Everyone should know the basic concepts of society. After all, we all exist not in isolation, but are its representatives. We propose to study the meaning of the concept of "society". To get started, here's a popular definition. Society is an association of people who have a joint fixed territory, a common legislative system, cultural values, rules of conduct, social norms that allow it to be created in a complex to its members a sociocultural identity, that is, a feeling of belonging to a single whole.
The concept of "society" in sociology
Today we say the word "society", often without thinking about what it is. Sociology as a science should give this concept a clear definition, since society is the object of its study. It should be noted that in this science this concept is usually used in two ways.
Signs of society according to E. Shils
Firstly, the concept of "society" includes such aspects of a specific social education as geographical, historical, political and economic. Society, according to even everyday ideas, is more than a group or community. Using this concept, we usually mean either its type, historically specific (modern, feudal, primitive), or a stable and large community of people that coincides with the state (Russian society), or a set of similar communities that are united by a way of life and values, the same level of technology development (modern Western society). All of the above options are combined as follows: society is an integrated system that is localized in strict temporal and spatial boundaries. This concept applies to all historical eras, to any association of people by the number of members, if it meets certain criteria. They were formulated by E. Shills. We list the signs that the concept of "society" includes.
1. Association is not part of a larger society (system).
2. Marriages are concluded mainly between representatives of this association.
3. Mostly at the expense of the children of people who are already its recognized representatives, replenishment of the society takes place.
4. The association has its own territory.
5. He has his own story and his own name.
6. It has its own management system.
7. There is such a union longer than the average life expectancy of an individual.
8. A common value system, otherwise called culture, unites it (these are customs, norms, traditions, mores, rules, laws).
Society criteria highlighted by domestic sociologists
A number of domestic sociologists believe that the concept of "society" includes the following criteria:
- the presence of a single territory, which is the material basis of social ties arising within it;
- comprehensive nature (universality);
- autonomy, that is, the ability to exist independently and independently;
- integrativity, that is, society is able to reproduce in new generations and maintain its structures, to include new individuals in the context of social life.
Society is Social Reality
The second meaning of the concept of "society", socio-philosophical and purely sociological, is reduced to another concept - "social reality". In this understanding, it represents a “social” society, not reduced in the collective activity of people only to the resultant of their individualities. Based on empirical facts, sociology studies communities and groups (nations, classes, gender, family) as collective entities that have unity and their own appearance. She also studies how such communities are hierarchically subordinate to the whole — society. The study of groups, structural levels, relationships reveals the existence of a specific unity to which each individual feels himself involved.
Types of society
It is most convenient to describe a society using typologies. They provide both the necessary degree of rigor and an acceptable level of generalization. There are many such typologies.
The type of society is primarily determined by the mode of production, that is, how the means of production and the economic resources that it possesses are controlled and used. Differ in this regard, for example, communist, socialist, capitalist, feudal and slave society. They are distinguished on the basis of the relation of individuals to the means of production, primarily property relations. Of paramount importance in this approach is the tendency towards the socialization of funds existing in their development. We can also distinguish information, post-industrial and industrial society. They differ on the basis of the application of various scientific and technological achievements, new technologies. It is scientific and technological progress that is of paramount importance in this approach, and, as Durkheim said in the 19th century, it cannot go without the increasing importance of collective, cooperative labor.
Ideological understanding
The ideological understanding of society goes beyond the framework of the socio-philosophical concept described above. It is endowed with a symbolic meaning. Each ideological paradigm provides a mythological view from within on a given society; and ideological images-clichés, mythological meanings are superimposed on his understanding. The idea of people about "our society", viewed from the inside, is similar in this sense to the idea of the universe. His whole story resembles the "myths about the beginning", which are available to all peoples of the narrative about the event from which the world began (it is called "primitive event"). However, while in primitive societies the myths about the beginning really tell about the beginning of the absolute, then in the epics and legends of the “historical” societies we are talking about the relative, about how they re-emerged after the break. An example is the history of American society, which begins with the founding fathers. If we talk about our country, we can take the Soviet society, which began with the October Revolution.
Empirical understanding of society
Society can also be viewed from the point of view of empiry. In this sense, it is simply the largest social group. That is, the concept of "society" includes all other social groups.
Systemic definition proposed by R. Koenig
As you can see, the viewing angles are very diverse today. The basic concepts of society presented above focus on one or another of its features, excluding others. Therefore, its systemic definition seems optimal. The scientist R. Koenig proposed his concept and signs of society. According to the definition of this researcher, society means:
- type of lifestyle;
- ideological and economic associations based on contracts;
- specific social unity formed by peoples;
- the totality of groups and individuals, that is, an integrated society;
- type of society, historically specific;
- social reality, that is, the relationships of individuals, as well as social processes and structures based on these relationships.
The main meanings of the concept of "society" and its features we have identified. Now consider some related issues.
Country, State and Society
Studying issues such as the concept and structure of society, one should clearly define the meanings of certain words and understand the difference between them. We are talking about concepts such as "country", "state" and "society".
Society is a historical result of the relationships of people naturally developing.
A state is an artificial political construct, institution, or institution designed to manage such relationships. The concept of society and the state, as you see, is not the same thing.
Finally, the country as a concept is intermediate between them, since it is both a society (a community of people, naturally formed) and a state (as it has state borders).
The concept of social society and the state
Serving the community is the main purpose of the state. This should be clearly recognized by government officials. Modern Russian society seeks to build a social state, which should perform the following functions:
- ensure stability and social peace in society, being in the conflict of interests an arbiter in relations between strata, groups of society, ensuring that a social compromise is reached;
- establish a certain order in society and support it in every possible way, up to the use of coercion;
- protect an individual from arbitrariness, create normal living conditions for all members of society , take care of vulnerable and weak groups and segments of the population, that is, it must be social;
- to be a force capable of integrating society into a single whole.
More on social society and the state
The welfare state should contribute to social and economic progress. It is also obliged to bear responsibility for the physical and social well-being of its citizens, for their well-being. The construction of such a state will become possible only with the joint efforts of various social forces. A certain level of development of society must correspond to it.
The concept of social society is directly related to the social sphere. The latter includes various social institutions that satisfy the needs of individuals in security, family, livelihoods, social order, solving spiritual problems, and gaining knowledge.
Features of modern society
Modern society is not a single monolithic creature, despite the fact that it is penetrated today, as never before, by various ties (cultural, political, economic) that are strengthened in the process of globalization. World history is the history of the development of civilizations, their change. The concept and structure of society at the same time at each stage are different. Each civilization developed according to its own scenario and left a special mark in the history of mankind. However, the difference between them does not mean opposition and opposition. There is a certain similarity between the forms of civilization, even the most distant from each other, which follows from the unity of the fundamental principles of the organization of society. Between the people of West and East today, however, there is an abyss, which is a characteristic feature of modernity.
Moreover, each society should strive to preserve and enhance those features that have developed in it that correspond to its conditions and contribute to its effective development. We must not forget that they have developed, as a rule, as a result of long experience and enrich modern civilization. Therefore, one should not strive to artificially integrate society.
So, we examined the concept and signs of society. This topic is fundamental in sociology. She is also held at school in social studies classes. Modern society should think about where it is moving and what it is. Each of us has a responsibility for his future. After all, man and society are interrelated concepts.