How Society is Organized

Angelica T. Lazaro
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
College of Social Sciences and Development
What is Society
• Society refers to a group of people, bounded by a territory and
shares the same culture. (Lanuza and Raymundo, 2016:29;
Henslin, 2006:2)
• How society reproduce itself given that there are various
cultures exist? With all the implications and conflict of
differences on politics, culture and language, the society
persist even up to now.
• This is because of the basic social institutions that it has: the
government, family, education, religion, and culture. These
institutions help society to meet its basic needs to go on.
• Emile Durkheim said society is sui generis (unique) “cannot be
reduced to individual aggregates or parts” (Lanuza and
Raymundo, 2016:29).
Social Facts
• It is about everything that two or more people shared,
and these are language, space, culture, beliefs, and
others.
• These realities or instances have impact on our
consciousness or the way we act.
• Social facts are external from us, meaning we did not
really make it on ourselves, and although it is external, it
has the potential to have an impact to us.
Ex. Philippine culture of Utang na Loob
Structural Functionalism
• Think of society as a living organism in which each part of
the organism contributes to its survival. This view is the
functionalist perspective , which emphasizes the way in
which the parts of a society are structured to maintain its
stability (Schaefer, 2013).
• Durkheim perceived society is an organism that is
composed of parts. With each part performing its sole
function, society will persist.
• This goes the same for social institutions that help the
society meets its basic needs, the society will reproduce.
 How Societies Persist
Louis Althusser, Ideological State Apparatus
Ideological State
Apparatus
Institutions that are created
and used by society to
mold its members to share
the same values and beliefs
(Lanuza and Raymundo,
2016:32).
Repressive State
Apparatus
Institutions that are coercive
that us physical force to
make members conform to
the laws and norms (Lanuza
and Raymundo, 2016:32).
Talcott Parsons associated with structural functionalism; social
reproduction is carried out through four functional prerequisites
which main goal is to maintain a state of equilibrium

Adaptation Goal Attainment Integration Latency

Organism Personality Society Culture

Economic System Political System Societal Fiduciary System
Community
The capacity of Capability to set Harmonization of Society is able to
society to take goals and mobilize the entire society constantly
resources from the resources and to achieve produce and
society and energies consensus socialize actors
distribute them necessary to who will follow
accordingly achieve the goals the norms and
forth by society roles given to
them by society.
What is Social Groups?

Consists of individuals who GROUP

temporarily share the same Consists of people who share
physical space but who do not similar characteristics.
see themselves as belongings
together.

aggregate category
Primary Groups &
Secondary Groups

Primary Groups
a group characterized by intimate, long term, face to
face association and cooperation.

Secondary Groups
a more larger, relatively temporary, more anonymous,
formal, and impersonal group based on some interest or
activity, whose members are likely to interact on the basis
of specific roles.
In Groups and Out Groups

•In Groups – groups toward which one

feels loyalty.

•Out Groups – groups toward which one

feels antagonism.
Social Reference & Social Network

Reference group
the groups we refer to when we evaluate
ourselves.

Social Network
the social ties radiating outward from the self
that link people together
What holds Society Together?
What is Social Structure?

Refers to the typical patterns of a

group, such as its usual relationships
between men and women or students
and teachers. The sociological
significance of social structure is that it
guides our behavior
Major components of Social Structure

• Culture – group’s language, beliefs, values, behaviors,

gesture & etc.
• Social Class – a large group of people who rank close to
one another in wealth, power and prestige.
• Social Status – social ranking; the position that someone
occupies in society or a social group.
• Roles – the behaviors, obligations, and privileges
attached to a status were already set up for you.
• Groups – consists of people who regularly interact with
one another. Sharing similar values, norms and
expectations.
Major components of Social Structure

• Social Institutions – the ways that each society develops to

meet its basic needs vitally affect our life.

➢Family ➢Medicine
➢Religion ➢Law
➢Education ➢Science
➢Economics ➢Military
➢Government/Political ➢Mass Media
What Holds Society Together?

Emile Durkheim (1893/1933) was interested in

how societies manage to create social integration—
their members united by shared values and other
social bonds.
Mechanical and Organic Solidarity

Mechanical Solidarity
People who perform similar tasks develop a shared
way of viewing life.
Organic Solidarity
The interdependence that results from the division
of labor; as part of the same unit, we all depend on
others to fulfill their jobs

Division of Labor the splitting of a group’s or a

society’s tasks into specialties
Mechanical and Organic Solidarity

Mechanical Solidarity
Ferdinand Tonnies term Gemeinschaft (or intimate community)
The degree to which members of a society are united by
shared values and other social bonds.
a community in which everyone knows everyone else and
people share a sense of togetherness.

Organic Solidarity
Ferdinand Tonnies term Gesellschaft (or impersonal association)
a type of society that is dominated by impersonal
relationships, individual accomplishments, and self-interest.
Mechanical and Organic Solidarity
Gemeinschaft & Gesellschaft
SUICIDE: The four types of Suicide
by Emile Durkheim

• Durkheim’s theory of suicide can be seen more clearly if

we examine the relation between the types of suicide and
his two underlying social facts—integration and
regulation.
• Integration refers to the strength of the attachment that
we have to society.
• Regulation refers to the degree of external constraint on
people.
Four types of Suicide

Egoistic Suicide (Low Integration)

are likely to be found in societies or groups in which the
individual is not well integrated into the larger social unit.
Altruistic Suicide (High Integration)
More likely to occur when “social integration is too
strong”. The individual is literally forced into committing
suicide.
Anomic Suicide (Low Regulation)
More likely to occur when the regulative powers of
society are disrupted.
Fatalistic Suicide (High Regulation)
More likely to occur when regulation is excessive.
Group Dynamics
The ways in which individuals affect groups and the
ways in which groups influence individuals

Effects of Group Size on Stability and Intimacy

Georg Simmel analyzed how group size affects people’s
behavior.

• Dyad - the smallest possible group,

consisting of two persons
• Triad - a group of three people
• Coalition - the alignment of some
members of a group against others
Group Dynamics
 END
THANK YOU!
References

• Henslin, James M. Essentials of Sociology: a down-to-Earth Approach.

Pearson/Allyn & Bacon, 2006.
• Lanuza, Gerry M. & Raymundo, Sarah S. Understanding Culture,
Society, and Politics. Rex Book Store, 2016.
• Ritzer, George. Sociological Theory, Eighth Edition. Mc Graw Hill, 2011