THE FOUNDATION OF

SOCIOLOGY
SOCIETY :
• Society is the group of people in particular geographical area who share same
rules , law and common culture .
• Word society is derived from Latin word “Socius” mean companionship or
friendship .
• According to August Comte “Society is the social organisums possessing the
harmony of structure and function”.
• According to Emile Durkhiem “Society is the reality in its own right”.
CHARACTERISTICS/NATURE/FEATURE/
FUNCTION :
1. Dynamic in nature
2. Abstract in nature
3. Ancient and permanent in nature
4. Interdependent to each other
5. Provision of co-operation and conflict
6. Society has social awareness and mutual obligation
7. Characterized by heterogeneity in term of cast, class , ethnicity and religion
8. Society is the web of relationship
9. There is the provision of ‘means-ends’ relationship
10. Each society has its own culture and controlling mechanisms
11.Co-operation and co-ordination among people in society
12.Society plays a vital role in determination of personality and help on individual
to meet his personal needs
13. Composed of group of people
14. All individual who are living in society
- have mutual understanding
- establish relationship
- maintain interaction among themselves
15. Each society has variety of similarity and differences
- society depend on likeliness
- society depend on differences too
TYPE :
•…
1. Pre-industrial
-Hunting and gathering society
-Pastoral society
-Horticulture society
-Agrarian / agricultural society
2. Industrial society
3. Post industrial society
Pre-industrial society Characteristics /
features :
1. Limited production
2. Primarily agriculture
3. Limited division of labour – simplistic lifestyle
4. Limited variation of social classes
5. Developed largely in rural areas
6. Vary from region to region depending on the culture of the given area or
history of social and political life
7. Most people lived and worked in farms
8. Wealthy nobles controlled the land
9. Agricultural methods had not changed drastically for centuries
10. People rarely travelled
11. Inefficient methods were used to plant and harvest crops
12. Communication between towns and cities was slow and infrequent
13. People supplemented their income by mining their land , working out
of their homes
14. Infant mortality high
15. Life expectancy short
16. Limited occupation
17. Joint family
CHARACTERISTICS OF INDUSTRIAL
SOCIETY :
1. Industry based economy
2. Emergence of no. of technical and professional jobs
3. Rapid means of transport
4. Wide network of communication
5. Based on mechanical power
6. Migration to cities
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PREINDUSTRIAL
AND INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY :
PREINDUSTRIAL : INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY :
1. Social structure is simple and simple 1. Social structure is complex and
division of labour based on age and complex division of labour based on
sex. For ex ; men hunting and fishing talents , abilities , efficiency and
and women raising children or experiences .
gathering foods. 2. Social institution such as marriage ,
2. Social institution other than family family and kinship , economy , polity ,
and kinship are either non-existent or education are much developed .
in developing stage . 3. Social life occur in the context of
3. Social life occurs in context of secondary groups and large urban
domination of primary group such as communities so, social relationship
family , kinship groups so, social non-intimate with little or no
relationship intimate and emotional . emotional .
 4. Social control i.e. behavior of people 4. Social control i.e. behavior of the
is regulated by informal means such as people is regulated by more formal means
social customs , traditions , folkways like laws , legislations , written contracts
with specific penalties .
5. Society before the rise of capitalism 5. Society started with the rise of
capitalism
6. Homogeneous culture as the way of
thinking , behaving resemble among 6. Heterogeneous culture as there is
the members . Unity and uniformity in diversity and pluralism of values , outlooks
social life are largely visible . , opinions and beliefs .
7. Less scope for division of labour
8. Status are mainly ascribed 7.Scope for division of labour
9. Fewer status and roles 8. Many status are achieved
10. For ex : Hunting and gathering 9. Vast number of status and role emerges
society 10. For ex : USA
 Socialization :
• Socialization is the process by which individuals acquire the knowledge ,
language , social skills and values to conform to the norms and roles
required integration into a group or community .
• Socialization is the process of learning how to interact in the society
( language , behaviours , manners) .
TYPE :
• ….
1. Primary or childhood or basics or early socialization
2. Secondary or adulthood socialization
3. Developmental or De-socialization
4. Re-socialization ( Discard old behaviour and accept new one )
5. Anticipatory socialization
6. Reverse socialization ( Socialization from younger to old ones )
CHARACTERISTICS/ FEATURE/
FUNCTION :
1.Continuous process
2.Complex process
3.Learning process
4.Unconscious process or conscious
5.Life long process
6.Slow process
7.Involves changes
8.Visible as well as invisible
9.Two way process
10.Vary from society to society
11.Process of becoming a functional members of society
12.Tools of transmission of culture
13.Process of cultural assimilation
14.Establish limits on the individuals through social interaction
1. Self development
2. Inculcates basic disciplines
3. Help to control human behaviour
4. Beneficial to both individual and to society
5. Takes place formally or informally
6. Rapid if there is more humanity among the agencies of socialization
7. Contribute in maintain social order , through controlling social
behaviour
8. Helps in personality development
Importance of socialization :
AGENT :
• ….
