Understanding society as an association of subjects social action, within which there is a more or less constant and stable mutual influence and interaction, society seems to us already as a certain system. A system is understood as a set of interacting elements, within which a change in one element entails a change in others, and the system as a whole acquires a new (systemic) quality that is not reducible to the sum of the properties of its elements. Mechanical, physical, chemical, biological and social systems are known. The main features of any system are: integrity, structure, hierarchy, interdependence of elements.

Society is a highly complex system. At the level of society, individual actions, connections and relationships acquire a new quality - a systemic one, which no longer allows us to consider society as a simple sum of elements. This systemic quality is not present in any of the elements included in society separately.

The social system is a set of social phenomena and processes that are in relationships and connections with each other and form a certain social object.

Society (society) as a social system has the following characteristics:

1) society is an open system

2) it is a self-organizing system

3) it is a cumulative system (i.e. a system “with memory”, the role of which is culture)

4) this Information system

The systematic approach to the analysis of society is complemented deterministic: society as an integral system consists of subsystems - demographic, environmental, economic, political, etc. Each of these subsystems can be considered separately as an independent system. The relationships between these subsystems are determined by cause-and-effect relationships. These subsystems form a hierarchical structure, i.e. are in a relationship of subordination (we can talk about environmental, technological, demographic, economic, etc. determinism).

The deterministic approach to society is complemented functional. Basic principles of the functional approach formulated by G. Spencer:

Ø society is an integral, unified organism, consisting of many parts (economic, political, religious, military);

Ø each part can exist only within the framework of integrity, where it performs strictly defined functions;

Ø functions mean satisfying any social need, all together they are aimed at maintaining the sustainability of society;

Ø the more different the functions are, the more difficult it is for other parts to compensate for the dysfunction of any one part;

Ø the social system maintains stability largely due to elements social control: management, law enforcement, religious institutions and moral norms and values. The main condition for maintaining integrity is the agreement of the majority of society with the accepted value system.

R. Merton formulated a number of additional principles of functionalism:

Ø just as one element can have different functions, the same function can be performed by different elements;

Ø the same elements can be functional in relation to some systems and dysfunctional in relation to others;

Ø there are differences between explicit and latent (hidden) functions. An overt function is an effect that is intentionally caused and recognized as such. A latent function is a consequence that it was not the intention of the actor to cause.

T. Parsons also added to the understanding of the functional approach: any social system performs 4 main functions (which are provided by the main subsystems): adaptation function (economic subsystem), goal achievement (political), integration (legal institutions and customs), structure reproduction (belief system , morality, agents of socialization).

As already noted, society, as a system, has its own structure (consists of interconnected subsystems), due to which it differs from a chaotic accumulation of people. The constituent elements of society (as a social system) are people, social connections, interactions and relationships, social groups and communities, social institutions and organizations, social norms and values. Each of these constituent elements in turn can be considered as independent system. The set of connections and relationships between the named social systems is designated as a system of systems (or societal system). A systematic approach to society involves studying it from three interconnected and at the same time relatively independent perspectives - structural, functional and dynamic, which allows us to explain: how society is structured (what is its structure); how it functions as a whole and how its subsystems function (what functions they perform); how society develops.

With the advent of people, their unification into tribes and clans began, from which, thousands of years later, peoples and societies were formed. They began to populate and develop the planet, first leading a nomadic lifestyle, and then, settling in the most favorable places, organized a social space. Further filling it with objects of labor and human life became the beginning of the emergence of city-states and states.

Over the course of tens of thousands of years, it formed and developed social society to acquire the features it has today.

Definition of social structure

Each society goes through its own path of development and formation of the foundations of which it consists. To understand what a social structure is, it should be taken into account that it is a complex interrelation of elements and systems functioning in it. They form a kind of skeleton on which society stands, but at the same time it tends to change depending on conditions.

The concept of social structure includes:

• the elements that fill it, that is, various types of communities;
• social connections affecting all stages of its development.

The social structure consists of a society divided into groups, strata, classes, as well as ethnic, professional, territorial and other elements. Moreover, it is a reflection of the relationships between all its members, based on cultural, economic, demographic and other types of connections.

