The concept of society covers all areas human life, relationships and connections. At the same time, society does not stand still; it is subject to constant changes, development. Let's learn briefly about society - a complex, dynamically developing system.
Features of society
Society as a complex system has its own characteristics that distinguish it from other systems. Let's consider the identified different sciences features :
- complex, multi-level nature
Society includes different subsystems and elements. It can include various social groups, both small ones - family, and large ones - class, nation.
Social subsystems are the main spheres: economic, social, political, spiritual. Each of them is also a unique system with many elements. Thus, we can say that there is a hierarchy of systems, that is, society is divided into elements, which, in turn, also include several components.
- presence of different quality elements: material (equipment, structures) and spiritual, ideal (ideas, values)
For example, economic sphere- this includes transport, structures, materials for the manufacture of goods, and knowledge, norms, rules in force in the field of production.
- the main element is man
The man is universal element of all social systems, since it is included in each of them, and without it their existence is impossible.
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- constant changes, transformations
Of course, in different time the rate of change changed: the established order could be maintained for a long time, but there were also periods when rapid qualitative changes occurred public life, for example, during revolutions. This is the main difference between society and nature.
- order
All components of society occupy their position and certain connections with other elements. That is, society is an ordered system in which there are many interconnected parts. Elements may disappear and new ones appear in their place, but on the whole the system continues to function in a certain order.
- self-sufficiency
Society as a whole is capable of producing everything necessary for its existence, therefore each element plays its role and cannot exist without the others.
- self-government
Society organizes management, creates institutions to coordinate actions different elements society, that is, creates a system in which all parts can interact. Organization of everyone's activities individual person and groups of people, as well as the exercise of control is a feature of society.
Social institutions
The idea of society cannot be complete without knowledge of its basic institutions.
Social institutions mean such forms of organization joint activities people who have developed as a result of historical development and are regulated by norms established in society. They bring together large groups of people engaged in some type of activity.
The activities of social institutions are aimed at meeting needs. For example, people's need for procreation gave rise to the institution of family and marriage, and the need for knowledge - the institution of education and science.
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Instructions
A system that is constantly in a state of motion is called dynamic. It develops, changing its own traits and characteristics. One such system is society. A change in the state of society can be caused by outside influence. But sometimes it is based on the internal need of the system itself. The dynamic system is different complex structure. It consists of many sublevels and elements. On a global scale, human society includes many other societies in the form of states. States constitute social groups. The unit of a social group is a person.
Society constantly interacts with other systems. For example, with nature. It uses its resources, potential, etc. Throughout human history, the natural environment and natural disasters not only helped people. Sometimes they hindered the development of society. And they even became the cause of his death. The nature of interaction with other systems is formed thanks to human factor. It is usually understood as a set of such phenomena as will, interest and conscious activity individuals or social groups.
Characteristic signs society as a dynamic system:
- dynamism (change of the whole society or its elements);
- a complex of interacting elements (subsystems, social institutions etc.);
- self-sufficiency (the system itself creates conditions for existence);
- (the relationship of all components of the system);
- self-control (the ability to react to events outside the system).
Society as dynamic system consists of elements. They can be material (buildings, technical systems, institutions, etc.). And intangible or ideal (actually ideas, values, traditions, customs, etc.). Thus, the economic subsystem consists of banks, transport, goods, services, laws, etc. A special system-forming element is . He has the opportunity to choose, he has free will. As a result of the activities of a person or group of people, large-scale changes can occur in society or its individual groups. This makes the social system more mobile.
The pace and quality of changes occurring in society may vary. Sometimes established orders exist for several hundred years, and then changes occur quite quickly. Their scale and quality may vary. Society is constantly evolving. It is an ordered integrity in which all elements are in a certain relationship. This property is sometimes called the non-additivity of the system. Another feature of society as a dynamic system is self-government.