1. Family
2. Peer groups
3. Religious institution
4. Socio-cultural institution
5. Academic institution
6. Mass media
7. Working organization
8. Informal devices
PROCESS :
• ..
1. Reflexes 
2. Instincts
3. Urges
4. Capacities
5. Comprehension and Educability 
STAGES :
• …....
1. First stage : Oral stage 
2. Second stage : Anal stage 
3. Third stage : Oedipal stage 
4. Fourth stage : The stage of Adolescence
5. Adult stage 
Deploying theoretical lens to examine
socialization :
1. Looking glass self theory
2. Antisocial self theory
3. Role playing theory
4. Piaget and his developmental learning theory
COMMUNITY :
TYPE :
1. Rural community
2. Urban community
CHARACTERISTICS/ FEATURE/
FUNCTION :
1. Definite locality or has fixed geographical location with locality
2. Collection of individuals or Small territorial group
3. We feeling between and among members
4. Natural
5. Size of community
6. Similarity among members
7. Particular name and distinct cultural identity
8. Spontaneous growth
9. Permanent
10. No legal status
11. Wider end with permanency
12. Common life , common rules
13. Regulation of relationship , special bonds
14. People cooperate to satisfy their basics needs
15. Universal
CULTURE :
TYPE :
• ….
1. Material culture
2. Non- material culture
Material culture Non- material culture
CHARACTERISTICS/ FEATURE/
FUNCTION :
1. Material or non-material in nature
2. Dynamic ,universal and diverse in form 
3. Culture is social identity 
4. Culture is social heritage 
5. Culture is shared grouped behaviour
6. Culture is transitive from one generation to another
7. Culture is enriched through social experiment
8. Culture consist of ideal behaviour, social civilization and social experiences 
9. Language is the chief vehicle of culture
10. Culture is learned , shared
11. Gives us appropriate behavior pattern
12. Vary from society to society
13. Culture is component of society
14. Culture is continuous and cumulative
15. Consistence and integrated
16. Ancient
17. Symbols , integrated, adaptive, gratifying, cumulative , invented
18. Social quality
19. Culture is changing
20. Abstract
SOCIAL NORMS :
TYPE :
1. Private norms 
2. Group norms 
3. Associational norms
4. National norms
CHARACTERISTICS/ FEATURE/
FUNCTION :
1. Universal
2. Are cultural standards
3. Help in controlling human behaviour
4. Unwritten oral practices
5. Help to maintain social order , deviant behavioural practices and juvenile delinquency
6. Dynamic
7. Differ from society to society
8. Help to enrich human civilization and maintain social solidarity
9. Gives cohesion to society
10. Influence individuals attitude
11. Social
12. Related with culture
13. Written or unwritten
14. Grow slowly
15. Related to factual order
16. Not always obeyed by all
17. Incorporate value judgment
18. Normally internalized by people
19. Vary with sanctions
20. Relative to situation and groups
SOCIAL VALUES :
TYPE :
1. General social values
2. Specific social values
CHARACTERISTICS/ FEATURE/
FUNCTION :
1. Universal
2. Advocate for truths , realities and for universal ideas
3. Social
4. Ancient
5. Abstract
6. Explicit or implicit
7. Socializatuion helps to learn social values
8. Social norms and values are interlinked
9. May be general or specific
10. Can be differ from culture to culture
11.Dynamic concept
12. Pass from generation to generation
13. Is matter of faith and belief
14. Normative
15. Related to emotion and sentiments
16. Relatively permanent
17. Motivated by public welfare
18. Values have hierarchy in order
19. May be change as experience change
20. Values are individual
STATUS :
TYPE :
1. Ascribed status
2. Achieved status
CHARACTERISTICS/ FEATURE/
FUNCTION :
1.Show the position of individuals in society or social hierarchy of a person
2. Governed through certain norms and values
3. A person may have different status at a time
4. Every status has its own right , duties and obligation
5. Dynamic
6. Ascribed and achieved
7. Consists of external symbols , respect and social dignity
8. Provides motivation and influence one another
9. Different status help to create social order and equilibrium in organization and society
10. Same status can be occupied by different individuals
11. Regulated by social norms
12. Can be or cannot be permanent
13. Dynamic
14. Status of one depend upon his role
15. Is the result of need and interest of society
16. Has some degree of prestige
17. Determined by culture of society
18. Always comparable
19. Indicate social stratification
20. Have certain previleges and immunities
ROLE :
TYPE :
1. Formal role
2. Informal role
3. Role taking 
4. Role behaviour
5. Role conflict
CHARACTERISTICS/ FEATURE/
FUNCTION :
1. Expected behaviour patterns
2. Status and roles are two sides of same coins
3. Formal and informal
4. Instructs and provides guidelines to the roles
5. Is the functional aspects of status
6. Some role are considered somethings important
7. Is social
8. One individual can perform many roles
9. Some role are played by different individuals
10. Voluntarily and involuntarily
11. Can be achieved or ascribed
12. Changeable
13. Functional
14. Determine by culture
15. Determined by social norms and values
16. Dynamic , universal
17. Relative
18. Related to social status
19. changing aspect of role
20. Limited field of operation
SOCIAL GROUP :
TYPES :
• …..
