Module 4A - The Human Person in Society: The Formation In this society, roles and responsibilities are more clearly
and Kinds of Society defined with many tasks assigned according to gender.
Similar to the pastoral society, there is also a surplus of goods,
Introduction which sometimes leads to inequalities among its members.
The human person exists to relate with others. The person, is by Agrarian or agricultural society – This type of society is a further
nature, a social being because he or she has a tendency to go out evolution of the pastoral and horticultural societies. Agriculture is
of himself or herself to form bonds and relationships with others. involved in the large-scale and long-term cultivation of crops and
Throughout a person’s life, he or she experiences a variety of domestication of animals. This society is characterized by
relationships that help shape him or her as a person. Infants, first improved technology and the use of tools to aid in farming.
related with their immediate family and guardians as the source of Improved technology and farming methods result in increased
basic needs. As they grow, they expand their horizons and start production, giving rise to a growing population in agricultural
relating with people who are not part of their immediate family. societies to a more structured social system that helps manage
They establish friendships beginning in their childhood and into resources and its members. The increasingly complex social
their teenage and adult years. They also learn how to deal with organization and growing importance of territory often result in
other figures of authority aside from their parents or guardians. As conflicts among neighboring societies over resources and land.
we grow into adulthood, our relationships and responsibilities also
change because we play more significant roles in the communities Feudal society – A feudal society is based on the ownership of
we live in. land. Feudal societies arouse out of developments in western
Europe during Medieval time, when kingdoms were engaged in
A. What is a Society? What Drives Human Beings to Establish conflict over resources, particularly land. In a feudal society, rules
Societies? grant their followers or vassals the right to manage parcels of land.
These vassals, in turn, are served by peasant workers who
The tendency to form groups is not exclusive to human beings. cultivate the land and tend to the animals in the farms. In return for
Other animals also form groups for mutual protection and survival. their services, they are provided with military protection. Members
Humans, however, are the only beings capable of establishing a of society are organized based on status. Those who own land are
society, which is an organized group of people whose considered the most powerful and influential members of society,
members interact frequently and have a common territory and while the peasants are considered the lowest group. Social
culture. Society also refers to a companionship or friendly relations are characterized by dependence. The lord depends on
association with others, an alliance, a community, or a union. his vassals to provide him with resources, the vassals depend on
the peasants for their service, while the peasants depend on their
Philosophers consider society the product of deliberate actions by vassal protection.
individuals who come together in pursuit of a common goal. An agrarian and feudal society gives rise to individuals who value
Society is considered unique among all other groups because of relations among family members and with other members in the
the nature of the humans that compose it, as well as the community. People are often very conscious of their place within
relationships among its members. As individual persons, society and are mindful of the hierarchy. People who belong to the
members of society are able to transform themselves and “higher classes” are treated with respect by the members of the
attain development through their interactions within society. community. They are often traditional and are resistant to social
In turn, humans are also able to influence society through change, preferring to maintain the way things are in their
their actions. community.
B. Different Forms of Societies. Industrial society – An industrial society is based on the use
of specialized machinery in the production of goods and
The development of societies throughout history shows the services. The advances in science and technology in the late 18th
development of humankind in response to changing surroundings century resulted in the Industrial Revolution, which in turn gave
and historical developments. The various forms of societies that rise to new production and industrial methods, as well as
emerged include the following: innovations in transportation and communication. These
technological advances resulted in improved trade and commerce
Hunting and gathering society – This is recognized as the and better life conditions, for many people. Work is done in
earliest and simplest form of society. It is generally characterized factories and public education is more prevalent. However, the
by its small size and is composed mainly of families. They are emergence of industrial societies is characterized by greater
nomadic because they spend most of their time searching for inequalities in wealth, power, and influence. Industrial societies
food and thus, have no permanent territory. are often defined by nature of work and the prevailing industry in
an area. The capitalists or business owners are considered the
Pastoral society – This type of society is characterized by the most influential. This type of society is also characterized by
domestication of animals for food for a more stable and cultural diversity and the presence of bureaucratic forms of
predictable food supply. Pastoral communities have larger organization.
