Sociology :

Basic
Concepts
Contents
 Society
 Community
 Social structure
 Social system
 Role and status
 Social values
 Culture
 Socialisation
 Social groups
 Society: Definition
 Morris Ginsberg defines “society as a collection
of individuals united by certain relations or
mode of behavior which mark them off from
others who do not enter into these relations or
who differ from them in behavior.”

 According to Maclver and Page society is a

system of usages and procedures of authority
and mutual aid of many groupings and divisions,
of controls of human behavior and liberties. This
ever changing complex system which is called
society is a web of social relationship
Characteristics
 Largest human groups
 Satisfies the needs of its members
 Sense of belongingness and co-operation
 Based on dependence and likeness
 Division of labour
 Consciousness of kind or we-feeling
 Social Institutions
 Culture
 Self-sufficiency
 Social change(dynamic )
Elements of Society
A System of social relationship
 Likeness
 Differences
 Inter-dependence
 Conflict & Co-operation
 Culture
 Society is abstract
Types of Society : Gerhard &Lenski
(Based on Socio-Cultural Evolution, 1982)

 Hunting & Gathering

 Horticultural & Pastoral

 Agricultural

 Industrial

 Post-Industrial
 Types of Societies: Robert Redfield
(Folk and Urban Continuum)
Rural Societies
Agrarian
Homogeneous
Low Density of Population
Small in Size
Little or No Specialization
Personal Interaction
Shared values and Common
Interests
Informal Social Control
Strong Collective
Consciousness
Urban Societies
Industrial
Heterogeneous
High Density of Population
Large
High Specialisation
Impersonal Interaction
Dissimilar values and interests
Fragmented and Sectarian
Formal Social Control
Weak Collective Consciousness
Community: Definition
 According to Tonnies community is defined
“as an organic natural kind of social group
whose members are bound together by the
sense of belonging, created out of everyday
contacts covering the whole range of human
activities.”

 Kingsley Davis defined it as the smallest

territorial group that can embrace all
aspects of social life.
 Characteristics

 Territory
 Close and informal relationships
 Mutuality
 Common values and beliefs
 Organized interaction
 Strong group feeling
 Cultural similarity
Elements of Community
 collections of people with a particular social
structure

 A sense of belonging or community spirit

 All the daily activities of a community, work and

non work, take place within the geographical
area, which is self contained.

 Common Culture 
Types of Community
 Gessellschaft& Gemeinschaft
(Ferdinand Tonnies)

 Little
Community & Great Community
(Robert Redfield)
Social Structure : Definition
According to Talcott Parsons, the term
social structure applies to the particular
arrangement of the interrelated
institutions, agencies and social patterns
as well as the statuses and roles which
each person assumes in the group. 

MacIver & Page: Various modes of

grouping together comprise the complex
pattern of the social structure.
Characteristics
 Abstraction of Empirical Reality
 Exists independently of the individuals
 Persistent Social Groups
 Retains Continuity
 Matrix of Society
 Spatial Dimensions
 Connected with Social Personality
 Elements of Social Structure

 Groups & Institutions

 Values
 Norms
 Organizations
 Collectivity
 Status & Roles
Types of Social Structure
Talcott Parsons has described 4 principal
types of social structure:

 universalistic social values

 particularistic social values
 achieved social values
 ascribed social values. 
 Social System
 According to Talcott Parsons, A Social System
consists in a plurality of individual actors
interacting with each other in a situation which
at least has a physical or environmental
aspect, actors who are motivated in terms of a
tendency to the optimization of gratification
and whose relation to their situations,
including each other is defined and mediated
in terms of a system of culturally structured
and shared symbols.
 Definition: Social System

A Social System may be defined as a plurality

of individuals interacting with each other
according to shared cultural norms and
meanings.
- Ogburn & Nimkoff
Characteristics of Social
System
 System is connected with the plurality of
individual actors
 Aim & Object
 Order & Pattern among various constituent units
 Functional relationship is the basis of unity
 Physical or environmental aspect
 Linked with cultural system
 Expressed & implied aims & objects
 Order, pattern & equilibrium
Elements of Social System
 Belief / Knowledge
 Sentiment
 End/Goal
 Norm
 Status-Role
 Power
 Sanction
 Facility
Functions of Social System:
Talcott Parsons