It is people, creating not arbitrary, but permanent relationships with each other, who form the concept of social structure as an object with established relationships. Thus, a person is not completely free in his choice, being part of this structure. He is limited by the social world and the relationships that have developed in it, into which he constantly enters various fields of its activities.

The social structure of a society is its framework, within which there are various groups that unite people and put forward certain requirements for their behavior in the system of role relations between them. They may have some boundaries that cannot be violated. For example, a person working in a team where there were no strict requirements for appearance employees, having got to another job where they are, will carry them out, even if he doesn’t like it.

Distinctive features of a social structure are the presence of real subjects who create certain processes in it. They can be both individual individuals and various segments of the population and social communities, regardless of their size, for example the working class, a religious sect or the intelligentsia.

Structure of society

Each country develops its own social system with its inherent traditions, norms of behavior, economic and cultural ties. Any such society has a complex structure based on the relationships of its members and the relationships between castes, classes, strata and strata.

It is made up of large and small social groups, which are usually called associations of people united by common interests, work activities or the same values. Large communities are distinguished by the amount of income and methods of obtaining it, by social status, education, type of activity or other characteristics. Some scholars call them "strata", but the terms "strata" and "class" are more common, such as workers, who make up the largest group in most countries.

Society at all times had a clear hierarchical structure. For example, 200 years ago in some countries there were classes. Each of them had its own privileges, property and social rights, which were enshrined in law.

The hierarchical division in such a society operates vertically, passing through all available types of connections - politics, economics, culture, professional activity. As it develops, groups and classes change in it, as well as the internal relationships of their members. For example, in medieval England an impoverished lord was more respected than a very rich trader or merchant. Today in this country, ancient noble families are revered, but successful and wealthy businessmen, athletes or people of art are more admired.

Flexible social system

A society in which there is no caste system is mobile, since its members can move from one layer to another both horizontally and vertically. In the first case social status a person does not change, for example, he simply moves from one position to a similar one in another job.

Vertical transition implies an increase or decrease in social or financial status. For example, a person with average income occupies a leadership position that gives income much higher than before.

In some modern societies, there are social inequalities based on financial, racial or social differences. In such structures, some layers or groups have greater privileges and opportunities than others. By the way, some scientists believe that inequality is a natural process for modern society, since it gradually arises a large number of people with outstanding abilities, talents and leadership qualities, which become its basis.

Types of social structures of the ancient world

The formation of society throughout the history of human development directly depended on the division of labor, the level of development of people and socio-economic relations between them.

For example, during the primitive communal system, the social structure of society was determined by how useful representatives of a tribe or clan were to the rest of its members. The sick, old people and cripples were not kept if they could not make at least some feasible contribution to the well-being and safety of the community.

Another thing is the slave system. Although it was divided into only 2 classes - slaves and their masters, the society itself consisted of scientists, traders, artisans, the army, artists, philosophers, poets, peasants, priests, teachers and representatives of other professions.

For example Ancient Greece, Rome and a number of Eastern countries, one can trace how the social society of that time was formed. They had well-developed economic and cultural ties with other countries, and the population was clearly divided into representatives of various professions, free and slaves, those in power and legalists.

Types of social structures from the Middle Ages to the present day

What the social structure of feudal society is can be understood by tracing the development of European countries of that period. It consisted of 2 classes - feudal lords and their serfs, although society was also divided into several classes and representatives of the intelligentsia.

Estates are social groups that occupy their position in the system of economic, legal and traditional relations. For example, in France there were 3 classes - secular (feudal lords, nobility), clergy and the largest part of society, which included free peasants, artisans, merchants and traders, and later - the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.

The capitalist system, especially the modern one, has a more complex structure. For example, the concept of the middle class arose, which previously included the bourgeoisie, and today it includes traders, entrepreneurs, highly paid employees and workers, farmers, and representatives of small businesses. Belonging to the middle class is determined by the income level of its members.

Although this category includes the majority of the population in highly developed capitalist countries, representatives of big business have the greatest influence on economic and political development. There is a separate class of intelligentsia, especially creative, scientific, technical and humanitarian ones. Thus, many artists, writers and representatives of other intellectual and creative professions have income typical of big business.

