Human socialization. personality and social life
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Social life
The ratio of natural and social in man
The role of natural factors in shaping social life
Social life
Culture and its influence on social development
Conclusion
Literature
Nature ratioone and social in man
In the structure of human nature, three components of it can be found: biological nature, social nature and spiritual nature.
In the biological nature of a person, the general state of health and longevity is genetically laid; temperament, which is one of four possible types: choleric, sanguine, melancholic and phlegmatic; talents and inclinations. At the same time, it should be taken into account that each person is a biologically non-repeated organism, the structures of its cells and DNA molecules (genes).
Biological nature is the only real basis on which a person is born and exists. Each separate individual, each person exists from that time until his biological nature exists and lives. But with all his biological nature, man belongs to the animal world. And man is born only as an animal species of Homo Sapiens; is not born a man, but only a candidate for a man. The newborn biological creature Homo Sapiens has yet to become a man in the full sense of the word.
The biological nature of man inherited from the animal world. And the biological nature of every animal creature steadily requires that, having been born, it satisfies its biological needs: eat, drink, grow, mature, mature and reproduce its own kind in order to recreate its kind. To recreate one's own kind - that's why the individual animal is born, comes into the world.
The same meaning of life is invested by biological nature in human life. A person, having been born, must receive from his ancestors everything necessary for his existence, growth, maturation, and having matured, reproduce his own kind, give birth to a child.
The social nature also imposes on man the criteria for determining the meaning of his life.
On the one hand, man is the highest level of development of matter, it is a living organism. This means that as a species representing the highest degree of development of animal organisms on Earth, it is included in the natural connection of phenomena and obeys the laws of development of animal organisms. On the other hand, man is a social being. Its essence is developed in society, in interaction with other people, in the process of social activity. It is the result of a long development of man in society.
Only society ensures the existence of a person both as an individual, personality, and as a biological species. People live in society, primarily in order to biologically survive for each individual and for the entire human race in general. Society, and not a separate individual, is the only guarantor of the existence of man as a biological species of Homo Sapiens. Only society accumulates, preserves and passes on to the next generations the experience of man's struggle for survival, the experience of the struggle for existence. Hence, in order to preserve both the species and the individual (personality), it is necessary to preserve the society of this individual (personality). Consequently, for each individual person, from the point of view of his nature, society is of greater importance than he himself, the individual person. That is why, even at the level of biological interests, the meaning of human life is to protect society more than one's own, separate, life. Even in the event that in the name of preserving this, one's own, society, it is necessary to sacrifice one's personal life.
The role of natural factors in shaping social life
The concept of "social life" is used to refer to a complex of phenomena that arise in the course of interaction between a person and social communities, as well as the sharing of natural resources necessary to meet needs. The biological, geographical, demographic and economic foundations of social life differ.
When analyzing the foundations of social life, one should analyze the features of human biology as a social subject that create the biological possibilities of human labor, communication, and mastering the social experience accumulated by previous generations. These include such an anatomical feature of a person as a straight gait.
It allows you to better capture the environment and use your hands in the process of work.
An important role in social activity is played by such a human organ as a hand with an opposed thumb. Human hands can perform complex operations and functions, and the person himself can participate in a variety of labor activities. This should also include a look directed forward, and not to the sides, allowing you to see in three directions, a complex mechanism of the vocal cords, larynx and lips, which contributes to the development of speech. The human brain and complex nervous system enable the high development of the psyche and intellect of the individual. The brain serves as a biological prerequisite for reflecting the entire wealth of spiritual and material culture and its further development.
People of different races, brought up in the same cultural conditions, develop the same views, aspirations, ways of thinking and acting. It is important to note that upbringing alone cannot arbitrarily shape the educatee either. Innate talent (for example, musical) has an important impact on social life.
Let us analyze various aspects of the influence of the geographical environment on the life of a person as a subject of social life. It should be noted that there is a certain minimum of natural and geographical conditions that are necessary for the successful development of man.
The nature of occupation, type of economic activity, objects and means of labor, food products, etc. - all this significantly depends on the habitation of a person in a particular zone (in the polar zone, in the steppe or in the subtropics).
Researchers note the influence of climate on human performance. The hot climate shortens the time of active activity. The cold climate requires great efforts from people to maintain life.
The temperate climate is most conducive to activity. Factors such as atmospheric pressure, air humidity, winds are important factors that affect the state of human health, which is an important factor in social life.
Soils play an important role in the functioning of social life. Their fertility, combined with a favorable climate, creates conditions for the progress of the people living on them. This affects the pace of development of the economy and society as a whole. Poor soils hinder the achievement of a high standard of living, require significant expenditures of human efforts.
No less important in social life is the terrain. The presence of mountains, deserts, rivers can become a natural defensive system for a particular nation.
At the stage of the initial development of a particular nation, the geographical environment left its specific imprint on its culture, both in its economic, political, and spiritual and aesthetic aspects. This is indirectly expressed in certain specific habits, customs, rituals, in which the features of the life of the people associated with the conditions of their residence are manifested.
