1. Name any three characteristics of society as a dynamic system.
2. What socio-economic formations do Marxists identify?
3. Name three historical type society. By what Are they highlighted?
4. There is a statement: “Everything is for man. It is necessary to produce as many goods as possible for him, and for this we have to “invade” nature, violating the natural laws of its development. Either man is his well-being, or nature and her well-being.
There is no third".
What is your attitude to this judgment? Justify your answer based on knowledge of the social science course, facts of social life and personal experience.
5. Give three examples of the interconnection of global j problems of humanity.
6. Read the text and complete the tasks for it. “Gaining more and more strength, civilization often revealed a clear tendency to impose ideas through missionary activity or direct violence coming from religious, in particular Christian, traditions... Thus, civilization steadily spread across the planet, using everything possible ways and means - migration, colonization, conquest, trade, industrial development, financial control and cultural influence. Little by little, all countries and peoples began to live according to its laws or created them according to the model established by it...
The development of civilization, however, was accompanied by the flourishing of rosy hopes and illusions that could not be realized... The basis of its philosophy and its actions has always been elitism. And the Earth, no matter how generous it is, is still unable to accommodate the continuously growing population and satisfy more and more of its needs, desires and whims. That is why a new, deeper split has now emerged - between overdeveloped and underdeveloped countries. But even this rebellion of the world proletariat, which seeks to join the wealth of its more prosperous brothers, takes place within the framework of the same dominant civilization...
It is unlikely that she will be able to withstand this new test, especially now, when her own body is torn apart by numerous ailments. NTR is becoming more and more obstinate, and it is becoming more and more difficult to pacify it. Having endowed us with hitherto unprecedented power and instilled a taste for a level of life that we had never even thought about, NTR sometimes does not give us the wisdom to keep our capabilities and demands under control. And it’s time for our generation to finally understand that now the fate of not individual countries and regions, but of all humanity as a whole depends only on us.”
A. Lenchey
1) What global problems does the author highlight modern society? List two or three problems.
2) What does the author mean by stating: “Having endowed us with hitherto unprecedented power and instilled a taste for a level of life that we had never even thought about, NTR sometimes does not give us the wisdom to keep our capabilities and demands under control”? Make two guesses.
3) Illustrate with examples (at least three) the author’s statement: “The development of civilization... was accompanied by the flourishing of rosy hopes and illusions that could not come true.”
4) In your opinion, is it possible to overcome the contrast between rich and poor countries in the foreseeable future? Justify your answer.
7. Choose one of the proposed statements and express your thoughts about the problem raised in the form of a short essay.
1. “I am a citizen of the world” (Diogenes of Sinope).
2. “I am too proud of my country to be a nationalist” (J. Voltaire)
3. “Civilization does not consist of more or less sophistication. Not in the consciousness common to an entire people. And this consciousness is never subtle. On the contrary, it is quite healthy. To imagine civilization as the creation of an elite means to identify it with culture, whereas these are completely different things.” (A. Camus).
According to a common view among sociologists, society is a complex dynamic system. What does this definition mean? What characterizes society as a dynamic system?
- research of the term “dynamic system”;
- studying practical examples, reflecting the legitimacy of the definition of society under consideration.
Let us therefore study them in more detail.
What does the term "dynamic system" mean?
A dynamic or dynamic system is originally a mathematical term. In accordance with the widespread theory within this exact science, it is usually understood as a set of elements whose position in phase space changes over time.
Translated into the language of sociology, this may mean that society as a dynamic system is a collection of subjects (people, communities, institutions), whose status (type of activity) in the social environment changes over time. How valid is this statement?
In general, it fully reflects social reality. Each person acquires new statuses over time - in the course of receiving education, socialization, due to the achievement of legal personality, personal success in business, etc.
Communities and institutions also change to adapt to the social environment in which they develop. Thus, state power can be characterized by a greater or lesser level of political competition, depending on the specific conditions of the country’s development.
