HOW HUMAN

SOCIETY OPERATES
By Robert Redfield
 Submitted By -
Submitted To - Chavi Goel
Ms. Priyanka Danu Manishka Yadav
Somya Jain
Emreen Sandhu
 INDEX
What is society?
A society as people doing work
A society as people sharing convictions about the good life
A society as people feeling solidarity with one another
Warfare
The organisation of production, distribution and consumption
Property
Status, Prestige and Rank
Custom and law
Political Institutions
Religion-Adoration of Goodness
The Expressive Life: Play, Art, Ceremony, Myth
 A SOCIETY
DEFINITION OF SOCIETY
1.Society are peoples of like interests and associate each other in pursuing
those shared interest
2. It requires solidarity for the fulfillment of any shared goals and therefore
gain oneness
3.The basic point of differentiation from group of singles is that it must
also share a common objective with society.

FEATURES OF SOCIETY
1.A society encompasses established groups such as family or clans and even nation.
2. Societies override the notion of time due to culture and customs; otherwise these are
passed over long distances of generations also.
3. A society's working, a good number of the times, is based on a country's culture practices
or even its history.
 SOCIETY AS PEOPLE
WHO GO TO WORK
SYSTEM OF DIVISION OF LABOR
1. Labor must be divided in all forms of society; people do tasks based on
each other's dependability.
2. The division might base it on gender, age, training, or according to
opportunities.
3. In this century, societies are increasingly getting to be very
sophisticated roles which are specialized hence maximizing productivity
but also risk to detachment.

DIVERSITY OF ROLE OF LABOR

1. Labor roles vary considerably from one culture to another and from one society to
another (e.g., men and women).
2. In primitive societies, labor might be more uniform, while modern societies have a wide
variety of specialists.
3. Increased population and technological advancement contribute to this complexity.
EFFECT OF DIVISION OF LABOR
1. The diversity of roles increases the availability of goods and
services.
2. However, this specialization can narrow individuals'
perspectives, complicating governance and community
engagement.
3. This dependency of people on each other in the world does not
necessarily mean shared values or personal relationships.
 A SOCIETY AS PEOPLE SHARING
CONVICTIONS ABOUT THE GOOD LIFE

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF WORK

1. Work is closely related to cultural and moral values; it goes
beyond mere survival.
2. In most cultures, work is in harmony with religion or cultural
practices.
3. Work attitudes change over time and are influenced by
changing societal values.

SHARED BELIEF’S
. A society's cohesiveness depends on collective beliefs over what a good life should
be.
These collective values and beliefs are reflected through the cultural stories,
myths, and rituals.
Complex societies, therefore result in fragmentation, as each member has varying
beliefs
 A COMMUNITY AS INDIVIDUALS
FEELING SOLIDARITY WITH EACH OTHER
COMMUNITY FEELING
1. The community members feel loyalty and trust towards each other and so, a
sense of community is developed.
2. Out-groups are negatively perceived which builds up the solidarity as their
identity is in-group.

INTRA AND INTER GROUP PROCESSES

1. It causes competition with other groups or communities which may lead to a
conflict.
2. Positive attitudes among the in-group people lead to negative attitudes
toward the out-groups which impact on social interaction.

.
 WARFARE
1. Organized violence and brawls amongst groups are not considered acts of war.
2. Warfare is recognized as those military activities in which political power is extended to include culturally related
people.
3. Warfare both destroys and constructs societies.
4. Here we have taken examples of ancient Mexico, ancient Peru and East Africa.
 THE ORGANIZATION OF
PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION
AND CONSUMPTION
1. The organized ways of accomplishing the social organization of
economic activity may be called the ‘economy of that society’.
2. The ‘status economy’ is one in which the status of the person is
used for all the rights and obligations which attach to an
individual or group according to the customs of society.
3. Here we take the example of South Pacific and Melanesian
societies
1. In contrast with the status economy is the economy that depends upon the market.
2. In modern times markets have become important and ‘market competition’ has emerged.
3. Now these highly developed markets are worldwide, and the enterpriser may be an individual
or a group, or the state itself can be the principal producer while controlling the private
enterprises.
 PROPERTY
1. Role of Property Rights: Property rights define how individuals or groups can use, enjoy, or dispose
of tangible and intangible possessions, shaping societal structure
2. Influence on Society: Property affects power dynamics, social status, and motivates behaviors,
from work and ownership to conflict.
3. Types of Property: Property includes physical items (like land and tools) and intangible assets (such
as intellectual property, names, and cultural artifacts).
4. Complex Ownership: Ownership varies by society, with modern settings having complex rights and
simpler societies often using shared rights; full ownership is rare, as legal or customary restrictions
limit individual rights.