Another type of social structure is the socialist system, which should be based on equal rights and opportunities for all members of society. But the attempt to build developed socialism in Eastern, Central Europe and Asia led many of these countries to poverty.

A positive example can be called the social system in countries such as Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and others, which are based on capitalist relations with full social protection the rights of its members.

Components of social structure

To understand what a social structure is, you need to know what elements are included in its composition:

1. Groups that bring together people connected by common interests, values, professional activities or goals. More often they are perceived by others as communities.
2. Classes are large social groups that have their own financial, economic or cultural values ​​based on their inherent code of honor, behavior and interaction of their representatives.
3. Social strata are intermediate and constantly changing, emerging or disappearing social groups that do not have a clearly defined connection with the means of production.
4. Strata are social groups limited by some parameter, such as profession, status, income level or other characteristics.

These elements of social structure determine the composition of society. The more there are, the more complex its design, the more clearly the hierarchical vertical is visible. The division of society into different elements is noticeable in the attitude of people towards each other, depending on the criteria inherent in their class. For example, the poor do not like the rich because of their financial superiority, while the latter despise them for their inability to earn money.

Population

System various types communities that have strong internal connections between their members - this is what the social structure of the population is. There are no strict criteria dividing people into them. These can be both main and non-main classes, layers, layers within them and social groups.

For example, before arrival Soviet power In Ukraine, most of its population were artisans and individual peasants. A third were represented by landowners, wealthy peasants, traders and workers, while there were extremely few employees. After collectivization, the country's population already consisted of only three layers - workers, employees and peasants.

If we consider the historical stages of development of countries, the absence of a middle class, namely entrepreneurs, representatives of small businesses, free artisans and wealthy farmers, led them to impoverishment and a sharp economic contrast between layers of society.

The formation of “middle peasants” contributes to the rise of the economy, the emergence of a whole class of people with a completely different mentality, goals, interests and culture. Thanks to them, the poorer stratum receives new types of goods and services, jobs and higher salaries.

Today, in most countries, the population consists of the political elite, clergy, technical, creative and humanitarian intelligentsia, workers, scientists, farmers, entrepreneurs and representatives of other professions.

Concept of social system

If for the sages who lived 2500 years ago, this term meant the orderliness of life in the state, then today the social system is complex education, which includes the primary subsystems of society, for example economic, cultural-spiritual, political and social.

• The economic subsystem involves the regulation of human relations in resolving issues such as production, distribution, use or exchange of material goods. It must solve 3 problems: what to produce, how and for whom. If one of the tasks is not fulfilled, then the entire economy of the country collapses. Since the environment and the needs of the population are constantly changing, economic system is obliged to adapt to them in order to satisfy the material interests of the entire society. The higher the standard of living of the population, the more needs it has, which means the economy of a given society functions better.
• The political subsystem is associated with the organization, establishment, operation and change of power. Its main element is the social structure of the state, namely its legal institutions, such as courts, prosecutors, electoral bodies, arbitration and others. The main function of the political subsystem is to ensure social order and stability in the country, as well as fast decision vital important issues society.
• The social (public) subsystem is responsible for the prosperity and well-being of the population as a whole, regulating the relationships of its various classes and layers. This includes healthcare, public transport, public utilities and consumer services.
• The cultural-spiritual subsystem is engaged in the creation, development, dissemination and preservation of cultural, traditional and moral values. Its elements include science, art, education, morality and literature. Her main responsibilities are educating young people, passing on the spiritual values ​​of the people to the new generation, and enriching the cultural life of people.

Thus, the social system is a fundamental part of any society, which is responsible for the uniform development, prosperity and security of its members.

Social structure and its levels

Each country has its own territorial divisions, but in most of them they are approximately the same. In modern society, the levels of social structure are divided into 5 zones:

1. State. She is responsible for making decisions concerning the country as a whole, its development, security and international situation.
2. Regional social space. Applies to each region separately, taking into account its climatic, economic and cultural characteristics. It can be independent, or it can depend on a higher state zone in matters of subsidies or budget redistribution.
3. A territorial zone is a small subject of regional space that has the right to elections to local councils, to form and use its own budget, and to resolve issues and problems at the local level.
4. Corporate zone. Possible only in a market economy and is represented by farms running their own labor activity with budget formation and local authority management, such as shareholders. It is subject to territorial or regional zones according to laws formed at the state level.
5. Individual level. Although it is at the bottom of the pyramid, it is its basis, since it implies the personal interests of a person, which are always above public ones. The needs of an individual can range from a guaranteed decent salary to self-expression.