Thus, geographical factors played a significant role in the formation of culture at the initial stages of the development of a particular people. Subsequently, being reflected in culture, they can be reproduced by the people regardless of the original habitat.
Based on the foregoing, it should be noted that when considering the role of the geographical environment, "geographical nihilism", a complete denial of its impact on the functioning of society, is unacceptable. On the other hand, one cannot share the point of view of the representatives of "geographical determinism", who see an unambiguous and unidirectional relationship between the geographical environment and the processes of social life, when the development of society is completely determined by geographical factors. Accounting for the creative potential of the individual, the development of science and technology on this basis, cultural exchange between peoples create a certain independence of man from the geographical environment. However, human social activity must harmoniously fit into the natural and geographical environment. It must not violate its basic eco-ties.
Social life
Society as a whole is the largest system. Its most important subsystems are economic, political, social, spiritual. In society, there are also such subsystems as classes, ethnic, demographic, territorial and professional groups, family, etc. Each of these subsystems includes many other subsystems. They can mutually regroup, the same individuals can be elements of different systems. An individual cannot disobey the requirements of the system in which he is included. He more or less accepts its norms and values. At the same time, in society there are simultaneously various forms of social activity and behavior, between which a choice is possible.
In order for society to function as a whole, each subsystem must perform specific, strictly defined functions. Functions of subsystems mean the satisfaction of any social needs. Yet together they are aimed at maintaining the stability of society.
The development of social life is a gradual transition from lower to higher socio-economic formations: from primitive communal to slave-owning, then to feudal, capitalist and communist.
Any civilization is characterized not only by a specific social production technology, but also, to no lesser extent, by a culture corresponding to it. It has a certain philosophy, socially significant values, a generalized image of the world, a specific way of life with its own special life principle, the basis of which is the spirit of the people, its morality, conviction, which also determine a certain attitude towards oneself.
The civilizational approach in sociology presupposes taking into account and studying that peculiar and original that exists in the organization of the social life of an entire region.
In the sphere of production and economic relations, this is the achieved level of development of technology and technology, generated by a new stage of the scientific and technological revolution, the system of commodity-money relations, the presence of a market.
In the political sphere, the general civilizational base includes a rule of law state operating on the basis of democratic norms.
In the spiritual and moral sphere, the common heritage of all peoples is the great achievements of science, art, culture, as well as universal moral values.
Social life is formed by a complex set of forces, in which natural phenomena and processes are only one of the elements. Based on the conditions created by nature, a complex interaction of individuals manifests itself, which forms a new integrity, society, as a social system. Labor, as a fundamental form of activity, underlies the development of diverse types of organization of social life.
Social life can be defined as a complex of phenomena arising from the interaction of individuals, social groups, in a certain space, and the use of products located in it, necessary to satisfy needs.
Social life arises, reproduces and develops precisely because of the presence of dependencies between people. A person, in order to satisfy his needs, must interact with other individuals, be part of a social group, and participate in joint activities.
Dependence can be elementary, direct dependence on your comrade, brother, colleague. Dependence can be complex, mediated. For example, the dependence of our individual life on the level of development of society, the effectiveness of the economic system, the effectiveness of the political organization of society, the state of morals. There are dependencies between different communities of people (between urban and rural residents, students and workers, etc.).
Social connection is nothing but dependence, which is realized through social action and acts in the form of social interaction. Let us consider in more detail such elements of social life as social action and interaction.
A striking example of interaction is the production process. Here there is a deep and close coordination of the system of actions of partners on issues for which a connection has been established between them, for example, the production and distribution of goods. An example of social interaction can be communication with work colleagues, friends. In the process of interaction, an exchange of actions, services, personal qualities, etc. is carried out.
So, in all subjects that are significant for satisfying his needs, a person enters into a deep, conjugated interaction with other people, with society as a whole. Social ties are thus a set of interactions consisting of actions and responses. As a result of the repetition of one or another type of interaction, different types of relationships arise between people.
The relations that connect the social subject (individual, social group) with objective reality, and which are aimed at its transformation, are called human activity. Purposeful human activity consists of separate actions and interactions. In general, human activity is distinguished by its creatively transformative nature, activity and objectivity.
It can be material and spiritual, practical and theoretical, transformative and cognitive, etc. Human activity is based on social action.
cultureand its impact on societydevelopment
Currently, there are about 300 options for defining culture. Such diversity, of course, indicates that culture occupies a special place in the life of mankind. It is an indicator of the material and spiritual maturity of society. It embodies the ability of society in each specific historical period to ensure the functioning of public life.
These abilities are characterized by the level of knowledge achieved, the quality and variety of the tools and means of life created, the ability to apply them in practice and use them for creative purposes, the degree of mastery of the elemental forces of nature, and the improvement of social life in the interests of society. Culture, obviously, acts as a qualitative side of any activity, as a way of thinking and behavior. At the same time, it represents certain values, both material and spiritual. In real life, they are merged, but there are differences. Material culture, as a rule, is objective, tangible. Spiritual values can act not only in the material shell, but also in the act of creative activity.