1.1 Society as dynamic system. Approaches to defining the concept of "society"; the concepts of “system” and “dynamic system”; signs of society as a dynamic system. The concept of society. In the definition of the concept "society" in scientific literature There is a variety of approaches, which emphasizes the abstract nature of this category, and, defining it in each specific case, it is necessary to proceed from the context in which this concept is used. IN in the narrow sense: * primitive, slave society ( historical stage human development); * French society, English society (country, state); * noble society, high society(a circle of people united by a common position, origin, interests); * sports society, society for the protection of nature (unification of people for some purpose). IN in a broad sense society refers to humanity as a whole, in its historical and promising development. This is the entire population of the Earth, the totality of all peoples; society is a part isolated from nature, but closely connected with it material world, which includes ways of interaction between people and forms of their association. Thus, this definition highlights two main aspects: the connection between society and nature, and the connection between people. Further, these two aspects are specified and deepened. Society as a complex dynamic system. The second aspect of the concept of “society” (the ways of interaction between people and the forms of their association) can be understood using such a philosophical category as a dynamic system. The word "system" Greek origin, means a whole made up of parts, a collection. A system is usually called a set of elements that are in relationships and connections with each other, forming a certain integrity, unity. Each system includes interacting parts: subsystems and elements. Society is one of the complex systems (the elements that form it and the connections between them are extremely numerous), open (interacting with external environment), material (really existing), dynamic (changing, developing as a result internal reasons and mechanisms). Of all these characteristics in exam assignments The position of society as a complex dynamic system is specially considered. Society as a complex system consists of many elements, which, in turn, can be combined into subsystems. The subsystems (spheres) of social life are: * economic (production, distribution and consumption material goods, as well as corresponding relationships); * social (relations between classes, estates, nations, professional and age groups, activities to ensure social guarantees); * political (relations between society and the state, between the state and political parties); * spiritual (relations that arise in the process of creating spiritual values, their preservation, distribution, consumption). Each sphere of public life, in turn, represents complex education, its elements provide ideas about society as a whole. The most important element of society are social institutions (family, state, school), which are a stable set of people, groups, institutions, whose activities are aimed at performing specific social functions and are built on the basis of certain ideal norms, rules, and standards of behavior. Institutions exist in politics, economics, and culture. Their presence makes people's behavior more predictable and society as a whole more stable. Thus, having specified the second aspect of the concept of “society,” we can say that social relations are diverse connections that arise between social groups, classes, nations (as well as within them) in the process of economic, social, political, cultural life and activities of society. Dynamism social system implies the possibility of its change and development. A change in a social system is a transition of society from one state to another. A change during which an irreversible complication of society occurs is called social or social development. There are two factors social development: 1) Natural (influence of geographical and climatic conditions for the development of society). 2) Social (the reasons and starting points of social development are determined by society itself). The combination of these factors predetermines social development. Exist different ways development of society: * evolutionary (gradual accumulation of changes and their naturally determined nature); * revolutionary (characterized relatively rapid changes, subjectively guided on the basis of knowledge and action). Unified State Exam tests on the topic: "Society as a dynamic system." Part A. A1. Unlike nature, society: 1) is a system; 2) is in development; 3) acts as a creator of culture; 4) develops according to its own laws. A2. A part of the material world that is isolated from nature, but closely connected with it, which includes ways of interaction between people and forms of their unification, is called: 1) people; 2) culture; 3) society; 4) by the state. A3. Society in the broad sense of the word refers to: 1) the entire world around us; 2) a set of forms of association of people; 3) groups in which communication takes place; 4) interactions between people in everyday life. A4. The concept of "society" includes: 1) natural environment a habitat; 2) forms of association of people; 3) the principle of immutability of elements; 4) the surrounding world. A5. The concepts of “development” and “interaction of elements” characterize society as: 1) a dynamic system; 2) part of nature; 3) all surrounding a person material world; 4) a system not subject to change. A6. Are the following statements about society true? A. Society, like nature, is a dynamic system, the individual elements of which interact with each other. B. Society, together with nature, forms the material world surrounding man. 1) Only A is correct; 2) only B is true; 3) both judgments are correct; 4) both judgments are incorrect. A7. Are the following statements about society true? A. Society is a developing system. B. Society as a dynamic system is characterized by the immutability of parts and connections between them. 1) Only A is correct; 2) only B is true; 3) both judgments are correct; 4) both judgments are incorrect. A8. Are the following statements about society true? A. Society is in a state continuous development, which allows us to characterize it as a dynamic system. B. Society in the broad sense is the entire world around a person. 