Society in a narrow sense. Definition and examples of society in a narrow sense

The concept of "society" is studied by many humanities. Depending on the area of interest, this category is considered in different aspects, in a broad and narrow sense. Why is this important for learning? Understanding the social nature of the phenomenon allows us to find the right ways to solve problems that are inevitable for the life of the society.

Change in the nature of society, the structure, nature of social interactions dictates the need not only to explore the underlying social mechanisms, but also to seek mechanisms to manage them in order to avoid negative and irreversible consequences. Since the topic is rather extensive, we confine ourselves to a summary of some of its main points.

Definition

Society, as a subject of research, serves as a central category for humanitarian knowledge. The concept originated from the Latin term societas (socium). In a broad sense, it is a combination of forms and ways of uniting and interacting people.

The definition of a society in a narrow sense is treated as a social structure, limited by certain criteria of society. Society is the most important category of the sphere of social philosophy. In its framework this term is studied in the theoretical aspect. In the practical field of research, this category is the subject of study of sociology, a younger science.

The concept of "society": a broad and narrow meaning

The concept in question is rather multifaceted, which was the reason for the numerous variants of its definitions. In the most generalized form, in a broad sense, society is understood as the union of people and the totality of the ways of their interaction. They can be carried out both inside the society, and in relation to material nature.

The concept of "society", in the narrow sense, is generally interpreted as an association by the general principle of a certain circle of people. This is a fairly common approach to the phenomenon. And the principle of their organization in society can be a rather impressive list of grounds, starting with habits and ending with an ideology that turns the mass of its followers into society. The wide and narrow meaning of content also depends on the direction of scientific interest. The more precise the science, the narrower the boundaries of the definition, and vice versa, the universal approach reveals the depth and inexhaustibility of the concept.

Society as a result of human activity

Society, as was said above, is inextricably linked with the activities of people. Not only is it connected, but in fact, there is a way of its existence. Highly organized matter is different from nature, which is capable of organizing its activities in order to protect the interests of each of its members. Historically, initially, this was a condition for survival. Later, in the process of perfecting the instruments of labor, with the development of civilization, the society turned into a complex system of interaction both within the system itself and in relation to the surrounding world.

Relations to the outside world characterize society in its broad sense - as a social institution. Internal interactions represent a whole range of social ties, which in a certain social paradigm characterize society in a narrow sense.

Goals and attitudes

Society, in the narrow sense of the word, arises in order that each of its members can strengthen themselves by attracting like-minded people. Not every activity is a way of being society. It is formed as a result of expedient, directed activity.

Society in a narrow sense Words are certain groups of people, regardless of their scale, themselves forming their goal. It is this process that is the basis for the emergence of certain social groups. In a completely different way, this process is carried out in a global sense. For society in the broad sense of the word, the goal is predetermined by the logic of nature itself - survival and expanded self-reproduction, preservation of oneself as a biological species.

Levels of society

The internal structure of society is not uniform. People seek to unite in accordance with their professional, amateur interests, to achieve goals and solve current problems.

For example, professional communities of people form their code of conduct, norms of professional ethics, share knowledge at conferences, seminars and other scientific and professional events.

A different range of public interests is represented by national communities - they are united by geopolitical criteria and represent vivid examples of society in the narrow sense of the word. A vivid example is the small ethnic groups, who stand for independence despite the processes of integration and globalization.

The historical formation of society predetermines its forms of existence, the nature of which depends on the mode of production.

Spheres of society

Society as a result and the meaning of people's vital activity is closely studied by the science of nature, society and cognition. There are four main spheres of human social activity: economic, social, political and spiritual.

Economic. Relationships of people in the production process (as well as distribution and consumption) of the social product. Variants of interacting societies are classes such as slaves and slaveholders, capital and wage labor, producers and consumers of products, other classes and communities.

Social. People's relations, regulated by social institutions of classes, ethnic groups, nations, family and marriage, education, social protection (for example, parents and children, national minorities, emigrants, etc.).

Political. Interaction of people on the subject of power, politics, law, management of society (voters, the political elite of society, lawyers, judicial bodies).

Spiritual sphere. Culture, art, science, morality, religion - constitute the area of spiritual communications of people. In this area, if we talk about society in a narrow sense, We can distinguish the following classes: scientists, clergymen, artists, producers, performers, believers, etc. This is also a sphere of production, only related to the distribution and consumption of spiritual values

Social orientation

There are other examples of an understanding of what a society is in the narrow sense, based on self-affirmation at the expense of denying certain norms, foundations worked out in other public associations of people. Terrorist, extremist, so-called "extreme" order. Often such organizations try to draw attention to the very fact of their existence. They carry out terrorist acts and take responsibility to defend their interests, often at the expense of the interests of other communities.

Antagonistic contradictions are a natural process in the social dynamics of interactions. They serve as a catalyst for metabolic processes, and in this case the timeliness and adequacy of the reaction to them from the side of society is important.

Summary

If we investigate the phenomenon of society in its interactions at micro- and macrolevels, then it becomes quite obvious that dialectical processes are repeated at different levels, having only a different degree of intensity and awareness.

Society is a living organism. Its social nature suggests that every element of the system is only a drop, reflecting the world as a whole. Society in the narrow sense of the word Repeats a single mechanism for the development and resolution of internal contradictions, which we can observe on a global scale.