C1L1-Understanding Society
C1L1-Understanding Society
C1L1-Understanding Society
Understanding Society
Chapter 1
Lesson 1
Overview
• The human society has been viewed as a
unique and complex society.
• One of the basic components of society is
people.
• For a long period of time man was able to
develop his society.
• It became more complex and problems arise.
What is society?
• A system of community life in which
individuals form a continuous and regulatory
association for their mutual benefit and
protection (Frank and Wagnalls).
• A society is composed of interacting
individuals and interacting groups sharing a
common culture (Perucci and Knudsen).
• It is a geographical aggregate of individuals
who live a common life and of groups
interrelated with one another.
• Holding the society together is a social
organization, which gives order and meaning
to the social relationships between individuals
or groups.
• Society is a systematic network of social
relations and it is the venue where the
dynamics of cooperation and conflict occurs.
Sociological Theories and Perspectives of
Society
• Most sociologists differ in their approaches in
studying man’s way of life and that of society.
• They emphasize different aspects of
interpreting social life.
• They choose one theoretical approach over
another in the hope that it will lead to
sounder knowledge or greater insight for
constructive social action.
Structural-Functional Perspective
Social structures
provide pre-set
patterns which evolved
to meet human needs
CONFLICT
Reorganization
and change
The Symbolic-Interaction Perspective
Analysis of the
interaction by other
persons
Concept Summary