1) Only A is correct; 2) only B is true; 3) both judgments are correct; 4) both judgments are incorrect. A9. Are the following statements about society true? A. Society is part of the material world. B. Society includes the ways in which people interact. 1) Only A is correct; 2) only B is true; 3) both judgments are correct; 4) both judgments are incorrect. A10. Society in the narrow sense is: 1) part of the material world; 2) productive forces; 3) natural environment; 4) stage of historical development. A11. Which of the following characterizes society as a system? 1) isolation from nature; 2) constant development; 3) maintaining a connection with nature; 4) the presence of spheres and institutions. A12. Production costs, labor market, competition characterize the sphere of society: 1) economic; 2) social; 3) political; 4) spiritual. A13. What sphere of society does religion, science, education represent: 1) economic; 2) social; 3) political; 4) spiritual. A14. Are the following statements about society true? Society can be defined as... A. separated from nature, but closely with it related part material world, which includes ways of interaction between people and forms of their association. B. an integral social organism, including large and small groups of people, as well as connections and relationships between them. 1) Only A is correct; 2) only B is true; 3) both judgments are correct; 4) both judgments are incorrect. A15. TO public relations does not include: 1) relations between in large groups of people; 2) interethnic relations and interactions; 3) the relationship between man and computer; 4) interpersonal relationships in a small group. A16. The sphere of politics is characterized by: 1) production of material goods; 2) creation of works of art; 3) organization of company management; 4) opening of new scientific directions. A17. Are the following statements true? A. Society is the population of the Earth, the totality of all peoples. B. Society is a certain group of people who unite for communication, joint activities, mutual assistance and support of each other. 1) Only A is correct; 2) only B is true; 3) both judgments are correct; 4) both judgments are incorrect. A18. Are the following statements true? A. The main thing in society as a system is the connections and relationships between parts. B. Society as a strong dynamic system is characterized by the immutability of parts and connections between them. 1) Only A is correct; 2) only B is true; 3) both judgments are correct; 4) both judgments are incorrect. A19. The sphere of public life, reflecting the interaction of classes, social strata and groups: 1) economic; 2) social; 3) political; 4) spiritual. A20. The elements of society as a system include: 1) ethnic communities; 2) natural resources; 3) ecological zones; 4) territory of the state. Part B. B1. What word is missing in the diagram? AT 2. Find social phenomena in the list below and circle the numbers under which they are listed. 1) The emergence of the state; 2) a person’s genetic predisposition to a specific disease; 3) creation of a new drug; 4) formation of nations; 5) a person’s ability to sensory perception peace. Write the circled numbers in ascending order. AT 3. Match system elements societies and the objects that characterize them. ElementsObjects1) social institutions; A) customs, traditions, rituals; 2) social norms; B) evolution, progress, regression; 3) social processes; C) conflict, consensus, compromise; 4) social relations. D) education, healthcare, family. AT 4. Indicate the positions that characterize society in the broadest sense of the word and circle the numbers under which they are indicated: 1) population largest country peace; 2) an association of chess lovers; 3) the form of joint life activity of people; 4) a part of the material world isolated from nature; 5) a certain stage in the history of mankind; 6) all of humanity as a whole in the past, present and future. Write the circled numbers in ascending order. AT 5. Correlate the areas of social life with their corresponding elements. Spheres of public lifeElements of public life1) the economic sphere of society; A) the activities of government bodies; 2) the social sphere of society; B) interethnic relations and conflicts; 3) political sphere life of society; C) production of material goods; 4) spiritual sphere of life of society. D) scientific institutions. AT 6. Find in the list the features of society as a dynamic system and circle the numbers under which they are indicated. 1) isolation from nature; 2) lack of relationship between subsystems and public institutions; 3) ability for self-organization and self-development; 4) separation from the material world; 5) constant changes; 6) the possibility of degradation of individual elements. Write the circled numbers in ascending order. Part C. C1. Explain with three examples different meanings concept of "society". Answers to Unified State Exam tests
Social science identifies a number of differences between the system of society and natural systems. Thanks to this, you can understand how the multi-level system works modern society and all spheres of society are interconnected.
