The document provides an overview of social science, specifically sociology, and its characteristics, definitions, and types of societies, including hunting and gathering, pastoral, horticultural, agricultural, industrial, and post-industrial societies. It discusses the concept of culture, its components, functions, and distinctions between material and non-material culture, as well as norms and social change. Additionally, it touches on evolutionary theories of social change influenced by various theorists such as Comte and Spencer.

1. SOCIAL SCIENCE FOR
SOCIAL WORK
Fathimathu Suhana

2. CONCEPTS TO LEARN
 Sociology
 Society
 Culture
 Socialization
 Structural aspects of culture
 Social change
 Theories of social change

3. Social science
 A Branch of science that deals with the
institutions and functioning of human society and
with the interpersonal relationships of individuals
as members of society.
 Social science study how societies work, exploring
everything from triggers of economic growth and
the causes of unemployment to what makes
people happy.

5.  The term ‘Sociology’ has been derived from 2 words
‘Socius’ (Latin) – folk/friend/companion or society
‘Logy’ (Greek)- Scientific or systematic study.
 Thus sociology is the scientific study of
society/study of human association.
 “Sociology is the general study of the whole society”
– Aguste comte ( Founding father of Sociology)
 “Sociology is the science of social institutions” –
Emile Durkheim
What Is Sociology ?

6. CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIOLOGY
 Sociology is an independent science
 It is abstract not concrete
 Sociology is a social science not a physical science
 Sociology can be a pure science not a physical science
 Sociology is generalizing not individualizing
 Sociology is categorical not a normative

7.  Society is a relational concept, it is viewed as a chain of social
relationship.
 A relationship becomes social, when the individuals interact in
ways, determined by well-established recognition of each other.

8.  “Web of Social Relations which is always changing” – Maclever
 “ Society may be defined as a network of interconnected major groups
viewed as a unit and sharing common culture” – (J H Fitcher)
 Society is a complex of forms or process each of which is living and
growing by interaction with the other, the whole being so unified that what
takes place in one part affects all the rest - Cooley
DEFINITIONS OF SOCIETY

9. Characteristics of Society
 Network of Reciprocating Relationship
 A sense of Dependency
 Social Institution
 Division of labour
 Diversity
 Comprehensive culture
 Conflict and cooperation
 Abstractness

10. TYPES OF SOCITIES

12. TYPES OF SOCIETIES
 Hunting and Gathering Society
 Pastoral Society
 Horticultural
 Agricultural Society
 Feudal Society
 Industrial Society
 Post-Industrial society

13.  Small in size
 Nomadic in nature
 No desire to acquire wealth
 Family and Kinship are the only defined
institutions
 Absence of political institutions
 Limited or No Division of Labour
 Constant need to face danger
 Simple religious belief
HUNTING AND GATHERING SOCIETY

14. PASTORAL SOCIETY
 There main subsistence comes
from tending flocks and herds of
domesticated animals.
 Relatively larger in size
 Pastoralism as a better productive
strategy
 Beginning of Inequality
 Nomadism coupled with training
 People tend to develop their own
beliefs.

15.  Domestication of plants
 Slash and burn technology
 They are much settled than pastoralists
 Relatively more complex division of
labour.
 Emergence of political institutions
 Creation of relatively elaborate cultural
artifacts
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

16.  An agricultural society focuses on mode of production primarily on
agriculture and production of large fields.
 Size of agricultural societies is much greater than that of horticultural
and pastoral communities.
 Appearance of cities
 Emergence of elaborate political institutions
 Evolution of distinct social classes
 Emergence of a clearly defined economic institutions.
 Trade become more elaborate and money is used as a medium of
exchange
 Religion become a separate institution
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY

17.  Society based on ownership of land
 Vassals – cultivate lord’s land
 In exchange for military protection, lords
exploited the peasants into providing food,
homage, crops, crafts and other services to
the land owner.

18. INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY
 An industrial society is a system in which large
number of labor and machinery is involved in
production of goods and services.
 Industrial society is associated with industrial
revolution and industrialism.
 Technology initiating vast and rapid social changes.
(New technologies such as steam engine, atomic
energy etc. tend to bring about social changes)
 Larger societies with huge population
 Large scale division of labour
 Losing importance of family and kingship
 Religion losing its hold over the people. Religion no
longer play an important role in controlling the
behavior of people.

19. CULTURE

20. CULTURE
“Culture is a complex whole which includes knowledge, art,
beliefs, morals, laws, customs and other capabilities acquired by
man as a member of the society.”
- Edward B Taylor
“Culture is the cumulative creation of man”
- B. Mallinowski
“ The way of life for an entire society.” – Walter Rodney

21. CHARACTERISTICS OF
CULTUTRE
 Culture is the sum of our past experience, providing
a foundation for present living.
 Inter related consisting of a complex whole
 Transmitted from generation to generation or
historically driven
 It is a means of survival and adaptation
 Both super individual and super organic ( its
formation and continuity do not depend on any one
individual)
 Composed of ethos ( fundamental values) and eidos
( cognitive process of culture)
 Culture is learned and shared by members of
society
 Culture is acquired, social, idealistic, fulfil needs,
and transmitted through the vehicle of language
 Culture is continuing and cumulative, dynamic and
adaptive, varies from society and society

22. FUNCTIONS OF CULTURE
1. For the Individual
 Culture makes man a human being
 Culture provides solutions for complicated
situations
 Culture provides traditional interpretations
2. For the group
 Culture keeps social relationship intact.
 Culture broadens the vision of the individual
 Culture creates new needs.

