Rural sociology

Rural social institutions, technology , rural sociology

Social institutions
Social institutions are the established patterns of beliefs, behaviors and relationships that organize
social life and exist to meet society's fundamental needs.

• Social institutions play important and central roles, in terms of how our societies are organized and
operate. In particular:

1. Social institutions stem from a need in society;

2. Based on that need, a fixed set of social relationships to fulfil it;

those relationships then organize into more formal structures or mechanisms; and

3. Those organized relationships gain significance in society, ensuring they are maintained and
endure over time
 Introduction

Related concepts

Family Functions
Family in rural areas
Family
• Family refer to a primary group of people—usually related by ancestry, marriage, or adoption—
who form a cooperative economic unit to care for offspring and each other who committed to
maintaining group overtime.

• A social institution found in all societies that unites people in cooperative groups to care for one
another, including any children

• extended family a family composed of parents and children as well as other kin; also known as a
consanguine family.

• Nuclear family a family composed of one or two parents and their children; also known as a
conjugal family

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Functions
• Family is often the foundational social institution in rural areas. It serves as the primary unit for

• socialization

• economic cooperation

• emotional support

• Social placement

• In rural settings, families may be closely knit and multi-generational, with strong ties to the land
and agricultural livelihoods.

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Family in rural settings
• Kinship

• Family type: extended

• Marriage pattern: endogamy, polygyny

• Residencial pattern: patrilocality

• Descent: patrilineal descent

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 Introduction

Related concepts

Religion Functions
Religion in rural areas
Religion
Religion is a social institution involving beliefs and practices based on recognizing the sacred.

Religion is a matter of faith, belief based on conviction rather than on scientific evidence

profane included as an ordinary element of everyday life

sacred set apart as extraordinary, inspiring awe and reverence

Durkheim explained, people understand profane things in terms of their everyday usefulness.

The sacred is embodied in ritual, or formal, ceremonial behavior

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Functions
• Durkheim identified three major functions of religion that con tribute to the
operation of society:

1. Establishing social cohesion

2. Promoting social control

3. Providing meaning and purpose.

Moral and ethical guidance, Sense of identity, Educate and socialize

Psychological comfort and coping

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Religion in rural areas of Pakistan
• In rural areas, mosques often serve as not just places of worship but also as
community centers, gather for prayers, religious lectures, and community events.

• Islamic principles heavily influence the moral and ethical values affirm in rural
Pakistani society. As charity, hospitality, and respect for elders are deeply ingrained in
the cultural fabric and are often practiced as manifestations of religious teachings.

• Religious festivals are celebrated with passion in rural areas. As events of eid

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 Introduction

Related concepts

Economy Functions
Economy in rural areas
Economy
• The economy is the social institution that organizes a society’s production,
distribution, and consumption of goods and services

• Goods: commodities ranging from necessities (wheat, grains, furniture)

• Services: activities that give benefit others ( carpenter, doctors, land laborer)

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Social changes_ agricultural change
• The economies of modern high-income nations are the result of centuries of social change.

Followings are three technological revolutions that reorganized production and transformed social life.

The Agricultural Revolution

In previous times, technologically simple societies only two patterns were practiced in economic sector
producing and consuming.

5,000 years ago, a new agricultural economy was created that was fifty times more productive than
hunting and gathering.

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Cont.
• The resulting surplus meant that not everyone had to produce food, so many took
on specialized work: making tools, raising animals, or building dwellings. Now
different sects in economy linked by networks of trade.

• These four factors—agricultural technology, job specialization, permanent

settlements, and trade—made the economy a distinct social institution.

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The Industrial Revolution
• In mid 18th century, second technological revolution take place first in England and then in North
America.

• It was more powerful than rise of agricultural. Industrialization changed the economy in five
fundamental ways:

• New sources of energy (1765 steam engine)

• Centralization of work in factories

• Manufacturing and mass production

• Specialization

• Wage labor
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Postindustrial Society
• By about 1950, the nature of production was changing once again. The United States was creating
a postindustrial economy, a productive system based on service work and high technology. (Shift
from industrial work to services work )

• There have been three significant changes:

• From tangible products to ideas

• From mechanical skills to literacy skills

• From factories to almost anywhere.

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Sectors of economy
Secondary sector the part Primary sector the
of the economy that part of the economy
transforms t raw materials that draws raw
into manufactured goods materials from the
natural environment

Tertiary sector the

part of the economy
that involves
services rather than
goods

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 Introduction

Related concepts

Education Functions
Education in rural areas
Introduction
Education, the social institution through which society provides its members with
important knowledge, including basic facts, job skills, and cultural norms and values.

Schooling, formal instruction under the direction of specially trained teacher.

• Formal

• Informal

• Semi Formal

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Concepts
Home Schooling :

• The original pioneers of home schooling did not believe in public education
because they wanted to give their children a strongly religious upbringing.

• Home schooling advocates today point to the poor performance of public schools

• Functional illiteracy a lack of the reading and writing skills needed for everyday
living

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Functions of education
Socialization

Social Cultural
Placement Innovation

Social
Integration

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Influence of technology
• Improve and strengthen agriculture

• Better market exposure and reduction of agricultural risks

• Online trading

• Weather updates

• Use of GIS (geographical information system)

• Use of GPS ( map making, surveying,

• Latest machinery (drones use in soil analysis and seeds planting)

Influence on economy & education
• Technology facilitate entrepreneurship, e-commerce, and remote work opportunities.

• Online marketplaces and digital platforms enable rural businesses to reach wider markets and diversify their
revenue streams.

• This can help counteract rural depopulation and unemployment.

On education:

• Affordable quality education for both girls and boys

• Increased educational awareness in rural areas

• Skilled based learning

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Influence on social dynamics
• Technology can influence social dynamics in rural communities by facilitating

cultural exchange

 education

 civic engagement

• Online forums, virtual communities, and educational platforms can bridge geographical
distances and promote social cohesion. This can strengthen community resilience and
identity.

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