In the term about which we're talking about, the word “system” is present. It assumes, first of all, that the corresponding elements, characterized dynamic features, play a sustainable role. So, a person in society has civil rights and responsibilities, and the state is responsible for solving problems “at the macro level” - such as protecting borders, managing the economy, developing and implementing laws, etc.
There are other important signs of systematicity. In particular, this is self-sufficiency, a certain sovereignty. Regarding society, it can be expressed in the presence of all the institutions necessary for its functioning: law, state power, religion, family, production.
The system, as a rule, is characterized by such a property as self-control. If we talk about society, these may be mechanisms that ensure effective regulation of certain social processes. Their development is carried out at the level of the noted institutions - in fact, this is their main role.
The next indicator of systematicity is the interaction of some of its constituent elements with others. A person thus communicates with society, institutions, and individuals. If this does not happen, then it means that society is simply not formed.
We can conclude that society as a dynamic system is characterized by the following basic properties:
- there is a change in the status of its constituent elements over time;
- there is sovereignty, realized due to the presence of established key social institutions;
- self-government is realized thanks to the activities of social institutions;
- There is a constant interaction between the elements that make up society.
Let us now consider how the dynamism of society can be traced through practical examples.
Social dynamism: practical examples
We noted above that a person is able to change by mastering new knowledge and skills or, for example, achieving success in business. Thus, we have outlined one of the practical examples of dynamism in society. In this case, the corresponding property characterizes a person as an element of society. He becomes a dynamic subject. Similarly, we gave as an example the changes that characterize the activities of government authorities. Subjects of political management are also dynamic.
Social institutions can also change. Among the most indicative areas characterized by very intense dynamism is law. Laws are constantly being adjusted, supplemented, repealed, and returned. It would seem that such a conservative institution as the family should not change much - but this is also happening. Polygamy, which has existed for centuries in the East, may be experiencing significant influence Western monogamous traditions and become an exception to the rule in those countries where it is traditionally perceived as part of the cultural code.
The sovereignty of society, as we noted above, is formed as key social institutions are formed. In addition, as soon as they appear, dynamism begins to become systematic.
A person gets the opportunity to change by acting independently of people belonging to other societies. The state can adjust the mechanisms for organizing political governance without consulting, relatively speaking, with the metropolis and other entities that can have a potential influence on the authorities making certain decisions. Legal system countries can begin to regulate certain social relations based on their local specifics, and not under the influence of foreign trends.
It's one thing to have sovereignty. Using it effectively is another matter. State, legal, and public institutions must function correctly - only in this way will sovereignty be real and not formal. And only under this condition will society as a dynamic system acquire a fully systemic character.
The criteria for the quality of work of the relevant elements of society can be very different.
So, as for the institution of law, it should be characterized by: relevance (laws should not lag behind current social processes), universally binding (equality of citizens before legislative provisions), transparency (people need to understand how certain norms are adopted, and, if possible, participate in the lawmaking process).
The institution of the family must function in the interests of at least the majority of people who make up society, and ideally all citizens. Moreover, if certain guidelines are assumed to be dissimilar - for example, monogamy and polygamy, then other social institutions (law, state) should facilitate the peaceful cohabitation of people who consider themselves adherents of the corresponding principles.
And this shows the mutual influence of the elements that shape society. Many of the subjects cannot play their role in society without interaction with others. Key social institutions are always interconnected. The state and law are elements that constantly carry out communications.
A person also acts as a social subject. If only because he communicates with other people. Even if it seems to him that he is not doing this, some derivatives of personal communications will be used. For example, living on a desert island and reading a book, a person, perhaps without even knowing it, “communicates” with its author, accepting his thoughts and ideas - literally or through artistic images.
Society is a system .
What is the system? “System” is a Greek word, from ancient Greek. σύστημα - a whole made up of parts, a compound.
So, if we are talking about society as a system, then it is meant that society consists of separate but interconnected, complementary and developing parts and elements. Such elements are spheres of social life (subsystems), which, in turn, are a system for their constituent elements.