.
 STATUS, PRESTIGE
AND RANK
1. Social Structure and Roles: Society is structured around division of labor, traditional norms, and rights and
obligations tied to individuals or groups, defining each person’s “status” with specific roles and behaviors.
2. Status Relationships: Society functions as a system of status relationships, where in-groups and out-groups
have varying roles and levels of power based on factors like gender, profession, and age.
3. Age-Based Status: Age groups come with distinct rights, duties, and symbols of prestige, recognized in both
modern and traditional societies.
4. Social Classes and Mobility: Social classes create layers within society, often impacting individuals’ prestige
and access to resources; in more rigid societies, these classes resemble castes with limited social mobility.
5. Power Dynamics and Interaction: Social attitudes based on status influence intimacy levels, interaction, and
power dynamics, including notions of superiority and inferiority in social relationships.
6. Racial and Caste-Like Divisions: In racially diverse societies, racial groups may reflect social hierarchies, with
distinctions resembling caste-like separation through taboos and visible markers of difference.

4o
 CUSTOM AND LAW
1. Conformity arises from habit (custom), deeply ingrained beliefs (conscience), and practical benefits like
avoiding inconvenience or danger
2. People perform helpful acts with the understanding that others will reciprocate, creating a cooperative
social environment.
3. Society prioritizes moral convictions and duties over mere convenience or exchanges of favors.
4. Actions are regulated through sanctions, which can be internal (conscience) or external (social
disapproval).
5. When specific rules and formal consequences are defined and enforced by authority, behavior falls under
the realm of law rather than mere custom.
6. In complex societies, the primary social group (e.g., nation or tribe) monopolizes law enforcement,
solidifying the state’s role in maintaining order

.
 POLITICAL
INSTITUTIONS
1. Absence of Formal Structure in Simple Societies: In the simplest societies, like those in the Andaman
Islands, people coexist without formal political structures, leaders, or laws.
2. Emergence of Tribal Political Institutions: Some tribal groups develop political institutions like chiefs and
councils to facilitate communal decision-making and enforcement.
3. Reliance on Complex Institutions: Complex societies depend on political institutions (e.g., legislatures,
courts, executives) to establish, enforce, and interpret laws, ensuring social order.
4. Role in Conflict and Reform: Formal institutions help preserve societal rules and allow for reevaluation and
reform when conflicts or divergent views emerge.
5. Laws and Social Values: While often rooted in customs, laws influence society's moral sentiments, either
reinforcing or challenging collective values.
 RELIGION-ADORATION
OF GOODNESS
1. The Sentiments that arise within a man that prevent him/ her from doing that of
which he/she would be ashamed seems to come outside from him/her.
2. Goodness is associated with unseen powers which represent the Religion
3. Some Religions like Islam etc are concerned with how man should conduct himself/
herself in society.
4. Religion thus contributes to the operation of society through the power and authority
and sacred meanings associated with it.
 THE EXPRESSIVE LIFE :
PLAY , ART , CEREMONY, MYTH
1. People continue to live with their society by working together for their common ends, convenience of co-
operation and by the conscience of an individual.
2. There are Expressive activities that gives each society its own special character as they give special flavor
to each personality.
3. Apart from Expressive Activities, where it requires an individual to do practical actions appropriate to the
mechanical solutions of the problems.
4. There are 'Magical Activities' which are directed towards accomplishing some special limited end and done
because one desires to do them
5. Play is doing what is fun , and what is done does not have to bring about some immediate useful result.
6. Playing may help to develop in children qualities or capacities needed in their later life.
7.Art is also a kind or play which helps in expressing the ultimate values and standards of a
particular society.
8.A Ceremony is a meaningful formal act that signalizes an occasion of special importance
which could be associated with religious values such as Mass.
9.Ceremonies are basically corresponded by the Myths.
10.Myths are ways in which the institutions and expectations of the society are emphasized
and made dramatic and persuasive in narrative form.
11.So we can conclude this by saying that Work and Sanctions alone do not suffice to keep a
society in operation
THANK YOU