Social Facts

 A social fact is any phenomenon that exercises control over the lives of individuals
due to its being accepted as a norm by a large number of people.
 There are two types of social facts:
i. Material Social facts
ii. Immaterial Social facts
 Material Social facts: Institutionalized norms and laws in a society that exist in the
form of written codes, or are directly observable.
Examples:
1. Demographic patterns like population size, age structure, birth and
death rates etc.
2. Political structures – Government, political parties.
3. Education systems – Types of schools, types of teachers, literacy rates.
4. Healthcare systems – Access to healthcare, healthcare expenditure,
Equipment etc.
5. Legal systems – Types of rules and regulations, judicial institutions.
 Immaterial Social facts: The unwritten codes of conduct and practices that are not
written down anywhere, and that are not visible directly, but are felt or experienced.
Examples:
1. Social movements – Protests, Activism, Social change organizations.
2. Communications systems – Dialects, Languages, Non-verbal
communication practices. Ex.- Head bobbing of Indians.
3. Social stratification – Based on wealth, power etc.
4. Social taboos and etiquettes – Cultural norms on what should be
acceptable and what should be unacceptable.
5. Humor and entertainment preferences – Shared form of laughter, jokes
and comedic styles.