EXPLANATION:
Finding an answer to a question about society as a system, it is necessary to find an answer that contains the elements of society: spheres, subsystems, social institutions, that is, parts of this system.
Society is a dynamic system
Let's remember the meaning of the word "dynamic". It is derived from the word “dynamics”, which denotes movement, the course of development of a phenomenon, something. This development can go both forward and backward, the main thing is that it happens.
Society - dynamic system. It does not stand still, it is in constant motion. Not all areas develop equally. Some change faster, some change more slowly. But everything is moving. Even a period of stagnation, that is, a pause in movement, is not an absolute stop. Today is not like yesterday. “Everything flows, everything changes,” he said ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus.
EXPLANATION:
The correct answer to the question about society as a dynamic system there will be one in which we are talking about any kind of movement, interaction, mutual influence of any elements in society.
Spheres of public life (subsystems)
| Spheres of public life | Definition | Elements of the sphere of public life |
| Economic | the creation of material wealth, the production activities of society and the relationships that arise in the production process. | economic benefitseconomic resourceseconomic objects |
| Political | includes relations of power and subordination, management of society, activities of state, public, political organizations. | political institutionspolitical organizationspolitical ideologypolitical culture |
| Social | the internal structure of society, social groups in it, their interaction. | social groupssocial institutionssocial interactionsocial norms |
| Spiritual | includes the creation and development of spiritual goods, the development of social consciousness, science, education, religion, and art. | spiritual needsspiritual productionsubjects of spiritual activity, that is, who creates spiritual valuesspiritual values |
EXPLANATION
It will be presented at the Unified State Exam two types of tasks on this topic.
1. It is necessary to find out by the signs which area we are talking about (remember this table).
- The second type of task is more difficult when it is necessary, after analyzing the situation, to determine the connection and interaction of which spheres of social life are represented here.
Example: The State Duma adopted the Law “On Competition”.
In this case, we are talking about the relationship between the political sphere (the State Duma) and the economic sphere (the law concerns competition).
Material prepared by: Melnikova Vera Aleksandrovna
1.1 Society as a dynamic system. Approaches to defining the concept of "society"; the concepts of “system” and “dynamic system”; signs of society as a dynamic system. The concept of society. In the definition of the concept "society" in scientific literature There is a variety of approaches, which emphasizes the abstract nature of this category, and when defining it in each specific case, it is necessary to proceed from the context in which this concept is used. In the narrow sense: * primitive, slave-owning society (historical stage of human development); * French society, English society(country, state); * noble society, high society (a circle of people united by a common position, origin, interests); * sports society, society for the protection of nature (unification of people for some purpose). IN in a broad sense society refers to humanity as a whole, in its historical and future development. This is the entire population of the Earth, the totality of all peoples; society is a part isolated from nature, but closely connected with it material world, which includes ways of interaction between people and forms of their association. Thus, this definition highlights two main aspects: the connection between society and nature, and the connection between people. Further, these two aspects are specified and deepened. Society as a complex dynamic system. The second aspect of the concept of “society” (the ways of interaction between people and the forms of their association) can be understood using such a philosophical category as a dynamic system. The word "system" is of Greek origin and means a whole made up of parts, a totality. A system is usually called a set of elements that are in relationships and connections with each other, forming a certain integrity, unity. Each system includes interacting parts: subsystems and elements. Society is one of the complex systems (the elements that form it and the connections between them are extremely numerous), open (interacting with external environment), material (really existing), dynamic (changing, developing as a result internal reasons and mechanisms). Of all these characteristics, the examination tasks specifically examine the position of society as a complex dynamic system. Society as a complex system consists of many elements, which, in turn, can be combined into subsystems. The subsystems (spheres) of social life are: * economic (production, distribution and consumption of material goods, as well as corresponding relations); * social (relations between