Society

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 of members.

Definition

In the social sciences, a larger society often exhibits stratification or dominance patterns in subgroups. Societies can be structured as a social hierarchy or can be egalitarian. In addition to this, societies can also be classified as agricultural, industrial, or post-industrial.

Types of societies

There are several types of societies including Hunter-gatherer societies, Horticulturalist societies, Agrarian societies, Industrial societies, and Post-industrial societies.

Development of societies

The development of societies can be influenced by a number of factors including the environment, technology, and communication. The evolution of societies can also be studied using theories such as Social Darwinism and Sociocultural evolution.

Society and culture

Society and culture are interdependent and influence each other. The culture of a society includes the shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that the members of society use to cope with their world and with one another.

See also

• Community
• Civil society
• Social group
• Social structure
• Sociology

References

Society Resources
Need Help Finding a Doctor? WikiMD's DocFinder can help find general and specialist physicians.	Latest articles Most recent articles Ongoing trials.