Thus, the formation of a social structure is always based on the elements and levels of its components.

Changes in the structure of society

Every time countries switched to new level development, their structure changed. For example, changes in the social structure of society during serfdom were associated with the development of industry and the growth of cities. Many serfs went to work in factories, moving into the class of workers.

Today, similar changes concern pay and productivity. If 100 years ago physical work was paid higher than mental work, today the opposite is true. For example, a programmer can earn more than a highly skilled worker.

Introduction

The study of any science begins with clarifying its subject, structure, functions, place of role in the system of sciences and the life of society. Over the course of the century, the subject of sociology has continually changed. There was both a clarification of it, this was expressed in the separation of sociology from philosophy, and an increase in the number of concepts of theoretical sociology. There are more than a hundred definitions of sociology. The fundamental thing, with all this diversity, remains that sociology is the science of society.

Social system

The concept of “social system” was used in their works by ancient thinkers. But this concept was formulated more precisely only recently. For the correct understanding and use of concepts, it is necessary to clearly understand what is meant by the categories “system” and “structure”, as well as how they relate to each other.

There are over fifty definitions of “system” in the scientific literature. Summarizing them, we can say that a system is a collection of elements that are interconnected and form a single whole. Moreover, the latter acts as a new formation in relation to the distant elements of which it consists, and its properties are not reducible to the properties of the elements.

Thus, the system, on the one hand, is something independent and different from its elements, and on the other hand, it at the same time depends on them. And the elements included in the system, in turn, acquire its inherent properties and behavioral traits. The study of objects and processes using system analysis is the clarification of the nature of system connections as a whole and its interaction with environment; the study of the properties of the whole of interest through its structure, as well as a detailed consideration of the role played by one or another element in this structure. The systemic connections existing in practice are multi-level in nature. For example, it is possible to identify connections both between the elements of the system and between the system as a whole and its constituent elements. And since each system can include subsystems, the number of connections increases. Subsystems within the main system have a certain subordination, therefore, identifying the defining subsystem allows the researcher to reveal the patterns of development and functioning of the entire system.

Social structure

Of great importance in system analysis has a structure. The concept of "structure" (from Latin word"structura" - structure, arrangement, order) means a set of relative positions and stable connections components objects, thanks to which its integrity and identity with itself are ensured.

Social structure is “a certain way of communication and interaction of elements, that is, individuals occupying certain positions (status) and performing certain social functions (role) in accordance with the set of norms and values ​​​​accepted in a given social system.”

If we try to clarify this concept, it can be presented as follows:

Social structure presupposes:

1) stable connections between any elements of society, stable relationships.

2) regularity, stability, repeatability of these interactions;

3) the presence of levels, “floors”, according to the significance of the elements included in the structure;

4) regulating, initiating, dynamic control over the behavior of elements.

The listed factors are of decisive importance in the creation and maintenance of the entire society and its components.

Thus, social structure is understood as a set of stable connections and relationships between the elements that make up the system, which determine its qualitative identity and structure.

Any society appears not as something homogeneous and monolithic, but as internally divided into various groups, layers and national communities. All of them are among themselves in a state of objectively determined connections and relationships - socio-economic, political, spiritual. Moreover, only within the framework of these connections and relationships can they exist and manifest themselves in society. This determines the integrity of society, its functioning as a single social organism, the essence of which was revealed in their theories by O. Comte, G. Spencer, K. Marx, M. Weber, T. Parson and others.

It can be said that

The social structure of society is the totality of those connections and relationships that social groups and communities of people enter into among themselves regarding the economic, social, political and spiritual conditions of their life.

The development of the social structure of society is based on the social division of labor and relations of ownership of the means of production and its products.