The components of material culture have a clear value expression. This cannot be said about spiritual culture: many of its objects are priceless and unique. Some researchers identify culture with the entire social sphere, others with spiritual life, others present it as a combination of material and spiritual values, and so on.
However, it seems that the content of this category cannot be limited to any one sphere of life (material or spiritual), one value characteristic (aesthetic, moral or political), one form of activity (cognitive, educational, organizational, etc.) .
Each stage of society is distinguished by a certain cultural and historical specificity. There are a lot of these differences: the number of accumulated cultural objects and methods of their production, the assimilation and understanding of the experience of previous generations, the relationship between various types of cultural activities, cultural objects and human culture, the spirit of culture that affects the system of principles, norms and rules of social life.
Culture performs diverse and responsible social functions. First of all, according to Smelser, it structures social life, that is, it does the same thing as genetically programmed behavior in the life of animals. Assimilated behavior, common to a whole group of people and transmitted from generation to generation, is culture. This process itself is called socialization. In its course, values, beliefs, norms, ideals become part of the personality and form its behavior.
The spiritual and moral function of culture is closely connected with socialization. It reveals, systematizes, addresses, reproduces, preserves, develops and transmits eternal values in society - goodness, beauty, truth. Values exist as an integral system. The set of values generally accepted in a particular social group, country, expressing their special vision of social reality, is called mentality. There are political, economic, aesthetic and other values. The dominant type of values are moral values, which are the preferred options for relationships between people, their connections with each other and society.
Culture also has a communicative function, which makes it possible to consolidate the connection between the individual and society, to see the connection of times, to establish the connection of progressive traditions, to establish mutual influence (mutual exchange), to select the most necessary and expedient for replication.
You can also name such aspects of the purpose of culture as being a tool for the development of social activity, citizenship.
The active development of the media in the twentieth century. led to the emergence of new cultural forms. Among them, the so-called mass culture has especially spread. It arose along with the emergence of a society of mass production and mass consumption.
Recently, another new form of culture has appeared - screen (virtual), associated with the computer revolution, based on the synthesis of a computer with video equipment.
Sociologists note that culture is very dynamic. So, in the second half of the twentieth century. Significant changes have taken place in culture: mass media have received tremendous development, an industrial-commercial type of production of standardized spiritual goods has arisen, leisure time and spending on leisure have increased, culture has become a branch of the market economy.
social public natural culture
Conclusion
A person exists due to the exchange of substances with the environment. He breathes, consumes various natural products, exists as a biological body within certain physical, chemical, organic and other environmental conditions. As a natural, biological being, a person is born, grows, matures, grows old and dies.
All this characterizes a person as a biological being, determines his biological nature. But at the same time, it differs from any animal and, above all, in the following features: it produces its own environment (housing, clothing, tools), changes the world around it not only according to its utilitarian needs, but also according to the laws of knowledge of this world, as well as and according to the laws of morality and beauty, it can act not only out of necessity, but also in accordance with the freedom of its will and imagination, while the action of an animal is oriented exclusively to the satisfaction of physical needs (hunger, the instinct of procreation, group, species instincts, etc.); makes his life activity an object, relates to it meaningfully, purposefully changes, plans.
All his natural inclinations and senses, including hearing, sight, smell, become socially and culturally oriented. He evaluates the world according to the laws of beauty developed in a given social system, acts according to the laws of morality that have developed in a given society. It develops new, not only natural, but also social spiritual and practical feelings. These are, first of all, feelings of sociality, collectivity, morality, citizenship, spirituality.
Together, these qualities, both innate and acquired, characterize the biological and social nature of man.
Culture gives a person a sense of belonging to a community, brings up control over his behavior, determines the style of practical life. At the same time, culture is a decisive way of social interactions, integration of individuals into society.
Literature
1. Dubinin N.P. What is a person. - M.: Thought, 1983.
2. Lavrienko V.N. Sociology: A textbook for universities - M.: UNITI-DANA, 2004.
3. Prokopova M.V. Fundamentals of Sociology: Textbook - M.: RDL Publishing House, 2001.
4. Sokolova V.A. Fundamentals of sociology. Rostov n / D: Phoenix, 2000.
5. Efendiev. A.G. Fundamentals of sociology. Lecture course. Rep. ed. M., 1993.
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Topic 8. Natural factors in the development of society
The life of society takes place in a certain natural environment and therefore the latter undoubtedly affects the development of society. In this topic, specific natural factors and conditions affecting society are considered. Natural factors of the same kind directly affect the life and health of people and therefore they are classified as environmental determinants. The natural conditions and factors on which the development of the productive forces of society depends include the geographical conditions of its existence (climate, soil, the presence of minerals, forests, rivers, lakes, etc.).
The impact of geographical factors on society has been noted by many historians, geographers, politicians and statesmen. Sometimes this impact was so greatly exaggerated that the geographical environment acted as the main determinant of the development of society; such views are rightly characterized as geographical determinism. Population also has an impact on the development of society and its productive forces, but if until the beginning of the 19th century population growth was assessed positively, then later some economists and sociologists began to see it as a negative factor. The most prominent exponents of such negative views were T. Malthus and his followers, the Malthusians. Criticizing their views, it should be shown that demographic processes are determined not so much by biological as by socio-economic factors.
