There are five basic components of the human societies:

Population
These components may either deter or promote social change. The size of population will greatly affect
the social change. If the population is large, chances are social changes will be promoted. More people
will usually result in more ideas, pushing for changes because a larger population will generate more
problems and it has a greater need for solutions. A large population will also have more norms and laws
and sanctions.
Culture

Includes values, beliefs, norms, knowledge, language, and symbols. Culture can both deter and promote
social changes. A society’s belief and values can be essential for technology to grow and develop. Some
societies tend to be more conservative and would like for things to continue to be the same, which will
likely deter that society from social changes. However, as a society gained more knowledge, there will be
people who will want to push for change because of that gained knowledge.

Material products

Consist of a limited amount. Material products will be more likely promote changes because people will try
to find other alternatives for those existing products. Social organization is a network of relationship
between its members. There are people who hold social positions and political roles that may deter or
promote changes. Reformers who hold office positions will persuade more changes in society while
conservationist will want things to remain the same.

Social institutions

Consist of the education system, family, economy, government, and religion. A society’s education system
has a big influence on the society. If that education system is promoting changes, people in that society
will grow up having that thinking, vice versa. A person’s upbringing will also influence a person’s push for
change or deterrence of change. The economy’s status holds great importance for change or not. If an
economy is not doing so well, changes will likely occur. The government may be pushing for change if a
reformist holds political position but if a conservationist will want things to be the same. Religion ties in
with a person’s belief and values. Depending on the religion, a person will be more likely to have moral
values and religious beliefs that will either want change or deter from change.

Types of Society

Hunters and gatherers

 One of the first societies formed was that of hunters and gatherers.
 Since food is the primal source of life for humans, the main focus of hunters and gatherers was to hunt down
animals for food, gather fruits and nuts, and search for water sources.
 The roles in this society were divided between men and women, where men hunted bigger animals and were
in charge of providing food and shelter, while women collected fruit and hunted smaller prey.
 Their nomadic tribal structure allowed them to form close unions and, as there were not many of them, they
could quickly move from one place to another, wherever there were food and water.
Pastoral society
 Pastoral societies were the first ones to domesticate animals and to form permanent settlements.
 They emerged in areas which were not very suitable for growing plants and where they needed to have food
within reach.
 With storing food, these societies could thrive and even form the first traces of trade with other pastoral
tribes.
Agricultural/ Horticultural society
  Agricultural societies emerged from what is referred to as the ‘Agricultural Revolution’
 Growing crops and having greater technological means allowed them to grow in numbers and form more
prominent families.
 This gave rise to the first form of nobility and division among labour.
 There were warriors, educators, farmers, artisans and others. All of it began to appear like a functioning
system.
Feudal society
 The systems above were first officially established with feudalism.
 A system that began as early as the 9th century implied that a wealthier member of the nobility lay claim to
lands which were farmed and worked on by common people in exchange for food and housing.
 The families of commoners worked for feudal lords for generations and thus helped them amass great
wealth.
Industrial society
 With the further advent of technology, people were able to put the machines to work and establish factories.
 This revolution began in 18th century Britain and quickly spread to the rest of the world. What this meant to
people was that many of them could get employment and support their families.
 With the rise of the industry, transportation and housing also grew, education was institutionalised and made
available.
Post-Industrial society
 We are now in what can be referred to as a post-industrial society.
 Factories are still present, but with a lot more technology and with the appearance of the digital age.
 We now have computers in our pockets, social networks on the internet and even intelligent machines.

Human rights are intimately related to the notion of human dignity.

 The importance of human rights and the requirement to respect everyone’s rights is based on the notion of
human dignity.

Human dignity is considered to be the foundation of human rights. Advocates of human rights and different social
movements resort to human dignity in order to justify their claims and their actions. The attack against global
poverty, the fight against discrimination, torture and inhumane treatments, and the condemnation of injustice, are
all grounded in the notion of human dignity.