The social division of labor determines the emergence and continued existence of such social groups as classes, professional groups, as well as large groups consisting of people from the city and countryside, representatives of mental and physical labor.

Relations of ownership of the means of production economically consolidate the internal division of society and the social structure emerging within it. Both the social division of labor and property relations are objective socio-economic prerequisites.

The great role of the division of labor in the life of society, in the emergence of various types of human activity, the development of material production and spiritual culture was justifiably pointed out in their time by O. Comte, M.I. Tugan-Baranovsky, M.M. Kavalevsky and others. A detailed doctrine of the role of the social division of labor in the historical process, including in the development of the social structure of society, is contained in the socio-economic theory of Marxism, which also reveals the role of property relations in this process.

The main elements of the social structure of society include:

classes that occupy different places in the systems of social division of labor, relations of ownership of the means of production and distribution of the social product;

city ​​and village residents;

representatives of mental and physical labor;

estates;

socio-demographic groups (youth, women and men, older generation);

national communities (nations, nationalities, ethnic groups).

Almost all elements of the social structure are heterogeneous in composition and, in turn, are divided into separate layers and groups, appearing as independent elements of the social structure with its inherent interests, which they realize in interaction with other subjects.

So the social structure in any society is quite complex and is the subject of attention not only by sociologists, but also by representatives of such a science as social management, as well as politicians and government officials. It is important to understand that without understanding the social structure of society, without a clear idea of ​​what social groups exist within it and what their interests are, i.e. in which direction they will act, it is impossible for them to take a step forward in the leadership of society, including in the field of economics, social, political and spiritual life.

Based on the above, the question arises of how system and structure relate. Since structural connections depend on the place occupied by one or another element, the development of the structure itself is expressed in the interaction of leading elements with secondary ones (the role of a leader in a team). The interaction and development of elements leads to the fact that they become more diverse. This means that any significant change in structure affects the system. The system also influences the structure, but, of course, not directly, but through the elements of the system, it promotes or inhibits their development in any direction.

Thanks to this dialectical interaction, it is possible to clarify the basic patterns of system development. To do this, the meaning of the elements, their place in the structure, and then the most significant connections in the system are first determined. The selected connections are considered in the context of the subordination of systems. As a result, the boundaries of the system as an object of study are determined, and its primary element is identified.

Then the main subsystems and the hierarchical relationship that exists between them are identified. Determining the structure of the system already makes it possible to move on to clarifying the main system connections, which are directly dependent on changes in the structure.

In order to understand how all this happens when studying the social sphere, it is necessary to analyze society as such, that is, as a single whole.

In the scientific literature, they mean an extremely broad community of people, which unites individuals and groups into a certain integrity based on common activity and culture, and a rationally organized form of joint activity of people.

In "Sociological encyclopedic dictionary"One of the given definitions of society is as follows: "Society is the one formed in the process historical development a relatively stable system of social connections and relationships between people based on joint activities aimed at reproducing the material conditions of existence and satisfying needs." Thus, in in a broad sense words, society is a historically specific collection of people, which is the product of their interaction in the process of activity. This is very a complex system, which has its own internal social structure. For example, the social structure of work collectives is a certain set of socio-demographic (youth, pensioners), social (group, stratum, class), professional and qualification, territorial (city, village) and ethnic communities that are interconnected by relatively stable mutual relations . The main focus of sociology is the study of social structure and ways to improve it.

A characteristic feature of social systems is their human essence and nature. Social systems are both a product and a sphere of human activity. This must be taken into account when considering the structure of society. In all subsystems and spheres of social life, a person, an individual, acts as a universal element. Mutual influence occurs, society produces man, and at the same time man produces society.

The interaction of specific people ultimately forms a social structure. Therefore, social structure is the totality of human relationships, personal relationships between people, and social functions are the result of human activity.

Thus, personality is a universal, initial element of the social system. A person carries out his activities in the process of interaction with other people who are united in various social communities, and not isolated from them. This interaction of individuals turns their sum into a social system. In this case, it occurs as an impact social environment on a given individual, as well as the individual’s reverse impact on other individuals and the social environment.

