant part of the human society, the family

is the basis of kinship. Kinship is a system of social organization which

is based on real or recognized family ties. It is a universal human

phenomenon that takes various cultural forms.

Kinship is of three types: Consanguineous Kinship that is also

known as kinship by blood or descent, the Affinal Kinship which is also

known as kinship by marriage, and the Kinship by Ritual.

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Consanguineous Kinship refers one’s relationship with other

people through blood. An example of this would be the bond between

parents and their children. Another example would be the bond between

siblings.

Thus, son, brother, sister, uncle, nephew, and cousin are

consanguineous kin, as they are all related by blood.

Kinship ties based on descent can be matrilineal, partrilineal, or

bilineal. Matrilineal kinship is descent based on the female line.

Patrilineal kinship, on the other hand, is based on the male line. Lastly,

Bilineal kinship is a descent system that consists of both male and

female lines.

Affinal kinship, on the other hand, refers to the bond that is

formed through marriage. When a person marries, a man establishes a

relationship not just with the woman he marries but also with a number

of people in the woman’s family. This is what we would refer to as

kinship by marriage.

After marriage, the man will not just be a husband to his wife;

he will also be a son-in-law to the wife’s parents, a brother-in-law to her

siblings, and so on. The same goes with the wife with the husband’s

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family. Simply put, marriage creates various relationships which are

called affinal kin.

Marriages can be monogamous or polygamous. Monogamy

means that a person is married to one person only. Polygamy, on the

other hand, means that a person has more than one spouse at a time. This

is common among Islamic societies.

Polygamy is divided into two types. The type of polygamy

among Muslims is called polygyny, or a husband can take many wives.

Another type of polygamy is polyandry, where a wide can have many

husbands. This was a common practice in Ancient India.

Aside from Consanguineous and Affinal kinship, there is also

the kinship by ritual, which refers to privileged social relations hip

established by a ritual. An example of kinship by ritual is compadrazgo,

or a person’s relationship with their godparents. Another example of

ritual kinship would be the relationship among members of fraternal

orders.

Descent

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Descent is the system of acknowledged social parentage, which

varies from society to society. This system limits one’s claim of kinship

ties with another. If there is no limitation on the recognition of kinship,

everybody would be kin to everyone else; but in most societies some

limitation is imposed on the perception of common ancestry.

This system is practically used as a means for people to assert

rights, duties, privileges, or status in relation to another person, who

may be related to them either because one is ancestor to the other or

because the two acknowledge a common ancestor. Succession,

inheritance, or residence are often influenced by the system of descent.

Politics of Kinship

Kinship plays a huge role in the kind of society that we are living

today. Its influence reaches other organizations, affecting even our

politics and economy.

One apparent example would be the existence of politica l

dynasties up to the present time. A dynasty refers to a succession of

rulers from the same family or lineage. Nowadays it is more commonly

used to refer to a family or group that maintains power for several

generations.

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Political dynasties had been existing throughout mankind’s

history. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un followed the footsteps of his

father Kim Jong-il. Meanwhile, South Korea has President Park Geun-

hye, can be considered as part of a political dynasty as she is the

daughter of the controversial authoritarian leader Park Chung-hee. In

France, Marine Le Pen, the current leader of the French far-right

political party National Front is the daughter of the organizatio n’s

founder Jean-Mari Le Pen.

In the Philippines, political dynasties can be seen in almost every

branch of the government. Most of these families began to establish

their dynasties in a province before they begin to aim for national

government. The most notable political dynasties in the country include

the following: the Ampatuans, who are known for their political control

over the Maguindanao region since 2001; the Aquinos, hailing from

Tarlac, whose dynasty goes way back during the Philippine Revolutio n;

the Estrada political dynasty, which began with former president Joseph

“Erap” Ejercito Estrada; and the Marcos family, whose patriarch

Ferdinand Marcos became one of the most controversial figures in the

history of the Philippines.

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The existence of political dynasties continues to cause

arguments, particularly when it comes to its effects in the country. In a

written article about political dynasties in the Philippines, journalist Jose

V. Abueva expressed how political dynasties give certain people the

advantage to monopolize political power. The politicians that gain

connections and alliances with the help of their families are more likely

to win the election compared to those who are not linked to politica l

dynasties.

The 1987 Constitution established a provision to maintain a fair

political competition. According to Article II, Section 26: “The State

shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and

prohibit political dynasties as may as be defined by law.”

Despite this, no law has been passed regarding the prohibitio n

of political dynasties in the country. Several bills have been filed in

relation to the prohibition of political dynasties, and are pending to be

approved by the Congress. Many have called for the Congress to pass

the Anti-Dynasty Law, but the bill has been passed from one Congress

to another since 1987. The most likely reason for this is the fact that

many of the Congress members are from political dynasties themselves.

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References:

Sociology Guide. Obtained from:

http://www.sociologyguide.com/organization-and-

individual/definition.php

Sociology Discussion. Retrieved from:

http://www.sociologydiscussion.com/kinship/kinship-meaning-types-

and-other-information/2330

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from: http://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/compadrazgo

Bongbong Marcos running for vice president in 2016. CNN. Retrieved

from: http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2015/10/05/bongbong- marcos-

vice-president-elections-2016-the- filipino-votes.html

Dynasties threat to Democracy. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved

from: http://opinion.inquirer.net/40084/dynasties-threat-to-democracy

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