Key points for discussion. What is meant by geographic environment? What is the essence of geographical determinism? Describe the views of C. Montesquieu on the role of the geographical environment. What is G. Bockl's contribution to the understanding of the geographical environment? What role does L.I. Mechnikov assign to the natural environment and riverine civilizations? What is environmental determinism? What effect does population have on the development of society? What is the doctrine of T. Malthus about population? How is the population factor estimated in the materialistic understanding of history?
Developing system. And it has a lot of influence. To simplify the understanding of the topic, science identifies objective and subjective factors in the development of society. And further in the article we will try to list them and consider them in more detail.
Nature
This is the first thing to note when talking about the objective and subjective factors in the development of society. Nature belongs to the first category. Indeed, in fact, objective factors are those that do not directly depend on the conscious activity of a person and people, as well as on their will.
So, nature plays an important role in And there is a lot of evidence for this. For example, the earliest civilizations were based on the banks of rivers. And this is logical, because nearby is the water that a person needs for a full existence.
About destruction
True, the natural factor often contributed to death. Recall at least the Minoan civilization that existed in the period from 2700 to 1400 BC. It was natural conditions that contributed to its flourishing. The Minoans carved dwellings in the rocks, began to practice stamping seals on clay. Their main activity was maritime trade, since the island was at the crossroads of major trade routes. But then the Santorini volcano erupted - and this natural factor accelerated the death of the Minoan civilization.
Technologies
So, nature contributes to the satisfaction of basic human needs. But technology is also included in the factors of development of society. You can even say that in our time they are in the first place.
Many scientists thought so. For example, (an American publicist, sociologist and economist) is the founder of the idea of technocracy. He argued that the progress of society is the development of technology. And this idea began to spread especially actively at the moment when the industrial revolution arose. Many figures of that time assured that in order for an industrial society to develop and form with dignity and create wealth by production, and not by wars and robbery, it is necessary to transfer power to the technical intelligentsia.
Man and technology
Talking about the objective and subjective factors in the development of society, it is necessary to pay attention to how technology in our time affects its prosperity. Of course, a little earlier, the appearance of something new was a miracle that could improve productivity, the quality of a process, etc. But now, probably, about 90% of human labor is mechanized. And that's not good. Since many people no longer need to develop and work. And this is not progress, but degradation. And there are many good examples of this in real life.
As it was before? Students, in order to pass an exam or a test, taught, read tons of books, sat in libraries, prepared. They wrote tips by hand, in small handwriting (memorizing what was written along the way). And thanks to this, they left the walls of the university as trained specialists who were educated with their own mind and strength. What is happening in our time? There are earpieces, pens with built-in secret "cribs", phones with the Internet, after all. Of course, not everyone “learns” in this way and not everywhere, but it is a fact that the quality of training has decreased. And this is just one of the examples.
About progress
Talking about the objective and subjective factors in the development of society, one cannot help but turn to examples. Namely: to the USA, Western Europe and Japan. That's where progress is made the most. And the development of society is the notorious computerization, automation, and everything - for the benefit of people.
With the help of modern technologies, it is possible to process incredible amounts of information. Thanks to this, output increases, and the management of institutions of various kinds becomes simpler. All this has a direct impact on the fact that technical progress contributes to the manifestation of subjective factors of development. Society, certain social groups, individuals get the opportunity to express themselves. Technological progress is an impetus to self-development.
And with a competent approach, information will not cause the reduction of traditional industries, but expansion. It's just that what previously existed in social systems will receive additional, new impulses for development. True, Russia is still lagging behind the above countries in terms of computerization of management and industry.
Two sides of the same coin
Talking about the main factors in the development of society, one cannot fail to mention the consequences of the notorious progress. They can be both positive and negative.
Take, for example, the improvement of tools. It is progress that contributes to the growth of living standards and the satisfaction of human needs. But at the same time, it can provoke unemployment, as well as the depletion of energy and raw materials.
The growth of cities is also good, since the level of well-being and spiritual culture of the population is growing. But at the same time, the emergence of alienation between people is not ruled out. And the saddest thing is the pollution of the natural environment.
The introduction of computer technology provides ease of obtaining and subsequent processing of information. Decision making has become much easier and faster. But computerization can threaten global manipulation of consciousness and the emergence of occupational diseases.
Progress also includes the discovery of opportunities for the use of nuclear energy, which contributes to economic growth and cheaper energy. But the consequence could be a nuclear arms race or even the threat of planetary destruction.
The last thing I would like to note with attention is the spread of mass culture. A good consequence of this is the easy accessibility of cultural achievements. And the bad ones are the decline of morality and the lack of spirituality.
What plays a decisive role
Above, some objective and subjective factors were considered - in general, a very interesting science. And the people involved in it hold a certain opinion about what exactly plays a decisive role in our life, assigning it to objective factors. After all, they determine everything that is subjective - the direction of the activity of people and society.