The social environment (not in the biological sense of the word) is a certain number of individuals, circles, groups and other communities that a person has to encounter during his life and which influence his behavior. It must be emphasized that the concept of environment is always relative, since even identical environmental systems for two different organisms can be different environments. Ultimately, the impact noted above leads to the formation of a systemic integrity that has qualities that none of the elements included in it individually have.

In a broad sense, social structure is understood as the structure of society as a whole, the set of stable connections between its main functional areas(economics, politics, culture and others), acting as a set of forms of social organization and activity. In this case, its elements are individual spheres of public life and the corresponding social institutions.

In a narrow sense, the social structure of society is understood as the division of society into various social groups, systems of stable connections between them, as well as the internal structure of various social communities.

Depending on the type of social community, scientists distinguish two main levels of structural organization: macrostructure and microstructure.

Macrostructure shows the composition of classes, strata, ethnic groups and social categories characteristic of a particular society, as well as the set of stable relationships between them and the features of their internal structural organization.

The microstructure shows stable connections in small groups (student group, school class, etc.). In this case, the elements of structural analysis are individual individuals occupying certain positions(status) and performing certain social functions (grown). The study of microstructure is very important, since it has a significant impact on many processes of social life (socialization, the formation of public opinion, and others).

Social systems are a collection of social elements organized in a certain way that have goals and means to achieve them. Social systems are the source of processes occurring in society that serve as the subject of scientific consideration. The basis of social systems is made up of social stereotypes, expressed in the form of typical orientations of representatives of individual social groups connected by common interests and goals. Social stereotypes serve as a way of typifying social processes and, as a consequence, an expression of the systemic integrity of communities of social subjects united through the manifestation of this stereotype.

As R. Ackoff writes, “social (public) systems, for example, corporations, universities and societies, have their own goals, contain parts (other social systems or animate organisms), which also have their own goals and are usually parts of larger social systems, such as corporations or nations."

In general, R. Ackoff identifies three types of systems, among which social systems are characterized by characteristic feature, which consists in the commonality of target orientations of the system as a whole and its constituent parts.
Thus, we are talking about three types of systems.
1. Deterministic - systems and models that neither the whole nor their parts are purposeful.
2. Animated (animated) - systems and models that generally pursue certain goals, and their parts are non-targeted.
3. Social (public) - systems and models in which both their parts and they as a whole are purposeful.

Social systems can act as both referential and self-referential systems. Reference systems are those communities within which people consciously or unconsciously compare their actions with patterns of normative behavior in the group, in relation to which they explain the reasons possible deviation from these samples. The reference to these patterns constitutes the integrity of individual orientations on the basis of the special quality formed in the course of their interaction. As a rule, reference systems are social groups that easily establish communication links with each other.

Self-referential systems are those communities whose elements are correlated exclusively with each other, which makes them opaque to each other and complicates mutual agreement. Large functional systems (law, morality, economics, politics, religion, science, etc.) act as self-referential systems. characteristic feature which are autonomy, the ability to reproduce themselves, their own symbolic system, etc.

Social systems act as subjects and participants in social processes. The role of the subject of social processes is to determine the directions of changes occurring in society, consciously resist them, and also to create conditions for behavior specified in relation to these processes. We can talk about three main levels of the subject of social processes that determine the relationship with the object various ways perception and assessment of such changes: personality, social group (community) and culture.

A person, in his pursuit of the goals set for himself, to a much greater extent than any other subject, is forced to take into account the peculiarities specific situations, forming the basis of local processes that receive their cognitive actualization only if the process acquires typical features, the formative beginning of which are other individuals. As a system, a person forms around himself a set of symbolic guidelines that create the conditions for his choice the best option your behavior. The range of possibilities determined by the presence of such a symbolic system sets the range of actions within which the degree of rationality in a person’s actions and the nature of his perception of the changes occurring around him are determined. Each such process is conditioned by the personal participation of an individual in it, who during the period of involvement in it discovers special qualities that crown his social status. The list of such processes includes all social changes associated with the socialization of a person, his interaction with social institutions, aimed at him as an independent unit: training, treatment, change of place of residence, marriage, divorce, choice of profession, etc. The results of such processes can be reflected differently on specific destinies of people and therefore do not always have any connection with each other.