classes, estates, nations, professional and age groups, activities to ensure social guarantees); * political (relations between society and the state, between the state and political parties); * spiritual (relations that arise in the process of creating spiritual values, their preservation, distribution, consumption). Each sphere of public life, in turn, is a complex formation; its elements provide insight into society as a whole. The most important element of society are social institutions (family, state, school), which are a stable set of people, groups, institutions, whose activities are aimed at performing specific social functions and are built on the basis of certain ideal norms, rules, and standards of behavior. Institutions exist in politics, economics, and culture. Their presence makes people's behavior more predictable and society as a whole more stable. Thus, having specified the second aspect of the concept of “society,” we can say that social relations are diverse connections that arise between social groups, classes, nations (as well as within them) in the process of economic, social, political, cultural life and activities of society. Dynamism social system implies the possibility of its change and development. A change in a social system is a transition of society from one state to another. A change during which an irreversible complication of society occurs is called social or community development. There are two factors of social development: 1) Natural (the influence of geographical and climatic conditions on the development of society). 2) Social (the reasons and starting points of social development are determined by society itself). The combination of these factors predetermines social development. There are different ways of development of society: * evolutionary (gradual accumulation of changes and their naturally determined nature); * revolutionary (characterized by relatively rapid changes, subjectively directed on the basis of knowledge and action). Unified State Exam tests on the topic: "Society as a dynamic system." Part A. A1. Unlike nature, society: 1) is a system; 2) is in development; 3) acts as a creator of culture; 4) develops according to its own laws. A2. A part of the material world that is isolated from nature, but closely connected with it, which includes ways of interaction between people and forms of their unification, is called: 1) people; 2) culture; 3) society; 4) by the state. A3. Society in the broad sense of the word refers to: 1) the entire world around us; 2) a set of forms of association of people; 3) groups in which communication takes place; 4) interactions between people in everyday life. A4. The concept of “society” includes: 1) natural habitat; 2) forms of association of people; 3) the principle of immutability of elements; 4) the surrounding world. A5. The concepts of “development” and “interaction of elements” characterize society as: 1) a dynamic system; 2) part of nature; 3) all surrounding a person material world; 4) a system not subject to change. A6. Are the following statements about society true? A. Society, like nature, is a dynamic system, the individual elements of which interact with each other. B. Society, together with nature, forms the material world surrounding man. 1) Only A is correct; 2) only B is true; 3) both judgments are correct; 4) both judgments are incorrect. A7. Are the following statements about society true? A. Society is a developing system. B. Society as a dynamic system is characterized by the immutability of parts and connections between them. 1) Only A is correct; 2) only B is true; 3) both judgments are correct; 4) both judgments are incorrect. A8. Are the following statements about society true? A. Society is in a state of constant development, which allows us to characterize it as a dynamic system. B. Society in the broad sense is the entire world around a person. 1) Only A is correct; 2) only B is true; 3) both judgments are correct; 4) both judgments are incorrect. A9. Are the following statements about society true? A. Society is part of the material world. B. Society includes the ways in which people interact. 1) Only A is correct; 2) only B is true; 3) both judgments are correct; 4) both judgments are incorrect. A10. Society in the narrow sense is: 1) part of the material world; 2) productive forces; 3) natural environment; 4) stage of historical development. A11. Which of the following characterizes society as a system? 1) isolation from nature; 2) constant development; 3) maintaining a connection with nature; 4) the presence of spheres and institutions. A12. Production costs, labor market, competition characterize the sphere of society: 1) economic; 2) social; 3) political; 4) spiritual. A13. What sphere of society does religion, science, education represent: 1) economic; 2) social; 3) political; 4) spiritual. A14. Are the following statements about society true? Society can be defined as... A. a part of the material world isolated from nature, but closely connected with it, which includes ways of interaction between people and forms of their association. B. an integral social organism, including large and small groups of people, as well as connections and relationships between them. 1) Only A is correct; 2) only B is true; 3) both judgments are correct; 4) both judgments are incorrect. A15. Social relations do not include: 1) relations between large groups of people; 2) interethnic relations and interactions; 3) the relationship between man and computer; 4) interpersonal relationships in a small group. A16. The sphere of politics is characterized by: 1) production of material goods; 2) creation of works of art; 3) organization of company management; 4) opening of new scientific directions. A17. Are the following statements true? A. Society is the population of the Earth, the totality of all peoples. B. Society is a certain group of people who come together to communicate, joint activities, mutual assistance and support for each other. 