populations than hunting and gathering societies and remain
longer in one place. In addition, pastoral societies often Post – Industrial society – The post-industrial society is
produce surplus food and resources, which they trade with marked by the establishment of societies based on
other societies. This relative prosperity enables the people to knowledge, information, and the sale of services. Led by the
engage in other activities apart from those necessary for survival, human mind and aided by highly advanced technology, the
such as handicrafts. This eventually leads to the emergence of trend has shifted from industry to the generation, storage,
specialized tasks in the community. manipulation, and sale of information. Information influences
the behavior of people and has thus become a very important
Horticultural society – A horticultural society primarily engages in commodity in the post-industrial society. Members of this
the small- scale cultivation of plants, fruits, and vegetables and the society have higher educational attainment, better training, and
domestication of animals. Horticultural societies are semi- specialized roles. The virtual society, where people organize
nomadic, which means that they travel to another place when themselves through communication technology and the Internet, is
they have already depleted the resources in one area. a product of post-industrial society. Individuals in a virtual
society often engage in complex relationships. They often
have fluid identities and do not necessarily subscribe to
certain norms or established standards of behavior. The emergence of industrial societies transformed human
freedom allowed in virtual worlds means that a person is able relations, as interactions in the workplace. Virtual societies
to engage in various activities, as well as access various have brought about another great transformation in human
kinds of information. relations, as improved communication technologies make it
C. How society influence the development as person? possible for people from faraway places from diverse
backgrounds and varied societies to interact and establish
It can be said that you cannot think of a person outside of close ties with each other.
society and you cannot think of a society without persons. Important Terminologies
The person and the society have a very dynamic
relationship in which one cannot exist without the Agrarian or agricultural society – a society that features
other. Because of this reality, it is important to consider large-scale and long-term cultivation of crops and
society’s role in the growth and development of a person, domestication of animals.
and the person’s role in transforming society. Feudal society – a society that is based on the ownership
of land. In this society, those who own land are considered
Society influences our development as persons in various most powerful and influential.
ways. Society is the backdrop by which we adopt the Horticultural society – engages in the small- scale
prevailing culture, identity, values, ideas, and knowledge of cultivation of plants, fruits, and vegetables and the
the persons, groups, and communities that surround us. domestication of animals.
Society shapes all individuals that are part of it, though each Hunting and gathering society – the earliest and simplest
person is influenced by society in different ways. form of society and generally small in size and is composed
of families.
Society influences the interactions of its members through Industrial society – specialized used of machinery in the
the establishment of norms, which are a set of traits production of goods and services.
and behavior that society considers acceptable, and are Norms – are set of traits and behaviour that society
thus encouraged and passed on to other members. considers acceptable and are encouraged and passed on to
other members.
Society, through the establishment of norms, can also Pastoral society – is characterized by the domestication of
influence knowledge and ideas. For instance, if the traffic animals for food.
light flashes red, what does it mean? We all know that the Post –Industrial society – based on knowledge,
red light means stop, but who established that the color red information, and the sale of services. Social role – are
will be a universal signal for STOP on the road? We have actions and behaviours expected for a certain individual in
learned to accept the statement “the read traffic light means society.
stop” as truth because society has established that fact and Social system – is an organized or patterned set of
we have been exposed to it since we were young. Now, relationships among individuals and groups that compose a
imagine that tomorrow, the traffic signals get switched – red society.
now means go, green means caution, and yellow means Social values – are actions that considered important by
stop. What do you think will happen in the streets? Now, society.
think of all the rules and traditions that have been in place in Society – is an organized group of people whose members
our society for a long time. How have these rules influenced interact frequently and have a common territory and culture.