Social groups (communities) form social processes of this type, when their source and targeted object of influence are large-scale transformations in society. In relation to them, people display similar orientations that have a common degree of actualization of the problems associated with them. Examples of this kind of processes are: military clashes, stock trading, the electoral process, the system of higher and secondary education, etc. During the implementation of such processes in society, changes can occur that affect the existing communication system in society, transferring it to a qualitatively new level .

Culture is a system of a special type, which is characterized by the presence of a significant layer of material and spiritual prerequisites that serve as a formative factor for such systems. Social processes caused by differences between different cultures have the highest duration and maximum stability in relation to possible regulators. Knowledge of the mechanisms of such processes requires a deep analysis of historical, philosophical and literary sources of information about the development of communities, their psychology and production activities.

Social systems are the following set of interconnected and ordered elements:

people and various social groups;

material objects (equipment of labor, objects of labor, buildings, structures, means of communication, etc.);

processes (economic, political, social, spiritual);

values ​​(ideas, knowledge, cultural and moral values, customs, traditions, beliefs, etc.).

All social systems can be classified on the same basis as other types of systems.

I. According to genetic characteristics, they are divided into:

Material systems:

Small social groups (family, professional groups, party cells, etc.);

Medium (rural community, municipality, etc.);

Large (state, confederation of trade unions, parties, etc.);

Complex systems (state unions, military-political blocs, economic unions, etc.).

Ideal systems are associated with human awareness and knowledge of the surrounding world. They can also be divided into:

Small ( individual consciousness, spiritual world of the individual);

Average (the belief system of a certain group of individuals, traditions and customs of an ethnic group, etc.);

Large ( economic theory, sociological science, etc.);

Universal (worldview, mythology, religion, etc.).

II. According to their form, social systems are divided into:

Small social systems. These include individual social objects, the internal structure and functioning of which are relatively simple, and the interaction of their constituent elements is of a coordination nature (individual, family, small group, etc.).

Average social systems. They have in their structure two clearly defined groups of elements, between which the connections are of a subordinate nature (for example, the structure of local government, the economic structure of the region, etc.).

Large social systems. They include a complex structure of interactions between their constituent elements (for example, the state, parties, the country's economic system).

Complex social systems. These include those that have a multi-level system of existence with internal regulation of subsystems (Commonwealth of Independent States, International Monetary Fund, European Union, civilizations).

III. According to the nature of interaction, social systems are divided into:

Open (soft) systems are subject to influence external conditions and themselves have a reverse impact on them (for example, international sports, cultural, etc. associations).

Closed. There are no completely closed (rigid) systems, but there are limited interactions with other specific systems. For example, the system of correctional (penal) institutions in the state.

IV By the nature of their laws, social systems are:

Probabilistic. In them, their components can interact in an indefinite number of ways (for example, a society at war).

Deterministic. They have a precisely defined result of interaction (for example, legal, legislative).

V. By degree of generality:

Socio-economic formations are a set of production forces and production relations;

Social communities united on any basis (nations, classes, ethnic groups, settlements);

Organizations operating in the real sector of the economy (manufacturing);

Primary level of social systems. Here, each person has direct contact with everyone (teams, departments).

VI. By territorial basis:

Federation;

Subject of the federation;

Municipal associations (city, town, etc.)

VII. In areas of public life:

Economic (industry, communications, Agriculture, transport, construction);

Political;

Social;

Spiritual;

family - household.

VIII. According to the degree of homogeneity, social systems can be:

Homogeneous - homogeneous social systems, the elements of which have the same or similar properties. Such systems do not have deep differences in their structure. An example of a homogeneous social system is students as a social group.

Heterogeneous - heterogeneous social systems that consist of elements with different properties and structures. An example of a homogeneous social system can be any specific society (Russian, American).

IX Social systems can vary in degree of complexity. The degree of complexity does not depend on the scale of the system, not on its “size,” but on the structure, organization, nature of the connection of elements and other factors. For example, a person is a more complex social system than other social systems that are much larger in size.

Thus, the social system as a sociological phenomenon is a multidimensional and multidimensional formation with complex composition, typology and functions.

social system classification