Socialization

SOCIOLOGY(NOTES)

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

What Is a Society?
A society is a group of people with shared territory, interaction, and culture. Some societies are made up of people who are united by friendship or common interests. Some societies are merely social groups, two or more people who interact and identify with one another.
Every society must have territory, or an area to call its own.
Members of a society must interact with one another on a regular basis.
Culture is a defining element of a society.
Some societies are pluralistic societies composed of many different kinds of people, some of whom belonged to other societies. The United States is a pluralistic society.
In a pluralistic society, members retain some ethnic traditions and beliefs from their old society. In order to fit into their new society, however, members must give up some of these original traditions. This process is called assimilation.
In a truly pluralistic society, no one group is officially considered more influential than another.
Types of Societies

Societies have evolved over many millennia. The different types of societies include hunting and gathering, horticultural, pastoral,   agricultural or agrarian, industrial, and postindustrial.
In hunting and gathering societies, members survive by gathering plants and hunting for food.
Members of horticultural societies use hand tools to raise crops.
Members of pastoral societies rely on domestication and breeding of animals for food.
Members of agricultural or agrarian societies raise crops by harnessing an animal to a plow.
In industrial societies, members use machinery to replace human labor in the production of goods. As fewer people are needed for agriculture, societies become urbanized, which means that the majority of the population lives within commuting distance of a major city.
Postindustrial societies feature an economy based on services and technology rather than production.
A mass society is a large, impersonal...