our knowledge? What rule in our society would result in
chaos if it were changed? Module 4B - The Human Person in Society: Social Interaction
and Social Systems
Laws are more formal and stringent norms that
establish and define acceptable behavior of citizens. Introduction
Folkways are less formal norms that arise from tradition
and do not result in punishment when violated. During the Enlightenment, social philosophers pondered on
the natural laws that govern human societies, and in their
Norms, laws, and other rules that regulate human discussions, several philosophers put forth their theories
interactions give rise to a social system, which is an regarding the formation of societies.
organized or patterned set of relationships among Enlightenment philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John
individuals and groups that compose a society. Members of Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau were among the most
society act and interact with an established social system. prominent social theorists who tackled the origins of human
Each member is assigned a social role, which are actions society. To fully understand the true character of
and behaviors expected for a certain individual. Individuals society, they imagined humans as living in a so called
who share similar backgrounds or perform similar roles are “nature state,” removed from modernity and
grouped together into social groups and social classes. civilization.
Certain groups that perform vital functions in society are
recognized as social institutions, and these include the A. Social Contract and the Natural State
family, school, government, and religion.
For Thomas Hobbes, people in their natural states are
Society also transforms human relations, which leads to the governed by their desires and these often lead to
transformation of its members. The historical development conflict with their fellowmen. Society, therefore, is the
of society has brought about significant changes in the way means by which people seek to control their natural
human beings relate to each other. Early societies were tendencies and impose order. Individuals who establish
initially centered on the family and the clan. But the societies enter into a “social contract” – an agreement
where individuals sacrifice an amount of their freedom because they have a goal to achieve. Fourth, the
and submit to a higher authority. In this way, society is relationship is mediated by shared symbols.
able to function and meet the needs of many, ensuring
the survival of humanity. Social systems are regarded as open systems. That is, the
individuals in a social system have regular interactions with
their environing systems (or the external environment). The
John Locke proposed his own ideas on social contract with environing systems include cultural and personality
a different assumption. Unlike Hobbes, Locke considered systems, behavioral and other systems of the organism, and
persons in their natural states as more cooperative and the physical environment.
reasonable, and that society is formed through the
consent of the individuals that organized it. This
concept is known as the consent of the governed.
Democracy
Locke’s social contract is a covenant among individuals to
cooperate and share the burden of upholding the welfare of
society. Also, the authority established to rub society
should reflect the ideals of the people who organized it.
Should this authority fail to uphold its obligation or live
up to the ideals of the people, it will be discarded and
replaced with a new one.
Jean Jacques Rousseau’s ideas on the social contract led
him to advocate the concept of the “general will”. General
Will means individual should surrender their individual
desires and work towards what’s best for the society as
a whole. Rousseau believed that even if the people are the
ones who organized society and established an authority or
government, in extreme cases, the government is able to
impose its will on the people. This is based on the
assumption that the people have empowered the
government to act on their behalf, and that is
considered to be the best judge of what is most
beneficial for society.
Although there are variations on the social contract theory,
perhaps one common feature they all have is the fact that
the different individuals enter into a kind of agreement with
one another to form a society. Individual members put aside
their self-interest in order to create a community where they
may live in harmony with others. It is important to note that
in a society, one is not compromised for the sake of the
other; the individual is not in any way violated for the sake
of the community and vice versa. Only a society which
endures the development of the individual and his or her
community may be considered a proper and humanizing
society.
B. Social System
A social system is an organized or patterned set of
relationships among individuals and groups of society.
It consists of a group of individual actors interacting with
each other in a situation that has at least a physical or
environmental aspect. These actors are motivated in
terms of tendency toward “optimization of gratification”
and whose relations to their situations, including to
each other, is defined and mediated in terms of system
of culturally structured and shared symbols.
There are four factors that make up a social system and the
relationships involved in forming it. First, a social system is
composed of two or more individuals, which are called
actors. Second, the actors interact with one another
physically or in an environment. Third, the interaction is
goal-directed, which means that they are interacting