1) Only A is correct; 2) only B is true; 3) both judgments are correct; 4) both judgments are incorrect. A18. Are the following statements true? A. The main thing in society as a system is the connections and relationships between parts. B. Society as a strong dynamic system is characterized by the immutability of parts and connections between them. 1) Only A is correct; 2) only B is true; 3) both judgments are correct; 4) both judgments are incorrect. A19. The sphere of public life, reflecting the interaction of classes, social strata and groups: 1) economic; 2) social; 3) political; 4) spiritual. A20. The elements of society as a system include: 1) ethnic communities; 2) natural resources; 3) ecological zones; 4) territory of the state. Part B. B1. What word is missing in the diagram? AT 2. Find social phenomena in the list below and circle the numbers under which they are listed. 1) The emergence of the state; 2) a person’s genetic predisposition to a specific disease; 3) creation of a new drug; 4) formation of nations; 5) a person’s ability to sense the world. Write the circled numbers in ascending order. AT 3. Correlate the systemic elements of society and the objects that characterize them. ElementsObjects1) social institutions; A) customs, traditions, rituals; 2) social norms; B) evolution, progress, regression; 3) social processes; C) conflict, consensus, compromise; 4) social relations. D) education, healthcare, family. AT 4. Indicate the positions that characterize society in the broadest sense of the word and circle the numbers under which they are indicated: 1) the population of the largest country in the world; 2) an association of chess lovers; 3) the form of joint life activity of people; 4) a part of the material world isolated from nature; 5) a certain stage in the history of mankind; 6) all of humanity as a whole in the past, present and future. Write the circled numbers in ascending order. AT 5. Correlate the areas of social life with their corresponding elements. Spheres of public lifeElements of public life1) economic sphere life of society; A) activities of government bodies; 2) social sphere life of society; B) interethnic relations and conflicts; 3) political sphere of life of society; C) production of material goods; 4) spiritual sphere of life of society. D) scientific institutions. AT 6. Find in the list the features of society as a dynamic system and circle the numbers under which they are indicated. 1) isolation from nature; 2) lack of relationship between subsystems and public institutions; 3) ability for self-organization and self-development; 4) separation from the material world; 5) constant changes; 6) the possibility of degradation of individual elements. Write the circled numbers in ascending order. Part C. C1. Explain with three examples different meanings concept of "society". Answers to Unified State Exam tests
Compared to natural systems, human society is more susceptible to qualitative and quantitative changes. They happen faster and more often. This characterizes society as a dynamic system.
A system that is constantly in a state of motion is called dynamic. It develops, changing its own traits and characteristics. One such system is society. A change in the state of society can be caused by outside influence. But sometimes it is based on the internal need of the system itself. A dynamic system has a complex structure. It consists of many sublevels and elements. On a global scale, human society includes many other societies in the form of states. States constitute social groups. Unit public group is a person.
Society constantly interacts with other systems. For example, with nature. It uses its resources, potential, etc. Throughout human history, the natural environment and natural disasters have not only helped people. Sometimes they hindered the development of society. And they even became the cause of his death. The nature of interaction with other systems is shaped by the human factor. It is usually understood as a set of such phenomena as will, interest and conscious activity individuals or social groups.
Characteristic signs society as a dynamic system:
- dynamism (change of the whole society or its elements);
- a complex of interacting elements (subsystems, social institutions, etc.);
- self-sufficiency (the system itself creates conditions for existence);
- integration (the interconnection of all components of the system); - self-control (the ability to respond to events outside the system).
