What
Is a Society?
According to sociologists, a society is a group of people with common
territory, interaction, and culture. Social
groups consist of two or more
people who interact and identify with one another.
·
Territory: Most countries have formal boundaries and
territory that the world recognizes as theirs. However, a society’s boundaries
don’t have to be geopolitical borders, such as the one between the United
States and Canada. Instead, members of a society, as well as nonmembers, must
recognize particular land as belonging to that society.
Example: The society of the Yanomamo has fluid but definable land boundaries.
Located in a South American rain forest, Yanamamo territory extends along the
border of Brazil and Venezuela. While outsiders would have a hard time
determining where Yanomamo land begins and ends, the Yanomamo and their
neighbors have no trouble discerning which land is theirs and which is not.
·
Interaction: Members of a society must come in contact
with one another. If a group of people within a country has no regular contact
with another group, those groups cannot be considered part of the same society.
Geographic distance and language barriers can separate societies within a
country.
Example: Although Islam was practiced in both parts of the country, the
residents of East Pakistan spoke Bengali, while the residents of West Pakistan
spoke Urdu. Geographic distance, language differences, and other factors proved
insurmountable. In 1971, the nation split into two countries, with West
Pakistan assuming the name Pakistan and East Pakistan becoming Bangladesh. Within each newly formed
society, people had a common culture, history, and language, and distance was
no longer a factor.
·
Culture: People of the same society share aspects of
their culture, such as language or beliefs. Culture refers to the language, values,
beliefs, behavior, and material objects that constitute a people’s way of life.
It is a defining element of society.
Example: Some features of American culture are the English language, a
democratic system of government, cuisine (such as hamburgers and corn on the
cob), and a belief in individualism and freedom.
Pluralism
The United States is a society composed of
many groups of people, some of whom originally belonged to other societies.
Sociologists consider the United States apluralistic society, meaning it
is built of many groups. As societies modernize, they attract people from
countries where there may be economic hardship, political unrest, or religious
persecution. Since the industrialized countries of the West were the first to modernize,
these countries tend to be more pluralistic than countries in other parts of
the world.
Many people came to the United States between
the mid-nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. Fleeing poverty and
religious persecution, these immigrants arrived in waves from Europe and Asia
and helped create the pluralism that makes the United States unique.
Pluralism in the Neighborhood
Both cities and regions reflect pluralism in
the United States. Most major American cities have areas in which people from
particular backgrounds are concentrated, such as Little Italy in New York,
Chinatown in San Francisco, and Little Havana in Miami. Regionally, people of
Mexican descent tend to live in those states that border Mexico. Individuals of
Cuban descent are concentrated in Florida. Spanish-speaking people from other
Caribbean islands, such as Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, are more
likely to live in the Northeast.
Assimilation
Some practices that are common in other
societies will inevitably offend or contradict the values and beliefs of the
new society. Groups seeking to become part of a pluralistic society often have
to give up many of their original traditions in order to fit in—a process known
as assimilation.
Example: When people arrive in the United States from other countries, they most
likely speak a foreign language. As they live here, they generally learn at
least some English, and many become fluent. Their children are most likely
bilingual, speaking English as well as the language of their parents. By the
third generation, the language originally spoken by their grandparents is often
lost.
In pluralistic societies, groups do not have
to give up all of their former beliefs and practices. Many groups within a
pluralistic society retain their ethnic traditions.
Example: Although Chinese immigrants started arriving in the United States 150
years ago, Chinese-American communities still follow some traditions, such as
celebrating the Lunar New Year.
Melting Pot?
The United States is commonly referred to as
a melting pot, a society
in which people from different societies blend together into a single mass.
Some sociologists prefer the term “multicultural,” pointing out that even if a
group has been in this country for many generations, they probably still retain
some of their original heritage. The term “multiculturalism” recognizes
the original heritages of millions of Americans, noting that Americans who are
originally from other societies do not necessarily have to lose their
individual markers by melting into the mainstream.
Equality
In a truly pluralistic society, no one group
is officially considered more influential than another. In keeping with this
belief, the United States does not, for example, put a legal quota on how many
Italian Americans can vote in national elections, how many African Americans
may run for public office, or how many Vietnamese Americans can live on a
certain street. However, powerful informal mechanisms, such as prejudice and
discrimination, work to keep many groups out of the political process or out of
certain neighborhoods.
Social Plugin