{"id":12292,"date":"2021-06-07T13:17:32","date_gmt":"2021-06-07T07:47:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/?p=12292"},"modified":"2021-06-07T13:17:32","modified_gmt":"2021-06-07T07:47:32","slug":"what-is-social-order-in-sociology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/what-is-social-order-in-sociology\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Social Order in Sociology?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"mntl-sc-page_1-0\" class=\"comp structured-content expert-content mntl-sc-page mntl-block\" data-sc-sticky-offset=\"85\" data-sc-ad-label-height=\"24\" data-sc-ad-track-spacing=\"100\" data-sc-min-track-height=\"250\" data-sc-max-track-height=\"600\" data-sc-breakpoint=\"54em\" data-sc-load-immediate=\"3\" data-sc-content-positions=\"[1, 1050, 1250, 1550, 1950, 2350, 2750, 3150]\" data-bind-scroll-on-start=\"true\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ntu.ac.uk\/__data\/assets\/image\/0024\/111669\/480216497.jpg\" alt=\"MA Advanced Social Work Practice MA Professional Course | Nottingham Trent  University\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Social order is a fundamental concept in sociology that refers to the way the various components of society work together to maintain the status quo. They include:<\/p>\n<ul id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-2\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">\n<li>social structures\u00a0and institutions<\/li>\n<li>social relations<\/li>\n<li>social interactions and behavior<\/li>\n<li>cultural features such as\u00a0norms, beliefs, and values<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-3\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-adslot mntl-block\">\n<div id=\"mntl-block_6-0\" class=\"comp mntl-block\">\n<div id=\"ref-billboard2-sticky-dynamic_1-0\" class=\"comp scads-to-load right-rail__item ref-billboard2-sticky-dynamic mntl-sc-sticky-billboard scads-stick-in-parent scads-ad-placed\" data-height=\"600\">\n<div id=\"mntl-sc-sticky-billboard-ad_3-0\" class=\"comp mntl-billboard mntl-sc-sticky-billboard-ad mntl-dynamic-billboard mntl-gpt-dynamic-adunit mntl-gpt-adunit gpt billboard dynamic\" data-ad-width=\"300\" data-ad-height=\"600\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span id=\"definition\" class=\"heading-toc\"><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_68 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >What's Inside this Blog!<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/what-is-social-order-in-sociology\/#Definition\" title=\"Definition\">Definition<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/what-is-social-order-in-sociology\/#Social_Contract\" title=\"Social Contract\">Social Contract<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/what-is-social-order-in-sociology\/#Durkheims_Theory\" title=\"Durkheim&#8217;s Theory\">Durkheim&#8217;s Theory<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/what-is-social-order-in-sociology\/#Marxs_Critical_Theory\" title=\"Marx&#8217;s Critical Theory\">Marx&#8217;s Critical Theory<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/what-is-social-order-in-sociology\/#Merit_in_Each_Theory\" title=\"Merit in Each Theory\">Merit in Each Theory<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-4\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block reference-sc-block-heading mntl-sc-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Definition\"><\/span><span class=\"mntl-sc-block-heading__text\">Definition<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-5\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Outside the field of sociology, people often use the term &#8220;social order&#8221; to refer to a state of stability and consensus that exists in the absence of chaos and upheaval. Sociologists, however, have a more complex understanding of the term.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-7\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Within the field, it refers to the organization of many interrelated parts of a society. Social order is present when individuals agree to a shared\u00a0social contract that states that certain rules and laws must be abided and certain standards, values, and norms maintained.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-9\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Social order can be observed within national societies, geographical regions, institutions and organizations, communities, formal and informal\u00a0groups, and even at the scale of\u00a0global society.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-11\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Within all of these, social order is most often hierarchical; some people hold more power than others so they can enforce the laws, rules, and norms necessary for the preservation of social order.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-13\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Practices, behaviors, values, and beliefs that are counter to those of the social order are typically framed as\u00a0deviant and\/or dangerous\u00a0and are curtailed through the enforcement of laws, rules, norms, and\u00a0taboos.<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"social-contract\" class=\"heading-toc\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-15\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block reference-sc-block-heading mntl-sc-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Social_Contract\"><\/span><span class=\"mntl-sc-block-heading__text\">Social Contract<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-16\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">The question of how social order is achieved and maintained is the question that gave birth to the field of sociology.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-18\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">In his book\u00a0<em>Leviathan,\u00a0<\/em>English philosopher Thomas Hobbes laid the groundwork for the exploration of this question within the social sciences. Hobbes recognized that without some form of social contract, there could be no society, and chaos and disorder would reign.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-20\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">According to Hobbes, modern states were created to provide social order. People agree to empower the state to enforce the rule of law, and in exchange, they give up some individual power. This is the essence of the social contract that lies at the foundation of Hobbes&#8217; theory of social order.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-22\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">As sociology became an established field of study, early thinkers became keenly interested in the question of social order.