Socialization is a continues process of life-long process. A child is socialized by education, surroundings, social lifestyle in his family etc.

Society exists only where social beings create relationship with one another. Thus society is a web of social relationships. Moris Ginsberg defines "A society is a collection of individuals united by certain relations or modes of behaviour which mark them off from others who do not enter into these relations or who differ from them in behaviour."

Characteristics or Elements of Society:

Following are the important characteristics or elements of society. (1) A system of social relationships: Society refers to social relationship. The meaning of social relationship shall be more clear if we distinguish it from physical relationship. The relation between pen and ink, table and chair, pen and paper etc. are known as physical relations. In this relations there is no reciprocal awareness. Social relations, on the other hand, those which exist between mother and child, brother and sister, teacher and student, husband and wife etc. are determined by reciprocal awareness or interaction. Without reciprocity there is no social relationship, no society. Thus society is a network of social relationship. (2) Inter-dependence: In a society all members depend upon each other. For example, family, the first society in which we all are closely and deeply associated is based on the biological inter-dependence. Similarly, in a family some members earn and all depend upon them. The children depend upon their parents in childhood age and parents depend upon their grown-up children in their old age. Both male and female members in the family cannot survive without the inter-dependence upon each other in every sphere. Thus inter-dependency is most significant element of society. At the higher level, one nation depends upon the other in the economic, social, political, cultural fields. (3) Likeness: Maclver says that society means likeness. It exists among like beings, like-bodies and like-minded people. It is likeness which provides for understanding each by the other. This understanding is based on friendship, intimacy, association, institution and any such other types of relationships. Similarities are found among the people of society in customs, traditions, folkways, mores, norms, values, beliefs, attitudes, needs, objectives etc. So likeness or similarity is an essential element of society. (4) Differences: Though there is likeness in the society yet it is characterised by difference also. In every society, there are people who differ from one another in a number of ways. For example, family rests upon the biological difference between the sexes. Some are males and others are females. Similarly people differ from one another in respect of their ability, talent, capacity, interest, tendency etc. Human beings also differ from one another irrespective of rights and duties, thoughts and ideals, professions

and economic activities. So society involves both likeness and differences. Difference is also very essential for society. (5) Comprehensive culture: Every society has its own distinctive culture, culture refers to the art, knowledge, beliefs, morals, law, value, custom, tradition, literature, science, philosophy etc. acquired by man as a member of society. Society preserves our culture and also transmits it to our future generations. Thus society is the store and centre of human culture. (6) Co-operation and conflict: Maclver says, "Society is co operation crossed by conflict." Both co-operation and conflict are the essential elements of society. Co-operation plays a vital role in every aspect of our social life. Society cannot exist without co-operation. People cannot lead a happy and comfortable life unless they co operate with each other. Family rests on co-operation. The members of the family co-operate with each other to live happily and peacefully. Not only co-operation but also conflict is essential for society. Society needs struggles to solve social as well as personal problems. Society also requires conflicts for its formation and growth, harmony and disharmony, association and dissociation as well. Conflict is a universal process through which all things have come to existence. (7) Society is abstract: Society is an organisation which consists of social relation, customs, laws, mores, norms, values and so on. These are abstract and intangible. People only feel and realise these relations. Thus society is same thing which cannot be seen or touched. It can only be felt and experienced by its members. Society does not include any concrete form and therefore, society is abstract. That is why, abstractness is a significant characteristics or element of society.

Characteristics of Human Society 76

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By dilipchandra12

A society is mainly defined as a collection of individuals. It consists of individuals belonging to male and female and different age groups. The sex ratio in the society strike balance. The vital activities such as the birth, growth and death and going on in the society as long as the society is there. The immigration and emigration and the birth and death of the population also strike balance of the population in the society. But the improvement in the medical facilities increased the average life span of the individual there by lead to the population explosion. A common geographical area: A particular society has been demarcated by the other with natural or artificial boundaries. The natural boundaries such as the rivers, mountain ranges or forests, canals etc. The artificial boundaries are there demarcated by political settlements. The people of the area share the resources in common and participate to reach the common goals of population. The people develop unity, we feeling, integrity oneness and collection consciousness. Variety of interactions: The society is full of interactions and the different social processes and going on in the society. The people come face to face and interact among themselves. People share certain interests, attitudes, aptitudes, traditions, customs, values, objectives and mores. The people of the society depend upon each other for their survival. The division of labour among the individuals exists and the functions assigned to them are performed. This develops functional inter relationship among the members of the society. Feeling of Solidarity: Since individuals of the society occupy a common territory, common customs and traditions common values, common history common cultures, self contained interdependence on each other obviously causes oneness and we feeling and develops feeling of solidarity among themselves. Though occasionally interact with other societies, they never lore their identity and remains united as long as their society survives. Total culture: Each society has its own culture and the individual relationships are organized and structured by the culture. Because of commonness in the culture content, traditional of the society unite together. The society will be differentiated by the other society because of its unique culture. Culture is present in human society and the same is absent in animal society. Social Organisation: Members of a society are socially organized. Society itself has a structure and the important components and elements of social structure are norms, rules, statuses, power, authority, groups, associations and institutions. The norms are the important which give it stability, order and structure to human society that without them social interaction would be difficult and chaotic. Organization of human society is maintained with the help of norms and institutions that pervade the society. Social organization helps maintain society in social equilibrium. Functional differentiation: All the individuals in human society never perform similar activities and functions. They perform different functions depending upon their sex, age, interest, abilities, skills and other qualifications. There is more and more specialization in each work and are expected to do their work allotted to them. Thus several persons work on a single activity. There is division of labour depending upon sex and age.