Today in sociology there is no single definition of the concept of "society". Theorists argue about the features that make up this category, about the essence of the term. The search for the latter has enriched sociological science with two opposing positions regarding the main characteristic of society. T. Parsons, E. Durkheim and other supporters of the first approach argue that society is, first of all, a collection of people. E. Giddens and scientists who share his point of view prioritize the system of relationships that develop between people.
A set of people, in the absence of a community uniting them, cannot be called a society. These conditions are typical for people who lived in the natural environment in ancient times. On the other hand, the system of relations and values cannot exist independently, in the absence of bearers of these values. This means that the features identified by representatives of both approaches are integral characteristics of society. However, if values perish without carriers, then a set of people not burdened with values in the process of jointlife is able to develop its own system of relationships. Therefore, society as a sociocultural system is a set of people who, in the process of joint activity, develop a specific system of relations, which is characterized by certain values, culture.
According to the functional paradigm, society as a sociocultural system includes several components:
- Collectives are differentiated communities united by certain goals;
- Values are cultural patterns, ideas and pillars shared and upheld by members of society;
- Norms are behavioral regulators that ensure order and mutual understanding in society;
- Roles are models of individual behavior determined by the forms of their relationship with other subjects.
Society as a sociocultural system is a set of social groups and individuals whose interaction is coordinated and ordered by special social institutions: legal and social norms, traditions, institutions, interests, attitudes, etc.
Society as a socio-cultural system is not only a theoretical category, it is a living dynamic system that is in constant motion. The values of society are not static, they change as a result of the refraction of external events through the prism of the consciousness of social groups. Traditions and attitudes change, but do not cease to exist, being the most important link between people.
One of the most importantvalues of modern society is material well-being. Consumer society is the result of the development of capitalism. Mass consumption of material goods and the formation of an appropriate system of values characterize such a society. The philosophy of the members of such a society is the development of progress and the improvement of technologies to increase the volume of production of material goods.
The future of society depends on the form and quality of work of socialization institutions. Support for the institutions of the family, marriage, provision of free and public education are the most important areas that determine the prospects of each social system.
