Social organization

Society

2022

We explain what social organization is, its characteristics, types and examples. Also, what is political organization.

Social organization depends on different cultural patterns and historical context.

What is social organization?

In sociology, the social organization is the set of relations that occur between individuals in a society and/or the different groups social of it. These relationships are intended to achieve a goal common and occur according to different cultural, political or even sexual patterns, depending on their historic context.

On the other hand, social organizations are the different ways of institutionalizing or formalizing these aforementioned relationships, in such a way that they form human groups oriented in a particular way towards a goal.

In other words, social organization (in general) allows the construction of specific social organizations (in particular). For example, Business they are social organizations oriented towards the production of goods and services, typical of the contemporary capitalist world.

The social organization, in any case, varies enormously throughout the ages, and this translates into a continuous change in the social organizations that are formed every day.

Social organization was a determining element in the evolution of our species, by allowing the formation of highly structured human groups, with dynamics of cooperation, coordination and division of labor. That is, in fact, an important distinction between the humanity and the other animal species, whose degrees of organization tend to be low and/or restricted to small groups of individuals.

On the other hand, humanity has developed throughout its history a great capacity for social organization, which allows it to complete enormous tasks through joint individual effort and synergistic. In this way, the relationships within an organized group become interdependent on each other, weaving a network of aspirations and energies that the administration deals with channeling and leading.

Characteristics of social organizations

In general terms, social organizations are characterized by:

  • They are human groups of different sizes, within which there are relationships determined, interdependent and hierarchical.
  • They are basically systems or patterns that are inserted in a larger system: human society, and that have a specific purpose, a goal.
  • They are changing over time, that is, they are characteristic of a specific historical moment. Although some have lasted for a long time, such as the family, they have not done it in the exact same way or constituted in the same way.
  • They can be of highly variable type and complexity.

The relationships established between its individuals can be:

Types of social organizations

Political organizations seek to change or preserve aspects of society.

In general terms, taking into account the way in which interpersonal relationships take place within it, we can distinguish the following types of social organizations:

  • Formal, when their relationships are made official and ruled by a document that collects them and makes them public knowledge.
  • Informal, when their internal dynamics are not included in any document or have been formally made official, but instead follow internal rules.

In addition, according to the mission pursued by individuals, we can talk about:

  • With profit, when the synergy of its individuals pursues the generation of wealth.
  • For social purposes, when the synergy of its individuals pursues the wellness of the majority of the population (especially those who are not part of the group).
  • For political purposes, when the synergy of its individuals pursues organizational purposes, that is, it seeks to change or preserve certain aspects of current society.
  • For recreational purposes, when the synergy of its individuals simply pursues the entertainment of the same or of third parties.

Examples of social organization

As an example of social organizations, we can cite the following:

  • The family, basis of society since Neolithic times.
  • The religion, capable of associating individuals with very different interests in the same worldview and giving them a sacred purpose.
  • The Condition, understood as the collective organization for the common welfare that is governed by a model of authority and of law.
  • The Business, typical of the modern production model, are associations of individuals in order to generate consumer goods and services, and with their sale generate wealth.
  • The nations, understood as "imagined communities", that is, ways of associating large communities of individuals around a shared founding story and a deep sense of belonging patrimonial.

Political organization

The political organization of a society is determined by the way in which it chooses to lead its own State, that is, in the way in which collective decisions are made and in which power is exercised. can within a human community.

For example, political organization can be understood as the way in which institutions are arranged and power is distributed:

  • The monarchy absolutist delivers it to an all-powerful sovereign, whose successors inherit the position.
  • The republic distribute it among three public powers that control each other: the executive (the political command), the legislative (the making of laws) and the judicial (the exercise of Justice). In this sense, we speak of two very different political organizations.

It is also common to use the term “political organization” to refer to political parties, electoral coalitions, and other forms of association for political or proselytizing purposes.

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