These include the state of social institutions (army, family, education and courts), the size of the territory of the state, the specifics of the climate. There are many examples. If, for example, in a particular region there is a strong heat, people will think about creating an efficient and low-cost cooling system, but not about heating. This example shows how an objective factor (climate) contributes to the development of society by applying what is subjective (technology).
But in historical idealism, the opposite is true. There the subjective factor is decisive. Because it includes certain activities of significant and prominent personalities, based on the church and the authorities. The mass of the people here is an objective factor contributing to social development (or, in other words, a condition).
Progress Criteria
There are 4 main factors in the development of society. They characterize the transition from the lower to the higher, or, in other words, the path to perfection:
- Increasing welfare and social security of members of society.
- Recession of confrontation between people, improvement of interpersonal relations. And accordingly, the growth of spirituality and the acquisition of morality by people.
- Democracy affirmation.
- Gaining freedom for people. It is in the absence of coercion to anything from the outside that the happiness of each person lies.
There are only 4 criteria. The objective and subjective factors of the development of society are clearly intertwined in them. Because one cannot exist without the other.
About subjectivity
This is the last thing I would like to talk about. The objective and subjective factors of the development of society, in short, represent a certain basis of the entire modern society. The topic is quite complex. Because it is connected with people on whom everything subjective depends. For example, moral consciousness is morality, which is aimed at regulating social relations and the behavior of individuals. Moral consciousness is a set of certain views, opinions and ideas about something. In this case, it's about people's behavior. Accordingly, morality acts as a regulator of the latter.
Includes ethical feelings, principles, judgments, norms of behavior, values. All this is reflected in social development - in its prosperity or degradation. For example, if absolutely every person took due care of the environment, thought about its safety, then our planet would be really green. There would be no cigarette butts, bottles, forests would not be cut down, animals would not be exterminated. Many extinct species would have survived. This is how the manifestation of the correlation between the objective factor (nature) and the subjective factor (human behavior) looks like.
The study of the nature and specifics of social life should begin with the study of its primary element - man, man as a person. But man is not born as a person. In the process of life, especially at an early age, she acquires all one way or another the necessary social signs and features that help her live and act in the social environment, perceive it and make its own influential adjustments in the process of activity.
The individual does not have the opportunity to choose where, when and how to live. He finds a certain natural and social environment, is forced to adapt, adapt to its conditions. This process of “entering” into social life is commonly called socialization. Its essence lies in the development of social roles (son, brother, friend, student, buyer, passenger, etc.) and acquiring the skills of appropriate role-playing behavior. The assimilation and adjustment of such skills are stimulated by the encouragement or condemnation from others, through the system of social control. Socialization begins in early childhood and continues throughout life, as the options for role behavior are endless.
So, a person constantly feels his full or at least partial dependence on other people or depersonalized by external circumstances. She sees that her desire and aspiration each time encounter certain obstacles, her possibilities in realizing her own will and achieving her goal are, as a rule, limited. Already from childhood, she gets used to perceive the surrounding world of people as rigidly normalized and determined by custom, law or someone else's will. Therefore, the theory of socialization acquires decisive importance in studying the system of action of these factors.
We will call socialization the process during which a human being with certain biological inclinations acquires certain qualities necessary for life in society. In a broader definition, this concept is understood as the process of assimilation by an individual of patterns of behavior, psychological mechanisms, social norms and values that are necessary for the successful functioning of an individual in a given society.
Theory of socialization establishes under the influence of what social factors certain personality traits are created, and the very mechanism of the process of a person's entry from the individual to the social. From these positions, the system of socialization includes: social cognition, mastery of certain skills of practical activity, assimilation of certain norms, positions, roles and statuses, development of value orientations and attitudes, as well as the inclusion of a person in active creative activity. Socialization includes the processes of assimilation, adaptation (getting used to new conditions), education (targeted impact on the spiritual sphere and behavior of the individual), learning (mastering new knowledge) - in a word, learning the "rules of life". Sometimes, as derivatives, both maturation and maturation are included here (sociopsychological on the physiological processes of human formation). Thus, socialization is not only the acquisition of social and economic independence, but also the formation of personality. The individual is the starting point of this process, and the mature person is the final one.
The process of socialization continues throughout life, it distinguishes several "life" cycles (stages): to labor, labor and labor. In this regard, socialization has an active character.
Depending on the age of the person, three main stages of socialization are conditionally defined: primary (socialization of the child, marginal (adolescent), persistent holistic socialization (transition to maturity). In addition, each period is characterized by certain signs. So, in adulthood, socialization is aimed at changing behavior in a new situation, and in childhood, the emphasis is on the formation of value orientation.Adults, based on their own experience, are only able to evaluate and perceive them critically, and children are only able to assimilate them.Figure 1 shows the ratio of assimilation and acquisition of social characteristics and qualities in the process of socialization and depending on age: at an early age - the process of assimilation of qualities is most intensive, and, as a rule, the most important vital, basic signs, at a later age - on the contrary.