Society as a dynamic system consists of elements. They can be material (buildings, technical systems, institutions, etc.). And intangible or ideal (actually ideas, values, traditions, customs, etc.). Thus, the economic subsystem consists of banks, transport, goods, services, laws, etc. A special system-forming element is a person. He has the ability to choose, has free will. As a result of the activities of a person or group of people, large-scale changes can occur in society or its individual groups. It does social system more mobile.
The pace and quality of changes occurring in society may vary. Sometimes established orders exist for several hundred years, and then changes occur quite quickly. Their scale and quality may vary. Society is constantly evolving. It is an ordered integrity in which all elements are in a certain relationship. This property is sometimes called the non-additivity of the system. Another feature of society as a dynamic system is self-government.
society as a complex dynamic system(choose)
The most common understanding of society is associated with the idea of it as a group of people united by certain interests. So, we are talking about a society of philatelists, about a society for nature conservation, often by society they mean the circle of friends of this or that person, etc. Not only the first, but even people’s scientific ideas about society were similar. However, the essence of society cannot be reduced to a collection of human individuals. It must be sought in the connections and relationships that arise in the process of joint activity of people, which is non-individual in nature and acquires power beyond the control of individual people. Social relations are stable, constantly repeated and underlie the formation of various structural parts, institutions, and organizations of society. Social connections and relationships turn out to be objective, dependent not on specific person, but from other, more fundamental and fundamental forces and principles. Thus, in antiquity such a force was assumed to be the cosmic idea of justice, in the Middle Ages - the personality of God, in modern times - a social contract, etc. They seem to organize and cement the diverse social phenomena, impart movement and development (dynamics) to their complex set.
Because of diversity social forms and the phenomena of society are trying to explain economic sciences, history, sociology, demography and many other sciences about society. But identifying the most general, universal connections, fundamental foundations, primary causes, leading patterns and trends is the task of philosophy. It is important for science to know not only what social structure of this particular society, what classes, nations, groups, etc. are active, what are their social interests and needs, or what economic orders dominate in a particular period of history. Social science is also interested in identifying what unites all existing and possible future societies, what are the sources and driving forces social development, its leading trends and basic patterns, its direction, etc. It is especially important to consider society as a single organism or systemic integrity, the structural elements of which are in more or less orderly and stable relationships. In them one can even distinguish relations of subordination, where the leading one is the connection between material factors and ideal formations of social life.
In social science, several fundamental views on the essence of society are known, the differences between which lie in the identification of various leading elements in this dynamic system. structural elements. The sociopsychological approach to understanding society consists of several postulates. Society is a collection of individuals and a system of social actions. People's actions are comprehended and determined by the physiology of the body. The origins of social action can be found even in instincts (Freud).
Naturalistic concepts of society are based on the leading role of natural, geographical and demographic factors in the development of society. Some determine the development of society by rhythms solar activity(Chizhevsky, Gumilyov), others - by the climatic environment (Montesquieu, Mechnikov), and still others - by the genetic, racial and sexual characteristics of a person (Wilson, Dawkins, Scheffle). Society in this concept is viewed somewhat simplistically, as a natural continuation of nature, having only biological specificity, to which the features of the social are reduced.
In the materialist understanding of society (Marx), people are connected into a social organism by productive forces and production relations. The material life of people, social existence determine all social dynamics - the mechanism of functioning and development of society, the social actions of people, their spiritual and cultural life. Social development in this concept acquires an objective, natural-historical character and appears as a natural change in socio-economic formations, certain stages world history.
All these definitions have something in common. Society is a stable association of people, the strength and consistency of which lies in the power that permeates all social relations. Society is a self-sufficient structure, the elements and parts of which are in a complex relationship, giving it the character of a dynamic system.
IN modern society are happening qualitative changes public relations And social connections between people, expanding their space and compressing their time. Universal laws and values cover everything larger number people, and events occurring in a region or remote province influence world processes, and vice versa. The emerging global society simultaneously destroys all boundaries and, as it were, “compresses” the world.
