Competition is a universal and basic form of social interaction that involves a struggle for limited resources like status, power, goods, and love. In human societies, competition is typically for economic security and social status rather than just survival. Competition is characterized as being culturally patterned, impersonal, unconscious, continuous, and restrained. There are different types of competition including social, economic, political, cultural, and racial competition. While competition can stimulate productivity and progress, it can also lead to unfriendly attitudes between competitors and even conflict if it becomes too intense.

1. Competition
HUMZA SAJID , MUHAMMAD HUSSAIN , HUZAIFA

2. Introduction
Competition is an elementary, universal and impersonal form of social
interaction. It is elementary in the sense that it is basic to all other forms
of interaction. Each individual is involved in countless ways of which he is
generally unaware in a vast web of competitive relationships.
This lack of awareness on the part of the competing units gives
competition its impersonal character. Of the various concrete expressions,
the most obvious is struggle for existence. Every form of life is in constant
struggle for life with the impersonal forces of nature that exist everywhere
in the natural world.

3. There is a ceaseless struggle between each form and its foes. In human
society, the struggle of existence is seldom a brute struggle for the means
of life as we find in the animal world. The typical struggle in human
society is for livelihood rather than for the means of existence. The human
struggle is for economic security and for place, power and status. It is
present almost in every walk of life.

4. Definitions:
Competition is the struggle for possession of rewards which are in limited
supply—money, goods, status, power, love—anything.
(Horton and Hunt, 1964). It is a process of seeking to obtain a reward by
surpassing all rivals.
In the words of Biesanz and Biesanz (1964),
“competition is the striving of two or more persons or groups for the same goal
which is limited so that all cannot share it”.
According to Sutherland, Woodward and Maxwell (1961),
“competition is an impersonal, unconscious, continuous struggle between
individuals or groups for satisfaction which, because of their limited supply, all
may not have”.

5. Regarding competition one important point to be kept in mind is that the
attention of the competitors is always focused on the goal or reward and not on
themselves. When there is a shift in interest or focus from the objects of
competition to the competitors themselves, it becomes rivalry which may
sometimes lead to conflict in hard cases.
In its approach to urban life, the Chicago School of Sociology (Park and Burgess)
stressed the role of competition in urban growth patterns as various ethnic,
classes, racial, and other groups compete for space.
Max Weber saw competition as a peaceful form of conflict. Karl Marx also saw its
relationship to conflict but in a less peaceful light. Marx argued that competition
among capitalists, among workers, and between capitalists and workers were
major sources of contradiction and struggle.

6. Characteristics:
(1) Competition is a culturally Patterned Process:
It is present to some degree in all societies but it differs greatly from society to
society. The fiercely competitive Kwakiutl society (a tribe of North America) and
the relatively non-competitive Zuni (a pubelo Indian group of New Mexico)
society offer an example of a striking contrast. American society though
competitive, yet this competition is sharply limited.
(2) Competition is Impersonal:
Impersonal means, the competition is usually not directed against any individual
or group in particular. Competition may be personal when the competitors know
one another but generally its nature is impersonal.

7. (3) Competition is Unconscious:
Competition takes place on the unconscious level. Competitors at many times
are not aware about other competitors and even if they are aware, they do not
pay any heed to the activities of their competitors.
Candidates, appearing for IAS or any other competitive examination, do not
know one another and their whole attention is focused on their studies (reward
or goal) rather than on competitors.

8. (4) Competition is Universal:
Competition, though an important characteristic feature of modem society, is
found in all societies—primitive, traditional, modem or in pre-historic eras and
in every age.
(5) Competition is Continuous:
It is a never ending process. It goes on consciously or unconsciously all the
time. It is unstable and frequently yields either to co-operation or to
conflict.

9. (6) Competition is restrained:
It implies that there are rules of the game to which all competitors must follow.
When the competitors break the rules or when it turns into cut-throat
competition (unrestricted), the situation transforms into conflict.
(7) Competition Is For Scarce Goods (Rewards):
If the object of competition is in abundance (unlimited) quantity or sufficient in
supply, there would be no competition. There is no competition for sunshine and
air, which are unlimited.

10. Types
1-Social Competition:
People always compete to achieve higher status and position. This kind of
competition is known as social competition which is mostly observed in open
societies..
2. Economic Competition:
This type of competition is found in the process of production, consumption and
distribution of goods. People always struggle for higher standard of living.
Economic competition can be observed at the individual as well as group level.
This type of competition is on the I increase in modern times

11. Types
3. Political Competition:
Political competition takes place in the political field. Such type of competition is
very much pronounced in the modern world. Political parties are always engaged
in competition to I capture power. Even, on the international level there is keen
competition between nations.
4. Cultural Competition::
Cultural competition takes place between two or more cultural groups. It occurs
when one cultural groups tries to establish supremacy over the other. This kind
of competition depends upon cultural differences. Competition between the
Aryans and the Dravidians, the Indians and the British can be cited as examples.

12. Types
5. Racial competition:
Racial competition is found among the different races of the world. These races
try to establish their supremacy over the others. Owing to this reason, the entire
human society is I based on racial divisions.
The competition between the white and Black in South Africa provides a very
bright example of racial competition.

13. Importance or Positive Aspects
Competition is indispensable in social life. It is sociologically significant for the
positive and negative effects it produces in social life.
It performs many useful functions ,some of the main functions are:
•It serves the function of allocating scarce rewards among the competitors.
•It has the additional function of stimulating both individual and group activity in
a manner to increase the total productivity of the competitors. It furnishes
motivation to excel or to obtain recognition or to achieve reward.

14. Continued…
It assigns place to each individual in the hierarchical social system. It determines
who is to perform what function.
It tends to enhance one’s ego and helps in satisfying it.
It is conducive to progress and welfare of the society. It spurs individuals and
groups to exert their best efforts to fulfill their goals.
It increases efficiency.

15. Competition Negative Functions:
•It shapes the attitudes of competitors when persons or groups compete, they
normally develop unfriendly and unfavorable attitudes towards one another.
•It may turn into conflict if it is too acute and sharp (cut-throat competition).
Unfair competition has the most disintegrating effects on the individual and the
society both.
•It may create emotional disturbances. According to H.T. Mazumdar (1966), it
may lead to neurosis through frustration.
•Unlimited competition may lead to monopoly. People try to protect themselves
through their association.