Society as a complex dynamic system: the structure of society
Society is characterized as a complex system, since it includes many elements, individual subsystems and levels. After all, we cannot talk about just one society; it can also be a social group in the form social class, society within one country, human society on a global scale.
The main elements of society are its four spheres: social, spiritual, political and economic (material and production). And individually, each of these spheres has its own structure, its own elements and acts as a separate system.
For example, political sphere society includes parties and the state. And the state itself is also complex and multi-level system. Therefore, society is usually identified as a complex dynamic system.
Another characteristic of society as a complex system is the diversity of its elements. The system of society in the form of four main subsystems includes perfect And material elements. The first role is played by traditions, values and ideas, the material role is played by institutions, technical devices, equipment.
For example, economics- it is both a raw material and vehicles, And economic knowledge and rules. Another important element systems of society are the person himself.
It is his abilities, goals and paths of development, which can change, that make society a mobile and dynamic system. For this reason, society has such properties as progress, change, evolution and revolution, progress and regression.
Interrelation of economic, social, political and spiritual spheres
Society is a system of ordered integrity. This is the key to its constant functionality; all components of the system occupy inside it specific place and are linked to other components of society.
And it is important to note that individually not a single element possesses such a quality of integrity. Society is a unique result of the interaction and integration of absolutely all components of this complex system.
The state, the country's economy, and social strata of society cannot have the same quality as society itself. And multi-level connections between economic, political, spiritual and social spheres life form such a complex and dynamic phenomenon as society.
It is easy to trace the relationship, for example, between socio-economic relations and legal norms using the example of laws Kievan Rus. The code of laws indicated penalties for murder, and each measure was determined by the place a person occupies in society - by belonging to one or another social group.
Social institutions
Social institutions are considered one of the most important components society as a system.
A social institution is a collection of persons who are engaged in a specific type of activity; in the process of this activity they satisfy a certain need of society. These types of social institutions are distinguished.
In philosophy, society is defined as a “dynamic system.” The word "system" is translated from Greek language as “a whole made up of parts.” Society as a dynamic system includes parts, elements, subsystems that interact with each other, as well as connections and relationships between them. It changes, develops, new parts or subsystems appear and old ones disappear, they are modified, acquiring new forms and qualities.
Society as a dynamic system has a complex multi-level structure and includes big number levels, sublevels, elements. For example, human society on a global scale includes many societies in the form different states, which in turn consist of various social groups, and a person is included in them.
Consists of four subsystems that are fundamental to man - political, economic, social and spiritual. Each sphere has its own structure and is itself a complex system. For example, it is a system that includes a huge number of components - parties, government, parliament, public organizations and other. But government can also be viewed as a system with many components.
Each is a subsystem in relation to the whole society, but at the same time it is itself a rather complex system. Thus, we already have a hierarchy of the systems and subsystems themselves, that is, in other words, society is a complex system of systems, a kind of supersystem or, as they sometimes say, a metasystem.
Society as a complex dynamic system is characterized by the presence in its composition various elements, as material (buildings, technical systems, institutions, organizations) and ideal (ideas, values, customs, traditions, mentality). For example, the economic subsystem includes organizations, banks, transport, produced goods and services and, at the same time, economic knowledge, laws, values, and more.
Society as a dynamic system contains a special element, which is its main, system-forming element. This is a person who has free will, the ability to set a goal and choose the means to achieve this goal, which makes social systems more mobile and dynamic than, say, natural ones.
The life of society is constantly in a state of flux. The pace, scale and quality of these changes may vary; There was a time in the history of human development when the established order of things did not change fundamentally for centuries, however, over time, the pace of change began to increase. Compared with natural systems V human society quality and quantitative changes occur much faster, which suggests that society is constantly changing and developing.
Society, like any system, is an ordered integrity. This means that the elements of the system are located within it in a certain position and, to one degree or another, are connected with other elements. Consequently, society as an integral dynamic system has a certain quality that characterizes it as a single whole, having a property that none of its elements has. This property is sometimes called the non-additivity of the system.
Society as a dynamic system is characterized by another feature, which is that it is one of the self-governing and self-organizing systems. This function belongs to the political subsystem, which gives coherence and harmonious relationship all elements that form a social integral system.