Theories of Man and Society PDF

THEORIES OF MAN AND SOCIETY Dr. Srwa R. Rasul Sociology for Nurses Fall Semester/Week 2 2024-2025 1. Organism Theory Nicholson, Spengler, Spencer, and others are the major proponent of this theory. Just like a body is made of individual units (cells), society is also...

THEORIES OF MAN AND SOCIETY Dr. Srwa R. Rasul Sociology for Nurses Fall Semester/Week 2 2024-2025 1. Organism Theory Nicholson, Spengler, Spencer, and others are the major proponent of this theory. Just like a body is made of individual units (cells), society is also made up of units (human beings). Society also goes through the cycle of individual life, that is, birth, growth, maturity; decline, and death.  Both have systems of control. In an individual, it is the nervous system that controls the activities of the entire body. In a society, it is the government and other agencies that control. Just as the individual body has a circulatory system, a society too has a system of transportation and communication. 2. Group Mind Theory Group Mind Theory William McDougall in his book on group mind has elaborated this theory. According to him, every group has a mind of its own, and in this mind are its culture, traditions, and values.  The life of the individual in a group is facilitated and directed by this. The group mind is not a collection of the minds of the individuals of the group. It has an existence of its own, and has the power of influencing the minds of the individuals  It is because of this that the individual thinks and acts differently when he or she is a part of the group. The behaviour of man in a crowd proves the influence of group mind.  3. Social Contract Theory For Hobbes, the primitive man was solitary, selfish, and nasty and because of this evil nature, he had to live in constant fear of his neighbours. To be free from fear, he made compromises with others and formed society.  3. Social Contract Theory For Rousseau, the primitive man was a noble savage, peaceful and unsophisticated. But when the number of people increased, clashes and conflicts arose. This necessitated the formation of contract by which he linked himself with others, but preserved the individual’s freedom  The main criticism against this theory (Social Contract Theory) is that it considers society as an artificially created system. This is not the case at all. The social system grows spontaneously and cannot be artificially created Relation between society and Individual The concept of social mind is doubtful. The social contract and organic theories contradict each other. According to one theory, there is no synthesis between society and the individual, and according to the other, there is no difference between the two. Relation between society and Individual The theories bear witness to the intimate relations between society and the individual, but apart from this they are lopsided. In the words of Maclver and Page, no one can really be an absolute individualist any more than anyone can be an absolute socialist. The individual and society interact with one another and depend on one another.  Human always has a serious urge to live together in a group. For survival every man needs society. Every human child requires care of parents and the society for its existence and growth. All the inherent capacities develop for the child only if the child is exposed to society. Society gives an excellent atmosphere for the growth and development of human personality Brief review of growth and development Social Interaction: Is a social exchange between two or more individuals Social interaction Is the process by which we act and react to those around us. Social interaction includes those acts people perform toward each other and the responses they give in return. Having a quick conversation with a friend seems relatively trivial Social life helps each man with lots of opportunities to do best to his self and to the society. Society acts as a store house, resource for each human being, whereby each human is benefited from the knowledge provided by the society. Benefits are transferred from one generation to other, and each individual feels very much secured since the social relations provide support at times of difficulty and insecurity. This explains that man and society are inseparable. By nature man is bound to society; relationship between society and man is like two sides of same coin, both are reciprocal and complementary. Forms of Social Interaction A. Between individual and individual Nurse-patient interaction Shopkeeper- customer interaction Between individual and group Teacher and students Singer and audience Group to group interaction e.g. sport teams