Socialization- as a purposeful constructive process - should begin in childhood, when almost 70% of the human personality is formed. If you are late, irreversible processes may begin. It is in childhood that the foundation of socialization is laid, time is its most unprotected stage. The process of acquiring certain social qualities occurs through whose outside help - socialization agents (specific people who are responsible for teaching and assimilating cultural norms and social roles of socialization institutions (institutions, institutions that influence the process of socialization and direct it). Since socialization is divided into two types - primary and secondary, insofar as agents and institutions of socialization are divided into primary (the immediate and immediate environment of a person: parents, family, relatives, friends, teachers, etc.), and secondary (all those who are in the second, less important echelon of influence per person: representatives of the school administration, institute, enterprise, army, church, law enforcement agencies, mass media, various formal organizations, official institutions).
Socialization goes through stages that coincide with the so-called life cycles. They mark important milestones in the biography of each person. Life cycles are associated with a change in social roles, the acquisition of a new status, a change in lifestyle, and the like. One of the mechanisms of socialization is based on this - the so-called cyclic theory of socialization (according to the stages or cycles of individual human development). According to this theory, personality formation goes through 8 stages, respectively, at each of which a characteristic mechanism of perception and development of the social environment occurs:
This theory has socio-psychological and age aspects of human formation.
The process of socialization sometimes changes significantly. This, as a rule, is associated with the transition of a person to a new life stage, a new life cycle. A person has to relearn a lot: move away from previous values, norms, roles, rules of behavior - (desocialization) by learning and assimilating new values, norms, roles, rules of behavior instead of the old ones (resocialization). All these subprocesses are included in the structure of the multifaceted mechanism of socialization.
Sociology studies socialization in different aspects: socialization of generations in specific historical conditions, individuals in certain socio-economic conditions, age socialization in a particular society. But it will be more complete if we begin the study of social phenomena from the conditions of their formation: natural, economic, cultural. This is the so-called evolutionary (complex) level of the mechanism of socialization (Fig. 2. Factors in the formation of social relations).
Natural. Let's start with the fact that "social life" is a complex of phenomena that arise from the interaction of individuals and groups. "Public" manifests itself in both the plant and animal worlds. In plants, this is a natural process of evolution, adaptation to the environment, direct dependence on conditions, and there is no conscious action or intention in them. The animal has connections, an awakening, which people also have, for example, uncoordinated associations (cockroaches) of high-type cohesion (ants, bees, wolves, lions, monkeys). And since these connections are no longer determined by any factors, but only by natural ones, it is possible to detect their influence on people.
The initial foundations of social life are biological - these are the characteristics of the human body, biological needs, physiological processes. The main ones, thanks to which human culture was formed, are:
■ straight walking;
■ hands, fingers (to this day a universal instrument of human activity);
■ dependence of children on parents, care of the latter;
■ plasticity of needs, habits, developed adaptation;
■ stability and specificity of behavior (particularly sexual "), communication.
There are various anthropological theories, according to which natural conditions are interpreted as the main factor in the development of society.
Geographic conditions- This is the second set of natural conditions. Man, as a "zoological species", lives on land, where there is an influence of geographical conditions on its activities (relief, climatic and weather conditions). The specificity of these conditions reflects the placement of people, resettlement, and the state of health. (Example: comparison of the specifics of the geographical and social conditions of the inhabitants of the tundra, desert, forest zone). There is a direction in sociological theory - geographical determinism, which explains the human psyche as a reaction to natural geographical conditions. (Example: comparing the character of a Spaniard and a Swede). But man is a creative being, it changes, subjugates, adapts the environment. Dependence on geographical conditions was felt mainly only in primitive society. Therefore, the geographical environment, although it forms the basis, does not determine the course of social life.
Demographic bases can also be attributed to natural conditions: these are the phenomena of fertility, natural increase, population density; the relative composition of a certain type of population (youth, older people). All this affects economic and social processes and phenomena (production, standard of living). The demographic process also determines certain limits of social life. A rationally quantitatively regulated and hygienically healthy population is an important factor in social development.
Social theories that study the problem of social development, the size and quality of the population, are defined as the concept of demographic determinism. Natural conditions are a necessary basis for social life, but they are not decisive.
Another group of conditions-factors of social life is economic conditions. As a bioist, a person depends to a certain extent on nature, but this dependence is not decisive. Man is inherently a creator - he adapts, subjugates the elements of the natural environment, works. The process of purposeful human influence, during which it transforms the elements of the natural environment into the means of satisfying its needs, into the material goods necessary for life, is called labor. This is a constant and necessary process, and therefore the production of material goods determines the basic processes of social life. In order to transform an element of nature into a definite and necessary, worthy form for use, consumption, a person puts into action all his natural forces: hands, fingers, head. Acting on nature, it is socially modified. The production process itself includes:
■ purposeful human activity;
■ item that is produced;
■ the tool that guides.
Tools of labor in historical development under the influence of man have changed; the people who were engaged in these tools also changed. But the production process is not only a level of development, in this process people interacted with each other, entered into certain relationships, relationships. This is how production and economic relations were formed - a system of connections and dependencies in which people are engaged in the process of production, exchange, consumption. Economic relations are the way in which the people of a certain society produce livelihoods and exchange products (because there is a division of labor). People engaged in production enter into certain social and political relations.
