Unit I Field of Study and Basic Concepts

(c) Basic Concepts - Society, Community, and Association Society

Story of Feral children: The story of Amla and Kamla
The story talks about the human side of their faculties began to grow slower than other
human being because they were thrown out of touch with fellow human beings from their
infancy. The crux of the story is the importance of individuals brought up as a social being
and influence of the surrounding environment.

Society is an important basic concept of sociology. Sociology is the science of society.

Hence, for proper understanding of sociology, it is necessary to understand society.
Besides, the existence of man is tied up to that of society. Interactions and relationships
among human beings are studied by sociology. These human interactions and relationships
are taking place in society. As a member of society and as a student of sociology one need
to acquaint oneself with truest sociological meaning of the term society from the outset.

Origin of society
Society is as old as human being itself. Several theories attempted to explain the origin of
society. These are

Divine Origin Theory: According to this theory society was created by God. As God
created everything so he created the society. This theory during sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries took the form of Divine Right Theory.

Social Contract Theory : According to this theory society was originated as a result of
contract or agreement made among people. It believes that individual precedes society.
Men created society either to end the state of anarchy or to free themselves from the laws
of nature. Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and J.J. Rousseau were the main exponent of this
theory. Hobbes opined men in the state of nature were in conflict with each other due to
his selfish nature. To protect himself from evil consequences they organized society. Locke
opined that there was no recognized society. And he opined that there was no recognized
system of law and justice in the state of nature. To overcome this deficiency men entered
into a contract and society was created. It was a popular theory during 16th and 18th
century.

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Evolutionary Theory: According to this theory society was created through a gradual
process of evolution. Society always moves from a less developed stage to a more
developed stage, from unorganized to organized and from less perfect to more perfect.
Auguste Comte believes in the evolutionary development of society which passes through
theological, Metaphysical and Scientific Stages. Morgan opined that society has passed
through the primitive, barbaric and civilized stages of development. Karl Marx analyses
the development of society on the basis of the system of production which passes through
the stages of primitive communism, Asiatic, slavery/agriculture, feudalism and capitalism.
However, the above theories of origin of society do not provide a real picture of its origin.
All theories have been criticized by scholars from different angles.

Meaning and Definition

The term society is derived from Latin word ‘socius’ which means companionships or
friendship. Aristotle said, ‘Man is a social animal.’ Humankind lives in towns, cities, tribes,
villages but never alone. Loneliness brings humankind boredom and anomie situation. Man
needs society for his living, working and every walk of life. Society has become an
essential condition for human life to arise and to continue. Human life and society always
go together.

• According to Robert Morrison Maclver, society is ‘web of social relationship’.

• George Douglas Howard Cole defined society is the complex of organized
associations and institutions with a community.
• According to Cole, society is the complex of organized associations and institutions
within the community.

But in sociology, society refers not to a group of people but to the complex pattern of the
norms or interaction or relationships that arise among them. People exists only as an agent
of social relationships. Mere congregation of individuals do not constitute society. Rather
society refers to the complicated network of social relationships by which every individual
is interrelated with his fellowmen. Hence, society is abstract, not concrete, in nature. We

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can’t touch it but feel it. Because society resides in the minds of individual. Society is a
process of living not a thing, a motion rather than structure. A system of social relationships
is the most important aspect of society. Not all relationships are social. A social relationship
implies reciprocal awareness among individuals. This reciprocal awareness direct and
indirect are the characteristic of every social relationship. This idea of reciprocal awareness
is implied in F.H. Giddings definition of society that is a number of like-minded
individuals, who know and enjoy their like-mindedness and are, therefore, able to work
together for common ends. Thus, elements of society exist in the ‘consciousness of kind’
of Giddings, ‘we feeling’ of Cooley.

When more than one individual live together and mutual relationships develop among them
and different social processes like mutual co-operation, competition and conflict constantly
take place in society. The relationship established around these creates society.

Characteristics of Society
Ø Population: A society must have population. Without a group of people, no society
could be formed. Society refers not to a group of people. But for the establishment
of social relationships a group of people is necessary.
Ø Interdependence - People depend on each other to carry out their activities. For
example, we have different institution like economic institution, political system,
religious system, legal system etc. all the systems are related to each other for the
functioning of the society. Interdependence means different parts of society are
linked together for the functioning of the entire society.
Ø Likeness and differentiation - People know each other in the society (alike). Famous
sociologist Maclver opines that society means likeness. Without a sense of likeness,
there could be no mutual recognition of belonging together and therefore no society.
People are different from each other (differentiation). MacIver opines that “primary
likeness and secondary differences create the greatest of all institutions-the division
of labour”. Because differences are complementary to social relationship. If people
will be alike in all respect society could not be formed and there would be little
reciprocity and relationship became limited.

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 Ø Co-operation and conflict - The members of the society co-operate each other for
certain task and conflict in the society. There is also conflict in the society, some
may agree upon certain points, there may be disagreement upon members of the
society. Hence, there is conflict or social conflict. Conflict and co-operation are
perennial features of any society that exists.
Ø Society is Dynamic: The very nature of society is dynamic and changeable. No
society is static. All society changes and changes continuously. Old customs,
traditions, folkways, more values and institutions got changed and new customs
and values takes place. Society changes from its traditional nature to modern nature.
Hence it is one of the most important characteristics of society.

Thus, from the above discussion we conclude that man is a social animal. His nature and
necessities make him a social being. He also depends on society to be a human being. He
acquires personality within society. There exists a very close relationship between
individual and society like that of cells and body. Both are complementary and
supplementary to each other. There can be no society without individuals. Similarly,
individual can’t be a social animal unless he lives in society.

