Sociology Today's Lecture (PDF)

## Open & Close System - **Open Structure:** - Interact freely with environment - Adapt and evolve - External changes - **Close Structure:** - Isolated from environment - Resist change ## Complex System - Involve intricate and interconnected relationships - Often difficult t...

## Open & Close System - **Open Structure:** - Interact freely with environment - Adapt and evolve - External changes - **Close Structure:** - Isolated from environment - Resist change ## Complex System - Involve intricate and interconnected relationships - Often difficult to predict ## Eg Large Urban Sites - Global Markets - Online networks ## Adaptive System - Adapt change and evolve - Adaptive systems are particularly prevalent in: - Biological and ecological context - Evolution and survival depends on responsiveness to change ### System Examples - **Educational Institutions:** - Schools, universities - Import knowledge and skills, but also socialize individuals into societal norms and values - Play an important role in shaping the future - **Health care system:** - Organizations maintaining health and well-being of the community - Hospitals, clinics, public health initiatives ## Local Govt - Municipalities and local councils - Community structure - Govern community function - Manage resources - Regulate activities - Provide services ## Functions of Systems - **Integration:** - Primary function: foster solidarity and unity - Ensuring individual connectivity to society's values - **Goal Attainment:** - Enable communities to achieve goals through organized structure - **Adaptation:** - Adapt changes and lucka - Technologies and external conditions to meet needs and goals ## Local Government (cont.) - **Legitimacy:** - Promote harmony - Reduce conflict - Pattern attainment - **Maintain and Preserve Cultural Norms:** - Over generations - **Ensure Stability and Continuity:** - By transmitting core values and customs and tradition from one generation to another ## Such as - Schools, courts, businesses - Mere institutions mobilize resources - Direct effort toward community objectives - Bring progress and development ## Elements of a System - **Faith and Knowledge:** - Bring uniformity - Controlling agency - Faith, customs and belief - **Sentiments:** - Play immense role in society and community - Linked to culture - **Goals and Objectives:** - Man is social and dependant - Man has to meet requirements and obligations - Man and society exists between needs and satisfaction ## Ideals and Norms - Society has certain norms and ideals - Norms need to keep societies functional - Norms prescribe rules and regulation. ## On - Individuals acquire cultural goals and norms. - Cultural norms: ideal structure - Control behavior - Roles: stability ### Example - Folkways and customs, tradition: fashion, morality ## Status-Role - Individual functional status sole comes from individuals: birth, gender, age, caste