society
Sign in to saveA society () is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societies are characterized by patterns of relationships (social relations) between individuals who share a distinctive culture and institutions; a given society may be described as the sum total of such relationships among its constituent members.
AI overview
A society is a group of people who live together in the same area, share common cultures and institutions, and interact with each other over time, usually under a shared government. What makes a society matter is that it's defined by the distinctive patterns of relationships and shared expectations among its members, which together create the structure and identity of that community.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Wikidata facts
Show 6 more facts
- P910
- Category:Society
- P1151
- Portal:Society
- P5008
- Wikipedia:Vital articles/Level/4 (2022)
- P3342
- Niklas Luhmann
- P1552
- social action
Article
31 sectionsContents
- Etymology and usage
- Conceptions
- In biology
- In sociology
- Functionalism
- Conflict theory
- Symbolic interactionism
- Non-Western views
- Types
- Pre-industrial
- Hunting and gathering
- Pastoral
- Horticultural
- Agrarian
- Industrial
- Post-industrial
- Information
- Knowledge
- Characteristics
- Norms and roles
- Gender and kinship
- Ethnicity
- Government and politics
- Trade and economics
- Conflict
- See also
- References
- Citations
- Sources
- Further reading
- External links
A society () is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societies are characterized by patterns of relationships (social relations) between individuals who share a distinctive culture and institutions; a given society may be described as the sum total of such relationships among its constituent members.
Human social structures are complex and highly cooperative, featuring the specialization of labor via social roles. Societies construct roles and other patterns of behavior by deeming certain actions or concepts acceptable or unacceptable—these expectations around behavior within a given society are known as societal norms. So far as it is collaborative, a society can enable its members to benefit in ways that would otherwise be difficult on an individual basis.