1. Primary group
2. Secondary group
3. Tertiary group
CHARACTERISTICS/ FEATURE/
FUNCTION :
1. Two or more individuals
2. Social interaction
3. We feeling
4. Member have mutual awareness
5. Group norms
6. Dynamic
7. A society can consists more than one social groups
8. Common interest
9. Reciprocal relation
10. Feeling sense of unity
11. Provision of group solidarity
12. Same objectives , interest and goals
13. Permanent and temporary
14. Each group has its own norms and values
15. There is a distribution of division of labour
16. There is a pattern of interaction and the provision of influence
ORGANIZATION :
TYPES :
• ….
1. Formal
2. Informal
CHARACTERISTICS/ FEATURE/
FUNCTION :
1. Definite purpose
2. Has its own controlling mechanism
3. Provision of consensus among the members
4. Provision of harmony between statues and roles
5. Collection of people
6. Common goal
7. Social institution
8. Division of work
9. coordination
10. Hierarchy of authority
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE OF
ORGANIZATION :
• …….
1. Mechanistic theory or bureaucratic
2. Scientific management theory
3. Human relation theory
CHARACTERISTICS OF
BUREAUCRACY :
1. Division of labour
2. Hierarchy of authority
3. Administrative class
4. Impersonality
5. Selection on merit basis
6. Written or formal rules and regulation
7. Official record
8. Career orientation
9. Specialized training
10. Political neutrality
CRITICISM :
1. Rigidity
2. Impersonality
3. Less delegation
4. Goal displacement
5. Delay on work , delay in decision making and communication gap
6. Too much emphasis on the rules and regulation
7. Cost of control and a lot of paper
8. Not suitable for business organization
9. Self –perpetuation and empire building
10. Ideal type bureaucracy is mental model
ADVANTAGE :
1. Specialization of task
2. Rationing
3. Skill based requirement
4. Equity
5. Systematic record keeping
DISADVANTAGE :
1. One way communication
2. Exploitation of power
3. Waste of time , effort and money
4. Delay in decision making
5. Inflexible and rigid method
6. Hinders innovation and creativity
SOCIAL DISORDER :
TYPE :
1. Personal or individual level
2. Family level
3. Community or societal level
CHARACTERISTICS/ FEATURE/
FUNCTION :
SOCIAL CONTROL :
CHARACTERISTICS/ FEATURE/
FUNCTION :
1. Universal
2. Ancient
3. Dynamic
4. Not the aimless
5. It is a kind of social influence
6. Regulate behavior
7. For welfare of society
8. Formal or informal
9. To establish social unity
10. To bring conformity in society
TYPE :
1. Formal controlling device
2. Informal controlling device
MAJOR SOCIAL AGENCIES OF SOCIAL
CONTROL :
1. Control by laws
2. Control by education
3. Control by public opinion or social discourses
4. Control by art and literature
5. Control by humor and satire
6. Control by customs
7. Control by folkways and mores
8. Control by religion
9. Control by coercion
10. Control by social suggestions
11. Control by print capitalism
12. Control by social sanctions
13. Control by miscellaneous ideologies and norms
SEXUALITY
CRIME
DEVIANCE
TYPE :
1. Innovation
2. Ritualism
3. Retreatism
4. Rebellion
MAJOR FACTOR AFFECTING /
FOSTERING SOCIAL DEVIANCE :
1. Faculty socialization
2. Weak sanctions and poor enforcement
3. Ease of rationalization
THEORETICAL LENS OF DEVIANCE
SOCIAL SANCTION :
TYPES :
1. Positive
2. negative
SOCIAL CONFORMITY
TYPES :
1. Normative
2. Informational
3. Ingratiational
ASSOCIATION
CHARACTERISTICS :