Production and economic relations were transformed on a certain basis - the relationship of people to the instruments of production (form of ownership). In the process of historical and economic development, some took possession of the means, while others offered labor (physical strength, skill, knowledge). From here - there was a division of people into social classes, layers. The satisfaction of natural goods led to the formation of institutions of production, exchange and consumption, a certain system of relations, which, in turn, gave rise to various forms of community of people.
Cultural Foundations- this is the third set of factors that determine the phenomena and processes of social life.
The influence of culture on social life is expressed primarily through the socialization and formation of an individual, as well as through the formation and development of each individual era in the process of the historical development of society, which, in turn, determines the shade and nature of socialization. The place and role of the phenomenon of culture is most fully realized thanks to the important social functions that culture has performed and still performs in society. Each individual becomes a member of society, and most importantly, a person only in the process of socialization, thanks to the assimilation of knowledge, skills, language, values, norms, traditions, rules of conduct of his social group and the whole society as a whole. Culture consolidates, solders, integrates people, ensures the integrity of society.
Schematically, socialization can be depicted as a system "child - family - person". It is in the family that the child acquires the first signs of social life. A person is formed in the process of education. The child learns, accepts and acquires certain traits, knowledge and skills.
The creation and introduction of a value system is another form of cultural influence. Culture establishes a system of values, defines the criteria. This includes not only teaching cultural norms and mastering social roles, but also the transfer from parents to children of social values, ideas about what is good and evil, good and bad, etc. Man is primarily characterized by biological needs, and it satisfies them. In the further mechanism of satisfying needs, interests and values arise, because they are realized in different ways, means, methods - a choice is formed in interests and means.
In such situations, values come into play, the scale of values - those "objects" (material and spiritual) that provide a person with internal balance, or those that are necessary to satisfy needs, maintain internal balance. This is an important behavior factor. Thanks to the hierarchy of values, a person manifests his attitude, behaves, and reacts in different ways. A combination of her actions in various situations is created. Values are created and developed in the course of cultural development. They are acquired in public life - in the course of socialization. A person develops - his system of values is formed. A developed value system is the result of proper socialization. The value system determines the choice of means to satisfy needs, interests, determines the direction in needs. And how the system of values is modified in different situations, this is recognized as "models" of actions, behaviors established within a certain culture.
Patterns of activity and patterns of behavior are also elements of the mechanism for the formation and functioning of social relations. Behavior patterns are certain patterns of behavior used in certain situations, that is, "how one should behave and act in various conditions and situations." The pattern of behavior expresses a certain regularity of the course of phenomena established and accepted in a given culture. It is an established pattern of social behavior. This is a desirable model associated with values that need to be accepted. The adopted models become a style, a principle, and in a certain way act on the organization of human communities.
Ultimately, culture exerts an influential force on the formation of personality through the creation and functioning of social institutions, social systems. In the process of social development, forms of organizing joint activities of people have historically been formed, according to which the latter, in the course of their life, in mutual actions, use (and should) accepted social norms and socio-cultural patterns that determine sustainable forms of social behavior. A person does not choose these norms and patterns, but fixes them and acts according to them.
Socialization, the establishment of values, samples and models, institutional factors are the most important ways in which culture influences the course of social life. Together with the economic foundations, it gives people symbols, values, defines, and also responds to needs, after satisfying basic biological needs. In the course of socialization, the individual plays both a passive (assimilation of social experience, perception of values) and an active role (the formation of a certain system of orientation, attitudes).
The process of socialization in sociology is also considered as a dual process of the internal and external character of the individual's action. Internality in human behavior is manifested in the transformation of external factors of the social environment into internal processes of consciousness and the orientation of a person to external influencing life factors as a dominant. Externality turns out to be in the objectification of the external world of a person in his practical activity, and the system of his own manifestations of conscious action with the external world is a dominant feature. Thus, culture is something that is acquired by a person in the process of socialization. And socialization is how culture is assimilated by a person. It is both a mechanism and a process.
To begin with, let us turn to the analysis of the initial concepts - "nature" and "society".
The term "nature" is used in two senses. Nature in a broad sense- everything that exists, the whole world, the Universe, i.e. everything around, including man and society. Nature in the narrow sense- the natural environment in which the life of a person and society takes place (the surface of the Earth with its special qualitative characteristics: climate, minerals, etc.).
Society there is a detached part of nature, which has become an independent, socio-cultural reality as a result of the joint activity of people. The phenomena of culture and civilization are artificially created, second nature. Nature is much older than society, but since the existence of mankind, the history of people and the history of nature have been inextricably linked with each other: society is not isolated from nature, not protected from the influence of natural forces, both positive and negative.
The relationship of nature, society and man has always attracted the attention of philosophy.
ancient philosophy gave priority to nature, to the Cosmos as a living ordered whole. The ideal for a person, understood as a part of the Cosmos, was considered to live in harmony with nature.
IN Middle Ages nature was placed lower than man, for the latter was conceived as the image and likeness of God, as the crown of creation and the king of earthly nature. It was believed that God's plan was embodied in nature.
