Section A

Unit I: Introduction to Organization

Meaning of Social Organization
In sociology, a social organization is a pattern of relationships between and among individuals and social
groups.
Characteristics of social organization can include qualities such as sexual composition, spatiotemporal
cohesion, leadership, structure, division of labor, communication systems, and so on.
And because of these characteristics of social organization, people can monitor their everyday work and
involvement in other activities that are controlled forms of human interaction. These interactions include:
affiliation, collective resources, substitutability of individuals and recorded control. These interactions come
together to constitute common features in basic social units such as family, enterprises, clubs, states, etc. These
are social organizations.

What is Social Organization?

The modern civilized society is characterized by a large number of organizations. Our society in a way is an
organizational society. Social organization arises whenever people interact on a continuous basis in pursuit of
common goals. It consists of the behavior expectation that the people have toward one another as group
members.

It consists of records of observing the behavior of individuals in groups. The term organization is used in
different ways to mean different things. The term is generally used to mean “an association” and “an
associational group”.

In an organized society, there is stability and change. Stability is the condition of equilibrium among the parts of
society. It is the state of smooth functioning. During this condition; the social problems decrease in society.
Change is the dynamic condition of society. An organized society is also changing for the fulfillment of social
needs. Abrupt changes in the form of revolution disrupt the existing social order and disorganization occurs in
society.
The examples of organization can easily be understood from the organs of human body which are technically
joined together called organization of parts in human body. The parts of a table are prepared separately by the
carpenter and then fitted together in a technical order. This table is an organized body. It means organization is
arranging of parts into its whole. Similarly, social group is an organization of individuals into a social unit. The
individuals set themselves at their positions (status) and by interaction (role) they make a social group. It means
they are fitted themselves into the group according to their positions. This participation individuals into group is
social organization.
The whole society is a big organization in which individuals, groups and institutions participate. It is a vast
network of social relationship like the parts of a watch organized together. The groups fit themselves in
interaction with other groups giving shape to society by organization: The process of organization resembles
with a human body, a machine; a factory, an office, a bank and the human society.

Social Organization Definitions

There are many definition of organization. Some are given bellow:

Duncan Mitchell: “Social organization means the interdependence of parts which is essential characteristic of
all enduring collective entities, groups, communities and societies.”
Ogburn & Nimkoff. “An organization is an articulation of different parts which perform various functions, it is
an active group device for getting something done.”
Eliott and Merrill says, organization is a state of being, a condition in which the various institutions in a society
are functioning in accordance with their recognized or implied purposes.
According to H.M Johnson, organization refers to an aspect of interaction systems.
At present the term social organization is used to refer to the interdependence of parts in groups. These groups
may vary in size and nature from workers to the factories. Many sociologists prefer to use the term social
system to refer to the society as such rather than social organization.
The term is used in sociological studies and researches today to stress the importance of arrangement of parts in
which the parts of society are related to each other and how each is related to the whole society. Organization
makes possible the complex activities in which the members of a complex society participate. A small body of
organized police can control a very large crowd. A small number of men constituting themselves as a
government can rule a country.
Sometimes the word organization is used to refer to the associational groups. It includes corporations, armies,
schools, banks and prisons. The society consists of many such organizations. A state is frequently called a
political organization. A school may represent an educational organization and so on. They are all social
organizations. According to Ogburn and Nimkoff entire society represents a wider organization; a social
organization. But society is also quite generally an organized group of interacting individuals.

According to Duncan Mitchell, A dictionary of sociology,

“The interdependence of parts which is an essential characteristics of all enduring collective entities groups,
communities and societies”.
According to H.M Johnson, sociology, A systematic interaction, “Organization refers to an aspect of
interaction system.”

According to Collins Dictionary of Sociology

“A type of collectivity established for the pursuit of specific aims or goals characterized by a formal structure of
rules, authority relations, a division of labor and limited membership or admission”

According to this definition we can get some characteristics. Those are

1.  An organization is always a type of collectivity. 
2.  Each organization has some specific aims or goals. 
3. It has a formal structure of rules. 
4. There are authority relations among the member of an organization. 
5. Modern organizations have a division of labor.
6.  The membership or admission of a organization will be limited.
So, it can be said that

Other characteristics of organization

1. A definite purpose: an organization has its own definite purposes. Without any purpose or goal
individuals come together. So to be an organization it must have a specific purpose or definite role to achieve
the definite goals. 
2. Consensus among the members: the smooth running of an organization depends much on the mutual
understanding, cooperation and consensus about per and post individual in an organization is a must. 
3. Harmony between statuses and Roles: an organization is understood as a mechanism that bring
different people together into a network of interaction of perform different function. Difference of work having
the different status and roles: in an organization different people have to perform different role according to
their status or position. There must be harmony between their statuses and roles. 
4. Control of the organization: organization maintains its control over the behavior of its members and
regulates their activities. It makes use of various formal as well as informal means of social control for this
purpose. Supreme authority controls the organization through norms and regulation on institution. 
5. Norms: in an organization there must have norms and values to achieve the goal of the organization. An
organization has its own norms or rules. 
6. Specific function: in an organization different people have different type of works. According to their
ranks, everybody has specific work in the organization. 
7. Status and division of labor: by the division of labor the assignment to each unit or group are
specialized in an organization among the workers. Members of an organization have different status. 
8. Authority: authority is the power of convincing, influencing or dominating others behavior. So it is
very much important in an organization. Where there is no authority there is no organization. 
9. Bureaucracy: bureaucracy refers to the administrative aspect of the organization. It also refers to the
arrangement of the organization designed to carry out its day to day business. It is represented by a hierarchy of
officials who are assigned for performing different responsibilities and provided with different statuses and
roles. 
10. Rationality: it is very important in an organization. Here comes responsibility, systematic reliance on
knowledge in the operation of organization. 
11. Relative performance: to be an organization it should ensure the specific age of working, pension,
bonus, job security. 
12. Substitution: the unsatisfactory persons of the organization can be removed and others should be
assigned to their tasks or post. 
13. A name or other identifying symbol: we establish organization have their own names and also
symbols. The symbols of identification may be mottoes, slogans, songs, logos etc.

