SOCIAL SYSTEMS

MEANING
 System is a concept
 It functions according to order or pattern
 It is orderly arrangement
 Paternal relations among parts of structure
 Based on functional relations
 It finds the parts into unity
 A system-natural-solar systems
 Organised systems-social systems
SOCIAL SYSTEMS
 Plurality of individuals interacting with each other
 According to shared cultural norms and meanings
 Made up of interactions
 Cultural factors which structure interactions
 All social organisations are social systems
 Since they consist of interacting individuals
DEFNITION
• Maciver and Page
 Social system is an organisation
 As it is an orderly and systematic arrangement of parts
• Loomis and Loomis
 Social systems is comsed of paternal interactions of members
• Talcott parsons
 A social systems consists of a plurality of individuals,actors
interacting with others in situation
 ELEMENTS OF THE SOCIAL SYSTEMS
• BELIEF
 Belief keeps the people together
 They have common belief
 It gives inner strength to collective functioning
• SENTIMENT
 Man does not live by reason alone
 He plays his role with sentiments also
 Sentiment linked with culture also
• GOAL
 The goal or end determine social systems
 Goals provide pathway of social systems
• NORMS
 Norms provide guidelines for appropriate conduct
 They also fix functional patter of society
• RANK
 Rank-recognition of importance
 Role depends upon the rank of person
• STATUS AND ROLE
 Every individual in society is functional
 It goes by status –role relation
 Status by birth, sex, caste or age
 One may achieve status by service rendered
• POWER
 social systems consists of conflicts
 It aims at order
 Power to punish the guilty brings order
 Reward provides encouragement for conformity
 The authority exercising power differ from group to group
• SANCTION
 Imposition of penality for non conformity
 Acts done or not done bring reward or punishment
• FACILITY
 Facilities provide a person to function properly
 Individuals use facilities to achieve social objectives
 Common features of social systems
 Plurality of individuals
 Based on interactions of individuals
 Social systems varies from time to time
 From one system to another
 Due to environment, time and space
 Social systems has aim and purpose
 This finds expression in interactions, customs, laws, religion,
culture
 social system is the order
 No single group or institution can disturb it
 The scope of inter-relationship, interactions determined by
culture
 Social systems works with adjustment of parts with each other in
a balance
 Relationship between social systems and social
structure
 Social structure and social system are related to each other
 Social system relates to functional aspect of social structure
 Social structure is the means through which social systems
functions
 Structure is useless without functions
 The nature of functions to be carried out influences the
form of structure
 The form of structure will influence the functions it can
perform
 A rigid social structure cannot fulfil the needs of changing
society
 Social structure to use creative capacity
 Social function
 in every society, individuals have special functions
 Functions divided as 1)social functions 2)Manifest and
latent functions
• H.M.Johnson
 Any paticular structure- sub grown, role, social
norms,cultural value have a function
 To fulfil social needs
• Manifest functions
 Intended and recognised
• Latent functions
 Unorganised and un intended
 A function may be manifest for some participants and
latent for others
 Latent functions have some functions o perform in all
structures
 Latent function to be taken into consideration for
reforming the society.