Community
Community is another basic concept of sociology. Community life is as old as human being
itself. It is a well-known fact that individual could not exist alone. He always lives with his
fellows in a group. At the same time, it is also true that one can’t be a member of all groups.
Hence, an individual lives and establishes relations with those people who resides in a
proximity with him. When more than one individual live together in a definite locality or
in a proximity with each other, mutual relationships develop among them. It is also obvious
and natural that people residing in a definite area develop likeness, co-operation and fellow
feeling among themselves. Due to their commonness, they share common life, common
customs, traditions, culture, sentiment and develop common social ideas among
themselves. This fact of common social living within a limited or definite geographical
area gives birth to community. In other words, when the members of a group or a number
of individuals live together and share no other particular interest but the basic conditions

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of common life, the group is called community. All types of relationships exist within
community. Sociologists used the term community to refer to the unity of the common life
of people. The community is as old as humanity. Man has been living in community of
since his arrival.

With the passage of time community life expands with the creation of different socio-
economic, cultural and political relations among the people of a particular area. This led to
the emergence of different social, political, economic, and cultural institutions. As a result,
a full-fledged community was created. Sociologists have used the term community to refer
a group of people living within a definite area and sharing the basic conditions of common
life. Sociologists like Ferdinand Tonnies, Louis Wirth, Emile Durkheim, Robert Redfield
and R.M. MacIver have made important contribution for developing the concept of
community in the field of sociology.

Community is a loosely used word. It is referred to racial, or a religious, national, or a

caste, linguistic, professional etc. According to R.M. Maclver, community is an area of
social living marked by some degree of social coherence.

Kingsley Davis define community is the smallest territories group that can embrace all
aspects of social life. Community is, therefore, a geographic area having common centres
of interests and activities.

- According to Ferdinand Tonnies, a community could be defined as a group of people

who shared common bonds around traditions, beliefs or objectives.

- There tends to be a sense of support and collectively in these types of environments that
foster a feeling of togetherness and belonging. So, special characteristics would be ‘we-
feeling’ there is a sense of community feeling.

- It created spontaneously over a period of time. They are bonded by collective or

community sentiments.

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Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft
A German sociologist classified community and society into gemeinschaft (community)
and gesellschafts (society/association).

GEMEINSCHAFT and GESELLSCHAFT refer to the traditions of German sociologists

Ferdinand Tonnies and later by Max Weber who drew contrast between a modern society
dominated by the rational calculations in the “Gesellschaft,” and the traditional affectual
values of the Gemeinschaft.

Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft are two German words means ‘community’ and ‘market
society’. Tonnies asserted that gemeinschaft ties dominated pre-modern society while
modern industrial capitalist society featured more gesellschaft ties.

A good example of gemeinschaft would a temple, mosques, church, gurudwara, monarchy

or other religious institutions.

In gesellschaft relationship tend to be competitive, calculative, contractual, informal and

impersonal, often employing explicit conceptions of rationality and efficiency.

Difference Between Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft

Gemeinschaft Gesellschaft
The status is obtained by birth Obtained through work/job and education
Seen in small cities or villages Seen in large cities
Emphasises group values and norm Focuses on individual need and interests
Collective orientation Self-orientation

Society Community
Society is a web of social relationship. A Community consists of a group of
definite geographic area is not an essential individuals living in a particular area with
aspect of society some degree of we-feeling

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 Community sentiments of ‘we-feeling’ Community sentiment is an essential
may be present or may not be present in element
society
Society is wider. There can be more than Community is smaller than society
one community in a society
Society is abstract Community is concrete

Association
Association is a group of people who come together and get organized for fulfillment of
specific goals or purpose. It is a deliberate group, formed for fulfillment of certain goals or
purposes.

In association, we have a group of people who come together and they built together a
relationship. It may not be necessary that they have some collective sentiments, but they
are collectively organized for the common collective goals.

Relationships of this are characteristic of modern urban industrial societies in which

division of labour is advanced. For example, Sports club, Music club etc.

Characteristics of an Association
• It consists of group of individuals
• The people are organized
• It is governed by certain rules and regulations
• Activities are carried out to meet certain specific goals
• The durability of association may be permanent or temporary
Associations are formed or organized by people for certain goal and there are certain fixed
specified rules which governs the association.

Association Community

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 Membership of an association is voluntary. By birth itself individuals become
Individuals are at liberty to join them members of a community. In this way
membership is rather compulsory
An association does not necessary imply A community is marked by a locality
the spatial aspects
An association may be stable and long- A community is relatively more stable and
lasting or it may not be so permanent
Associations may have their own rules and A community regulates the behavior of its
regulations of their members. They may members by means of customs, traditions
have written or unwritten rules etc. It does not have written rules and laws.

Association Institution
An association is a group of people Institution refers to the organized way of
organized for the purpose of fulfilling a doing things. It represents common
need or needs procedure
Associations are mostly created or Institutions are primarily evolved
established
Associations may be temporary or Institutions are relatively more durable
permanent
Association denotes membership. We Institution denotes only a mode or means
belong to associations, to political parties, of service. We do not belong to institution.
trade unions, youth clubs etc. For example, we do not belong to
marriage.
Associations may have its own distinctive Institution does not possess specific, but
name has a structure and may have a symbol

Every individual who is a member of the society is a part of any institution and the
institutions have well designed specific role and their members, actors, people of a society
who play a specific set of roles in a particular social institution and they contribute towards
the maintenance of whole society for the growth and betterment of the society.