23. Cultural Trait
Culture Complex
Culture Pattern
COMPONENTS OF CULTURE ( 3 C’s)

24.  A cultural trait can be defined as a cultural
element, whether physical or not, that has
been created and transmitted to people in it
by some form of communication.
 Smallest unit of a culture
 It distinguishes one culture from another
 A trait found in one culture may have no
significance in other culture.
 Eg: Shaking hands, Touching the feet
CULTURAL TRAIT CULTURE COMPLEX
 A distinctive pattern of activities, beliefs,
rites and traditions associated with one
central feature of life in a particular
culture.
 They are larger cluster of traits organized
 The cultural traits are customarily
associated with other related traits to
form culture complex.

25. CULTURE PATTERN
A cultural pattern is formed when traits and
complexes become related to each other in
functional roles
The culture pattern of a society consists of joint
family, (helps in decision making, well being of
entire family rather than focusing on individual,
socialization, rituals, social norms and behavior)

26. A portion of a culture distinguished from the larger society around it by its customs
or other features
Eg: Kerala culture is a part of Indian culture
Culture
Sub-Culture

27. CONTRA – CULTURE
 The term is applied to designate those groups
which not only differ from the prevailing
patterns but sharply challenge them
 Their norms are different compared to the
dominant culture
 Deviant cultured category of people – from
dominant category
 Eg: LGBTQA+

28. MATERIAL & NON-MATERIAL CULTURE
Material Culture
 Visible manifestations of culture
Eg: Art forms, fashion etc
Non – material culture
 Non- visible
Eg: Values, Norms etc

29. -William F Ogburn
CULTURAL LAG

31. Shared standard of behavior/expected behavior in a
situation
How people should/should not behave in certain situations
Varies from society to society E.g: Decides what to wear for
each occasion

32. TYPES OF SOCIAL NORMS
 Prescriptive norms: Behaviours
that role players are expected to
perform
 Proscriptive norm: directs a role
player to avoid or abstain from
certain type of activity
 Formal norms: Written rules
Eg: Laws
 Informal norms: Understood yet
recorded.

33. Norms (Classification based on relative importance to society)
Customs
Folkways
Mores

34. FUNCTIONS
 Regulate and control human behavior
 Helps in satisfying social needs
 Helps in establishing social order
 Act as measuring scale to evaluate social
behavior
 Act as ideals and objectives in certain
situations
 Helps in predictive behaviour

35. FOLKWAYS
 William G Sumner
 These are behavior pattern that govern
most of our daily life and contact with other
people
 Less strict than norms
 Degree of compulsion and punishment is
less rigid
 Eg: rising up from seats when teachers enter
the classroom
“ Simple habit of action common to the group.
They are the ways of the folk that are
somewhat standardized and have some degree
of traditional sanction for their persistence.”
(Reuter and Hart, 1933)
Eg: manners, etiquetter

41.  Social change is the alteration of the social order of a society
which may include changes in social institutions, social behaviors
or social relations.
 Change may be hardly discernible or easily observable; it may be
constructive and destructive; but whatever its nature it occurs
everywhere and every time
 Partial changes are common than complete change
 Social change alters long established pattern of social structure

42. DEFINITIONS
“ Social change is termed to describe variations or modifications of any
aspect of a social processes, social pattern, social interaction, or social
organization.” (Jones)
“ Change is social structure is social change” (Maclver and Page)

43. NATURE OF SOCIAL CHANGE
o Change which occurs in one part of the society brings change in
other parts of the society.
o Rate of speed, direction of change is different
o Material aspects changes faster than non – material aspects

45. SOURCES OF CHANGE
Exogenous
sources
• Change occurs from outside
• Eg: War, Conquest
Endogenous
Sources
• Change originating from within
• Eg: Activities of group within the society

47. EVOLUTIONARY THEORY

48. Evolutionary theory assumes that societies change gradually from
simple to complex forms.
Aguste comte: Human societies are evolved in a unfamiliar fashion i.e. in
one line of development.
According to comte, society evolved through 3 stages
1. Theological/Fictious
2. Metaphysical/Philosophical/Abstract
3. Scientific/Positive change
Theological – Phenomena (events) were caused by supernatural forces
eg: Thunder, lighting etc. society as an expression of god’s will.
Metaphysical-Absolute forces of either religious or secular type were
the sorce of knowledge. Imagination questions theological dogma,
period of social statics and social dynamics.
Scientific – Scientific laws were supposed to determine both the natural
and social world. Empirical explanation to all forms of social behaviour.

49. L.H. Morgan states that society evolved over three stages
SAVAGE
BARBARIAN
CIVILIZED

50. Herbet Spencer : Society has been gradually progressing towards a better state.
Spencer classified society into two
 Militant
 Industrial
Militant Society
 Human relationships are marked by compulsory cooperation.
 Militant societies tend to be dominated by the regulative system whereas industrial societies are
characterized more highly developed sustaining systems.
 Militant – offensive and defensive warfare
 Army and nations are one
 Individual exists for good of collectivity
 War is useful for societal aggregation
Industrial society
 It is based on voluntary cooperation

51.  Emile Durkheim viewed societies as changing in the direction of
greater differentiation, interdependence and formal control
 Societies have evolved from a relatively undifferentiated social
structure with a minimum of division of labour and with a kind of
solidarity called mechanical solidarity to a more differentiated
social structure with the maximum division of labour giving rise to a
kind of solidarity called organic solidarity.