 Marriage and Family. Every grown-up has the right to marry and have a family if they want to. Men and
women have the same rights when they are married, and when they are separated.
 The Right to Your Own Things. Everyone has the right to own things or share them. Nobody should take
our things from us without a good reason.
 Freedom of Thought. We all have the right to believe in what we want to believe, to have a religion, or to
change it if we want.
 Freedom of Expression. We all have the right to make up our own minds, to think what we like, to say what
we think, and to share our ideas with other people.
 The Right to Public Assembly. We all have the right to meet our friends and to work together in peace to
defend our rights. Nobody can make us join a group if we don’t want to.
 The Right to Democracy. We all have the right to take part in the government of our country. Every grown-
up should be allowed to choose their own leaders.
 Social Security. We all have the right to affordable housing, medicine, education, and childcare, enough
money to live on and medical help if we are ill or old.
 Workers’ Rights. Every grown-up has the right to do a job, to a fair wage for their work, and to join a trade
union.
 The Right to Play. We all have the right to rest from work and to relax.
  Food and Shelter for All. We all have the right to a good life. Mothers and children, people who are old,
unemployed or disabled, and all people have the right to be cared for.
 The Right to Education. Education is a right. Primary school should be free. We should learn about the
United Nations and how to get on with others. Our parents can choose what we learn.
 Copyright. Copyright is a special law that protects one’s own artistic creations and writings; others cannot
make copies without permission. We all have the right to our own way of life and to enjoy the good things
that art, science and learning bring.
 A Fair and Free World. There must be proper order so we can all enjoy rights and freedoms in our own
country and all over the world.
 Responsibility. We have a duty to other people, and we should protect their rights and freedoms.
 No One Can Take Away Your Human Rights.

The Nature of Groups

A social group is two or more humans who interact with one another, share similar characteristics, and
collectively have a sense of unity.

 A social group exhibits some degree of social cohesion and is more than a simple collection or
aggregate of individuals.
 Social cohesion can be formed through shared interests, values, representations, ethnic or social
background, and kinship ties, among other factors.
 The social identity approach that the necessary and sufficient conditions for the formation of
social groups is the awareness that an individual belongs and is recognized as a member of a
group.
 The social identity approach that the necessary and sufficient conditions for the formation of
social groups is the awareness that the individual belongs and is recognized as a member of a
group.
 Social group: A collection of humans or animals that share certain characteristics, interact with
one another, accept expectations and obligations as members of the group, and share a common
identity.
 The social identity approach: Posits that the necessary and sufficient condition for the formation
of social groups is awareness of a common category membership.
 The social cohesion approach: More than a simple collection or aggregate of individuals, such
as people waiting at a bus stop, or people waiting in a line.

Primary Groups

 A primary group is typically a small social group whose members share close, personal, enduring
relationships.
 Primary groups are marked by concern for one another, shared activities and culture, and long
periods of time spent together. They are psychologically comforting and quite influential in
developing personal identity.
 Families and close friends are examples of primary groups.
 The goal of primary groups is actually the relationships themselves rather than achieving some
other purpose.
 The concept of the primary group was introduced by Charles Cooley in his
book, Social Organization : A Study of the Larger Mind.
 Close friends: They are examples of primary groups.
 group: A number of things or persons being in some relation to one another.
  relationship: Connection or association; the condition of being related.
 primary group: It is typically a small social group whose members share close, personal, enduring
relationships. These groups are marked by concern for one another, shared activities and culture,
and long periods of time spent together.

Secondary Groups

Secondary groups are large groups whose relationships are impersonal and goal oriented; their
relationships are temporary.

 The distinction between primary and secondary groups was originally proposed by Charles Cooley.
He termed them “secondary” because they generally develop later in life and are much less likely to
be influential on one’s identity than primary groups.
 Secondary relationships involve weak emotional ties and little personal knowledge of one another.
In contrast to primary groups, secondary groups don’t have the goal of maintaining and developing
the relationships themselves.
 Secondary groups include groups in which one exchanges explicit commodities, such as labor for
wages, services for payments, and such. They also include university classes, athletic teams, and
groups of co-workers.
group: A number of things or persons being in some relation to one another.
 Secondary groups: They are large groups whose relationships are impersonal and goal-oriented.

In-Groups and Out-Groups

 In-groups are social groups to which an individual feels he or she belongs, while an individual
doesn’t identify with the out-group.

 In- group favoritism refers to a preference and affinity for one’s in-group over the out-group, or
anyone viewed as outside the in-group.
 One of the key determinants of group biases is the need to improve self-esteem. That is individuals
will find a reason, no matter how insignificant, to prove to themselves why their group is superior.
 Intergroup aggression is any behavior intended to harm another person, because he or she is a
member of an out-group, the behavior being viewed by its targets as undesirable.
 The out-group homogeneity effect is one’s perception of out-group members as more similar to
one another than are in-group members (e.g., “they are alike; we are diverse”).
 Prejudice is a hostile or negative attitude toward people in a distinct group, based solely on their
membership within that group.
 A stereotype is a generalization about a group of people in which identical characteristics are
assigned to virtually all members of the group, regardless of actual variation among the members.
 in-group bias: It refers to a preference and affinity for one’s in-group over the out-group, or anyone
viewed as outside the in-group.
 Intergroup aggression: It is any behavior intended to harm another person because he or she is a
member of an out-group, the behavior being viewed by its targets as undesirable.
 In-group favoritism: It refers to a preference and affinity for one’s in-group over the out-group, or
anyone viewed as outside the in-group. This can be expressed in evaluation of others, linking,
allocation of resources and many other ways.