IN renaissance man discovered beauty in nature. The unity of man and nature was affirmed, but man is already striving to subjugate nature.
This aspiration becomes the leading one in new time when nature becomes an object of scientific knowledge and active transformational activity of man.
Over time, such a utilitarian-pragmatic attitude to nature began to dominate in all technogenic civilizations up to the present day. As an opposition to this approach, the awareness of the need for cooperation between man and nature, an equal dialogue with it, is maturing.
Given the fact of the interaction of nature and society, we will focus on this issue on the role of nature in the life and development of society. It is clear that nature, forming the natural habitat of man, is a necessary condition for the existence and development of society.
The most important component of nature is geographical environment- a part of nature involved in the sphere of human practical activity. In a more concrete expression, it is understood as the totality of the geographical location, surface structure, soil cover, fossil resources, climate, water resources, flora and fauna on the territory of the Earth where a certain human society lives and develops. In other words, the geographical environment is represented by such components of nature as: lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere.
It plays a particularly important role biosphere- the living shell of our planet, the area of interaction between living and non-living, which, according to Vernadsky, with the advent of people, passes into a qualitatively new state - the noosphere.
The society also has its constituent parts:
▪ anthroposphere- the sphere of life of people as biological organisms;
▪ sociosphere- the area of public relations between people;
▪ biotechnosphere- the area of distribution of the technical influence of mankind.
Allocate three aspects of the impact of nature on society:
▪ ecological- "nature around us" (geographical environment, as well as part of the near space, which is mastered by man);
▪ anthropological– “nature is within us” (= the natural-biological principle in the person himself: heredity, racial characteristics, temperament, inclinations);
▪ demographic characterizing the biological characteristics of the entire human race.
These features are expressed in terms of population” (= a continuously reproducing collection of people living in a certain territory), its “ sex and age structure», « height», « density". The laws of population (birth, death, increase or decrease) are of a historical, biosocial nature. It is recorded that the population of the Earth is noticeably increasing from epoch to epoch.
There is a concept that states that population growth is a factor that determines the development of society. Within its framework, there were two options: 1) population growth is good for society, because stimulates the development of production ( V. Petty in 17th century England M.M. Kovalevsky in Russia, 19th century) 2) population growth is evil, the source of social disasters. Thus, the English economist and priest T.R.Malthus(1766-1834) in his work "An Essay on the Law of Population" argued that population growth, if it does not meet with resistance, occurs exponentially (doubling every 25 years), and the growth of livelihood - in arithmetic. Hence Malthus concludes that the main evil that leads to the poverty of the population is its growth.
Despite inaccuracies in calculations and forecasts, for the first time in Malthus the question of population becomes the object of strictly scientific research. Moreover, the current demographic situation is characterized as “ population explosion» - a rapid increase in the rate of population growth due to the countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America: if in 2000 the population of the Earth was 6 billion people, now it is already about 7 billion, in 2025 it is expected to be 8 billion, and in 2050 - 9.3 billion.
The reverse side of the problem is a decrease in population growth in a number of developed countries: in Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, etc. Negative dynamics is also observed in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. In general, maintaining the current rate of population growth on the Earth can lead to the destruction of the natural environment, economic decline, deterioration in the quality of life of people, problems of migrants... ways to feed humanity, incl. due to the achievements of science, but this should be consistent with the solution of environmental problems.
The impact of nature on society (in its environmental aspect) received insight within geographical determinism- directions in social philosophy, according to which the factors of the geographical environment play a decisive role in the life and development of society. The foundations of this approach were outlined in antiquity ( Hippocrates), but it has been especially widespread since the beginning of the 16th century. - the time of the beginning of the great geographical discoveries.
One of the major representatives of geographical determinism in modern times C. Montesquieu In his book "On the Spirit of Laws" he held the idea that climate, soil, terrain determine the moral and psychological appearance of the people, and through this - the laws, the social system.
So, if the southern peoples are relaxed and lazy, then the peoples of the North, where the climate is harsh and the soil is scarce, are brave and inclined to defend their freedom. As a result, despotisms are more likely to take shape in the south than in the north. Montesquieu's conclusion: "The power of climate is stronger than all powers!"
The geographical direction was also represented in our country. K.I.Ber(17921876) argued that the fate of peoples is determined "in advance and inevitably by the nature of the area they occupy." L.I. Mechnikov(1838-1888) also sought to prove that the geographical environment is a decisive force in historical progress, while emphasizing the role of waterways. The development of society, according to him, goes from the most ancient, isolated from each other, river civilizations, to sea, and then oceanic, which begin with the discovery of America. This process, according to Mechnikov, leads to an acceleration of the development of society, to an increase in its dynamics.
Some domestic thinkers posed the question more broadly - about the influence of cosmic factors on the development of society ( Chizhevsky, L. Gumilyov, Vernadsky and etc.).
Geographical determinism as a whole is criticized for a certain metaphysical thinking, for the fact that it does not take into account the evolution of society and its reverse impact on nature. However, despite the one-sidedness of the considered theories, they reflect some important aspects of the influence of natural factors on social life.
