Social processes

Social processes are the ways in which individuals and groups interact, adjust and readjust and establish relationships and pattern of behaviour which are again modified through social interactions. ... Interaction between individuals and groups occurs in the form of social process.

1. Social Processes

2. Social p roces s es are the ways in which indiv i duals a n d groups int e ra c t, ad j ust a n d read j ust a n d es t ablish re l ationships a n d p a ttern o f b eha v iour w h ich are a gain modif i ed t h rough social int e ra c ti o ns. As Ginsb e rg says, “So c ial p r ocesses mean the various modes of int e ra c ti o n be t ween indiv i duals or groups including cooperati o n a n d confl i ct, s ocial dif f er e ntiat i on a n d int e grati o n , dev e lopm e nt, arr e st a n d d e ca y ”. Ac c ord i ng to H o rton and Hun t , “The t erm social p rocess re f ers to t h e repe t it i ve form of b ehaviour w h ich are commonly found i n s o cial lif e ”.

3. Associat i ve process e s are also called the int e grative or co n jun c tive social process e s which are es s ent i al for the int e grati o n a n d progre s s of the soci e ty. are t he fo l lowing. T h e maj o r types of associative process e s 1. C o - operat i on 2. A c commod a tion 3. Ass i m i lat i o n

4. D i ssociat i ve social process e s are also c alled the dis i ntegrat i ve or disjun c tive s ocial pro c ess e s. Altho u gh t hese pro c ess e s hinder the growth a n d dev e lopm e nt o f soci e ty, the i r absence resul t s in s tagn a ti o n of soci e ty. Few i mportant types o r dis s ociat i ve process e s are: 1) Co m pet i ti o n 2) Confl i ct

5. Cooperation: Cooperation is one of fundamental processes of social life. It is a form of social process in which two or more individuals or groups work together jointly to achieve common goals. Cooperation is the form of social interaction in which all participants benefit by attaining their goals.

6. The impossibility of solving many of our personal problems alone cause to work with others. Cooperation also results from necessity. It would be impossible to operate a modern factory, a large department store, or an educational system if the divisions and branches in each do not work together.

7. Acc o mm o dation De f ini t ion: Some of the i m portant de f init i ons of ac c om m odat i on are giv e n bel o w. (1) Maclver a n d P age de f ine that, “ Ac c om m odat i on re f ers particularly to t h e process in which m an at t ains a sense of h a rmony w ith his environm e nt . ” (3) A c cordi n g to Gill i n a n d Gill i n, “A c commod a tion is t h e pro c ess by which compet i ng and co n fl i cting i ndividuals a n d groups a djust the i r re l ationship to each other in order to ov e rcome the di f f i c u lt i es which arise in compet i ti o n, c ontravention or c onfl i ct . ” (5) In the opini o n of Bie s a n z , “In one sense, a c commodat i on is the basis of all formal social or g a n ization” It i s ev i dent from the above de f init i ons that i t is the basis of all formal social organizations.

8. It is a process through which individuals or groups make adjustment to the changed situation to overcome difficulties faced by them. Sometimes new conditions and circumstances arise in the society. Individuals have learned to make adjustment to the new situation. Thus, accommodation means adjusting oneself to the new environment.

9. Assimilation 1) Ogb u rn a n d Nim k off def i nes a ssi m ilat i on, “As t h e pro c ess whereby indiv i duals or groups on c e dis s i m ilar become s i m i lar, that is, become i dent i f i ed in t heir int e rest a nd outl o ok.” 2) In the words of Pa r k a n d B u rgess, “ A ssi m ilat i on is a process of int e rpenetrat i on and f usion in which pers o ns a nd groups a c q uire the m e mor i es, sent i m e nts a n d atti t udes of other persons or groups and, by s h a ring t h e i r e x per i ence a n d hist o ry, are i n c orporated i nto a common c u ltural li f e.”

10. Assimilation in social relationships means that the cultural differences between divergent groupings of people disappear. Thus, they come to feel; think and act similarly as they absorb new common traditions, attitudes and consequently take on a new cultural identity. We see the process operating among ethnic groups which enter a society with their own society’s culture.

11. Competition De f ini t ion There are many de f init i ons of c ompe t it i on giv e n by d i ff e rent scholars. Some of the i m portant de f init i ons giv e n bel o w: Park a nd Burgess de f ine Co m pet i ti o n as “an i nteraction without social c onta c t.” From the above def i nit i ons it may be co n cluded that compet i ti o n is a pr o cess in which indiv i duals or groups try to obtain thing or things which h a ve li m it e d su p ply a n d which they ca n not ac h i e ve or sh a re collect i ve l y.” are Horton a nd Hu n t opine t h a t, “competit i on is the s truggle for poss e ss i o n of rewards which are lim i t e d in supply, good s , status, a n d power, love a nyt h ing.” H . P. Fairc h ild stat e s that, “Compe t it i on is t h e struggle f or the use or p oss e ssion of lim i ted goods.”

12. In any society, for example, there are normally more people who want jobs than there are jobs available; hence there is competition for them. Among those who are already employed, there is likewise competition for better jobs. There is thus competition not only for bread but for luxuries, power, social, position, mates, fame and all other things not available for one’s asking.

13. Confli c t De f ini t ions: Some of the i m portant de f init i ons giv e n by t he soci o log i sts are stat e d b e l ow: Kingsley Dav i s de f ines Confl i ct, “as a m od i f i ed form of struggle.” A . W. Gr e en says, “C o nflict is the de l ib e rate atte m pt to oppos e , res i st or c o e rce the will of a n other or others.” ll i n a n d Gil l in state t h at, “ C onfl i ct is the social process in which indiv i duals or groups se e k the i r ends by d i rectly c h allenging the a n tago n ist by vio l en c e or t h reat of vi o l e n c e.”

14. As a process, it is the anti-thesis of cooperation. It is a process of seeking to obtain rewards by eliminating or weakening the competitors. It is a deliberate attempt to oppose, resist or coerce the will of another or others. Conflict is a competition in its occasional, personal and hostile forms.