 Adaptation
A
 Goal Attainment G
 Integration
 Latency I
L
 Types of Social System:
Parsons

 The Particularistic Ascriptive type

 The Particularistic Achievement type
 The Universalistic Achievement type
 The Universalistic Ascriptive type
Maintenance of Social System

Socialisatio Social
n Control
Status
 Morris Ginsberg:

Status is a position in a social group or

grouping, in relation to other positions
held by other individuals in the group or
grouping:
Characteristics
 Associate with particular rights & duties

 Multiple Statuses

 Governed by norms

 Hierarchy
Types of Status

Status

Ascribed Achieved

Involuntar
Voluntary
y
Role
 Morris Ginsberg

Role is the manner in which that position is

supposed to be filled.

 Kingsley Davis
Role is the manner in which a person actually
carries out the requirements of his position
Characteristics
 Functional aspect of Status

 Multiplicity of roles

 Dynamic

 Limited field of operation

Social Values
H M Johnson
Values are general standards and may be
regarded as higher order norms.

M Haralambos
A value is a belief that something is good
and worthwhile. It defines what is worth
having and worth striving for.
Characteristics
 Measure goodness / desirability

 Derived from social interaction

 Involves sentiments & significance

 Differs from culture to culture

Functions of Values
 Provides goals for individual members of society

 Provides stability and sense of belongingness in

the group

 Differentiate between the desirable &

undesirable

 Provides adjustments in prioritizing the roles

Types of values
Individual Collectiv
Values e Values
Individual Solidarity
norms of of the
recognition community

Honesty, Equality,
Loyalty Justice
 Types of values based on
hierarchical arrangement

Intrinsic
• Superior, related to goals of life

Instrumental
• Incidental, means to achieve goals
Culture
E B Taylor

Culture is ….that complex whole which

includes knowledge, art, morals, law,
customs and any other capabilities and
habits acquired by man as a member of
society
 Characteristics
 Culture is learnt
 Culture is social
 Culture is shared
 Culture is trans missive
 Culture is continuous & cumulative
 Culture is consistent & integrated
 Culture is dynamic & adaptive
 Culture is gratifying
 Culture varies from society to society
 Culture is super organic & ideational
Components of Culture
 Values & Norms

 Beliefs

 Knowledge

 Signs

 Technology
Functions of Culture
 Preservation & transmission of knowledge

 Defines situations & behaviour

 Helps in planning of future course of action

 Keeps social relationships intact

 Moulds personality
Types of Culture

Infrastructure
Material , Technology
etc.
Culture
Norms &
Non-material Values,
Customs etc.
Growth of Culture
 Cultural Diffusion
Cultural Lag
 Invention
• Coined by W F
Ogburn
 Discovery
• Lag between
material and Non-
Material culture
Socialization
 Peter Worsley

Socialization is the process of transmission

of culture , the process whereby man
learns the rules and practices of social
groups.
Characteristics
 Inculcates the behaviour patterns
suitable for the social group

 Helps to control human behaviour

 Its a continuous process

 Takes place formally and informally

Functions of Socialisation
 Moulding individuals in to social beings
 Inculcating discipline
 Moulds personality
 Transmission of knowledge and skills
 Contributes to stability of social order
 Transmission of culture
 Agents of Socialisation

INFORMAL AGENCIES Educational Institutions

State & Government

Mass Media &
Law enforcing agencies
Literature
Family
FORMAL AGENCIES
Peer groups
Types of Socialization

Primary Anticipatory

Developmenta Re-
l socialization
 Social Groups
 Marshal Johns

A group consists of two or more people between

whom there is an established pattern of interaction.

 MacIver & Paige

Any collection of human beings who are brought in

to social relationship with one another
 Characteristics
 Collection of two or more individuals
 Interaction
 Mutual awareness
 Group Solidarity
 Common interests
 Norms & Values
 Pattern of Behaviour
 Influence on personality
 Types of Groups
 In-Group & Out-Group
 Primary & Secondary Groups
 Temporary & Permanent Groups
 Voluntary & Involuntary Groups
 Congregate & Genetic Groups
 Horizontal & Vertical Groups
 Territorial & Non-Territorial Groups
 Majority & Minority Groups
 Small & Large Groups
 Open & Closed Groups
 Organized & Unorganized Groups
 Reference Group