Healthy Living

The Role of Society in Personal and Collective Well-Being

The word society comes from the Latin societas (union); in fact, in a broad and generic sense, it means a group of individuals (men or animals) united by relationships of different types that are established within the same society.

At the anthropological level, social order depends on several factors. The simplest type of society is based on the domestic group or family, which occupies one or more dwellings and which, in turn, creates the union of domestic groups that form a village and, later in human history, a city.

Within a society, the relationship between individuals of the same group has always been determined by various factors: marriage, kinship, cohabitation, etc. Such as, for example, the systems of descent that lead to the formation of groups based on the awareness of having a common genealogical origin. Social cohesion also depends on religious and economic factors.

Indeed, to be considered as such, society has some common factors:

• Members of society share the same territory and interact with each other to satisfy needs;
• Members of the same society share cultural factors such as rites, customs, values ​​and norms, although not in a homogeneous way;
• Within society there is a form of economic organization, which is composed of norms and institutions;
• The individual who is part of a society is aware that he is part of it and identifies with it.

However, not all societies share all these characteristics, as is the case with nomads like the Inuit, who do not share the same territory and live on vast lands, or the Fulani, who have suffered many external influences.

Societies are also determined by their social structures that organize and define the relationships between the various members based on several factors that are:

• Status and social role: status corresponds to the social position of an individual within the social structure. Statuses are ascribed, that is, determined from birth and by factors independent of the individual’s will; acquired, which depend on the actions and choices of the individual, such as the profession and economic position achieved. Each status corresponds to a particular social role, which corresponds to expectations regarding the behaviour of an individual; those who belong to a social status must respect specific norms.
• Groups: the relationships between individuals determine the formation of a group in which members interact and share goals and values. Primary groups are those that have direct contact and close relationships, such as in the family; secondary groups maintain impersonal and formal relationships, such as in a workgroup; on the other hand, formal groups are defined by a socially recognized structure, in which access criteria are regulated, interaction has a specific purpose and a common goal; In contrast, informal groups are not regulated by any structure defined by the organization and are formed naturally by the need to have social contact, such as a group of friends.
• Institutions are forms of organization through which society responds to the needs of its members. Such as, for example, the school system.

In short, society is a group of people who have several of the characteristics previously mentioned. In addition, it is essential to note that culture is a factor that directly influences the construction of this since moral values ​​are fundamental for the progress of human societies.