Relationship of Social Organization and Interaction

Social organization is the product of social interaction. Interaction among individuals, among groups, among
institutions, among classes, among members of a family create social organization. Organization means
interrelationship among members or parts which is an interaction. The members of a family become an
organized group by interaction among them. Similarly, the sections of a factory have mutual link with one
another. The parts of one thing shift from one section to other section till it is completed and then by
organization of its parts it is converted into a whole. These sections of factory interact with one another and
produce parts of a machine and then these parts organized together make a machine as a complex-whole. It is all
due to interaction among sections, groups and individuals. This production is the result of social organization.

Relationship of Social Organization and Social System

Social system is an ongoing unit developed by the interdependence of its elements. A system assigns different
functions to its elements. These elements have mutual relationship, supporting one another. These different
functions performed by different parts with the help of one another make the whole a system and this
interrelation among its parts is called organization. It means a system is the functioning of his parts. A social
system also carries an organization.
Social Interaction => Social Organization => Social System
All the above three concepts are interrelated. A family is an organized system by interaction among its
members. In a system the interaction is of higher degree than outside the system. The members of a family
create an organized group by social interaction. This group while functioning as a whole is a social system. The
members interact on the basis of their status and role. This fixes them at their respective positions” in the
family. Now the family is an organized social unit. When such an organized family functions, in a certain
situation, it is a social system.

Relationship of Social Organization, Status and Role

The individuals in a social organization perform their activities according to their social positions called status.
The activities done in an organization are called roles of the members, Even individual performs his roles
according to his status. Therefore, status and role are the basis of social participation in an organization. An
organized body if formal has its roles and status assigned to its members and offices bearers. The office-bearers
like. President, Vice-President, Secretary in an organization have their roles and status defined in the rules and
regulations of that body. United Nations Organization (U.N.O) all trade unions and professions associations are
the social organizations in which role and status of the participants are defined.

Types of Social Organizations:

Social organizations or institutions arise out of social needs and situations of members. These organizations are
the means through which individuals adjust their behaviour to environmental conditions.

Lapiere says that “social organization consists of all the ways by which men live and work together, more
especially of all the programmed, ordered and coordinated relations of the members of the society.” Social
organisations at different levels organize and give expression to collective behaviour. They coordinate and
crystallize numerous interests of individuals and groups.

Social organisations are of two broad types, namely, those which grow out of kinship and those that result from
the free and voluntary associations of members. A brief analysis of a few such organizations may be given.

Family:
It is the earliest and the most universal of all social institutions. It is also the most natural, simplest and
permanent form of social organization. In society, individuals are primarily organized into separate families and
households.
Family is generally composed of husband, wife and their children. It may be defined as a group of persons,
united either by the ties of marriage or blood relationship, having a common household, a common tradition or
culture.

The form and features of family may be different from place to place and country to country but family as a
social group exists everywhere. It may rightly be described as the keystone of the social arch. It performs a
variety of functions like biological, emotional, economic, educational and cultural.

Clan:
The members of a clan are supposed to be the descendants of common ancestors. They usually bear common
surname. They are usually found among primitive people and members act through the guidance of a chieftain.

They are associated through common social, religious and cultural ceremonies. Members practice exogamy;
they do not marry a person belonging to the same clan. All members worship a totem or a symbolic object like
cow, bull, bird etc.

Tribe:
A tribe is a wider social organization than clan and has been defined as “a social group of a simple kind, and
members of which speak a common dialect, have a common government and act together for such common
purpose as welfare.” Tribe is usually formed after a stronger clan subordinates a weaker one.

Tribe has a government with a tribal chief as its head. It is organized for military purposes and has a common
dialect and language. Though devoid of blood relationship, a tribe maintains solidarity among its members.

Community:
One way of organizing individuals on secular lines is through formation of communities and associations. A
community is defined as “the total organisation of social life within a limited area.” A community is a self-
sufficient group based on common life. The area of a community may range from narrow to very broad (even
global) limits.

Association:
MacIver defines, “An association as a group organized for the pursuit of an interest or group of interests in
common.” Associations may be of various types including kinship, religious, cultural, recreational,
philanthropic, vocational, political groups. Primarily political associations like the state and its coercive agency,
the government are part of society.
Social Groups 

Man is a social animal. He does not live in isolation. His daily life is made up largely of participating in groups.
So, men everywhere live in groups, such as family, clan, tribe, community etc. Besides it, people form group
consciously to satisfy various needs. So they live in group, natural and artificial. In short, a social group in an
aggregation of individuals in which:

a) Definite relations exist between individuals composing it and

b) Each individual is conscious of the group itself and its symbols. Viewed in this way, family, village, school,
nation, political party or trade union etc. are some of examples of groups.

Maclver and page:

“A group is any collection of human beings who are brought into social relationships with one another”.

Ogburn and Nimkoff:

“Whenever two or more individuals come together and influence one another, they may be said to constitute
social group

Reference:
https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/organization/organization-meaning-definition-concepts-and-
characteristics/53217

https://www.economicsdiscussion.net/organisation/organisation-definitions/32336

https://www.preservearticles.com/education/complete-information-on-the-characteristics-of-social-
organization-and-social-groups/18655

http://studylecturenotes.com/what-is-social-organization-meaning-definition-of-social-organization/