Social System

A System is any collection of real objects that interact in some way with one another.
Examples: a galaxy a football team a political party

Characteristics of a System
System is orderly arrangement of parts. System possess internal as well external boundaries. One system can be a subsystem of any other system. System is applicable in organic realities as well as inorganic realities.

Origin of Social System

In 18th century Organic (Biological) researches by Walter B and L.J. Anderson revealed importance of interrelationships of parts or organs in human body. This idea led social scientists to consider society as a system. Montesquieu, a jurisprudence student, stated that all the features of social life are united in a coherent whole.

 Montesquieu, showed that society is connected with political constitution, economic life, religion, climate, size of population, customs, traditions, and all other social factors.

Social System
It is a system constituted by interactions of plurality of individual actors, whose relations are mutually oriented [i.e. are defined and maintained by a system of cultural structure and shared expectations]. Simply we can say: Social system is patterned interaction of society

Characteristics of Social System

2 or more individuals with established pattern of interactions. Individual in their actions take account of how others are expected to act, react or behave. Behavior of individuals is governed by shared values and norms. A System may have subsystems. It has its own boundaries that distinguish it from other systems.

Elements of a Social System

1. Social Act - The action or (expected) response to an action is social act. - Actors in social system have system of expectations, related to his own needarrangements. - Social act is Orientational Act when actor actually actuates the plan into action. - Social act is Gratificational Act when actor gets result of his interactions.

Elements of a Social System

2. Actor - Actors are the participants in society and they are compulsory to social acts. - The individual who holds a status and performs a role is actor in society.

Elements of a Social System

3. Role and Status - The participation in social system is made through Roles and status, which direct the process of interactive relationship. - Role denotes the functional significance of an actor. - Status denotes the place of an actor in the social system.

Elements of Social Act

Actor (ego, perseverance, nostalgia) End (desired state of affairs) Conditions (Obstacles) Means (application)

Mechanism of Social System

1. Mechanism of Socialization It is an ongoing process in which individuals learns to adjust himself in social situations. 2. Mechanism of Social Control It is mechanism whereby society moulds individuals to conform the approved pattern of social behavior, with reward or punishment.

Levels of Social System

Groups Organizations Society Supra-Natural Systems

Typology of Social Actions

Max Weber divided social action into 4 categories:
Zwekrational action Wertrational action Emotional action Traditional action