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Society

A society (/səˈsəti/) is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societies are characterized by patterns of relationships (social relations) between individuals who share a distinctive culture and institutions; a given society may be described as the sum total of such relationships among its constituent members.

For other uses, see Society (disambiguation).

Human social structures are complex and highly cooperative, featuring the specialization of labor via social roles. Societies construct roles and other patterns of behavior by deeming certain actions or concepts acceptable or unacceptable—these expectations around behavior within a given society are known as societal norms. So far as it is collaborative, a society can enable its members to benefit in ways that would otherwise be difficult on an individual basis.


Societies vary based on level of technology and type of economic activity. Larger societies with larger food surpluses often exhibit stratification or dominance patterns. Societies can have many different forms of government, various ways of understanding kinship, and different gender roles. Human behavior varies immensely between different societies; humans shape society, but society in turn shapes human beings.

Etymology and usage[edit]

The term "society" often refers to a large group of people in an ordered community, in a country or several similar countries, or the 'state of being with other people', e.g. "they lived in medieval society."[1] The term dates back to at least 1513 and comes from the 12th-century French societe (modern French société) meaning 'company'.[2] Societe was in turn derived from the Latin word societas ('fellowship,' 'alliance', 'association'), which in turn was derived from the noun socius ("comrade, friend, ally").[2]

Characteristics[edit]

Norms and roles[edit]

Social norms are shared standards of acceptable behavior by groups.[62][63] Social norms, which can both be informal understandings that govern the behavior of members of a society, as well as be codified into rules and laws,[64] are powerful drivers of human behavior.[65]


Social roles are norms, duties, and patterns of behavior that relate to an individual's social status.[66] In functionalist thought, individuals form the structure of society by occupying social roles.[10] According to symbolic interactionism, individuals use symbols to navigate and communicate roles.[67] Erving Goffman used the metaphor of a theater to develop the dramaturgical lens, which argues that roles provide scripts that govern social interactions.[67]