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-24\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Founding figures such as\u00a0Karl Marx\u00a0and\u00a0\u00c9mile Durkheim\u00a0focused their attention on the significant transitions that occurred before and during their lifetimes, including industrialization, urbanization, and the waning of religion as a significant force in social life.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-26\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">These two theorists, though, had polar opposite views on how social order is achieved and maintained, and to what ends.<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"durkheims-theory\" class=\"heading-toc\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-28\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block reference-sc-block-heading mntl-sc-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Durkheims_Theory\"><\/span><span class=\"mntl-sc-block-heading__text\">Durkheim&#8217;s Theory<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-29\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Through his study of the role of religion in primitive and traditional societies, French sociologist \u00c9mile Durkheim came to believe that social order arose out of the shared beliefs, values, norms, and practices of a given group of people.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-31\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">His view locates the origins of social order in the practices and interactions of daily life as well as those associated with rituals and important events. In other words, it is a theory of social order that puts\u00a0culture\u00a0at the forefront.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-33\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Durkheim theorized that it was through the culture shared by a group, community, or society that a sense of social connection\u2014what he called solidarity\u2014emerged between and among people and that worked to bind them together into a collective.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-35\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Durkheim referred to a group&#8217;s shared collection of beliefs, values, attitudes, and knowledge as the &#8220;collective conscience.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-37\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">In primitive and traditional societies Durkheim observed that sharing these things was enough to create a &#8220;mechanical solidarity&#8221; that bound the group together.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-39\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">In the larger, more diverse, and urbanized societies of modern times, Durkheim observed that it was the recognition of the need to rely on each other to fulfill different roles and functions that bound society together. He called this &#8220;organic solidarity.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-41\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Durkheim also observed that social institutions\u2014such as the state, media, education, and law enforcement\u2014play formative roles in fostering a collective conscience in both traditional and modern societies.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-43\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">According to Durkheim, it is through our interactions with these institutions and with the people around us that we participate in the maintenance of rules and norms and behavior that enable the smooth functioning of society. In other words, we work together to maintain social order.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-45\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Durkheim&#8217;s view became the foundation for the\u00a0functionalist perspective,\u00a0which views society as the sum of interlocking and interdependent parts that evolve together to maintain social order.<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"marxs-critical-theory\" class=\"heading-toc\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-47\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block reference-sc-block-heading mntl-sc-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Marxs_Critical_Theory\"><\/span><span class=\"mntl-sc-block-heading__text\">Marx&#8217;s Critical Theory<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-48\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">German philosopher Karl Marx took a different view of social order. Focusing on the transition from\u00a0pre-capitalist to capitalist economies and their effects on society, he developed a theory of social order centered on the economic structure of society and the social relations involved in the production of goods.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-50\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Marx believed that these aspects of society were responsible for producing the social order, while others\u2014including social institutions and the state\u2014were responsible for maintaining it. He referred to these two components of society as the\u00a0base and the superstructure.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-52\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">In his writings on\u00a0capitalism, Marx argued that the superstructure grows out of the base and reflects the interests of the ruling class that controls it. The superstructure justifies how the base operates, and in doing so, justifies the power of the ruling class. Together, the base and the superstructure create and maintain social order.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-54\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">From his observations of history and politics, Marx concluded that the shift to a capitalist industrial economy throughout Europe created a class of workers who were exploited by company owners and their financiers.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-56\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">The result was a hierarchical class-based society in which a small minority held power over the majority, whose labor they used for their own financial gain. Marx believed social institutions did the work of spreading the values and beliefs of the ruling class to maintain a social order that would serve their interests and protect their power.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-58\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Marx&#8217;s critical view of social order is the basis of the\u00a0conflict theory perspective\u00a0in sociology, which views social order as a precarious state shaped by ongoing conflicts between groups that are competing for access to resources and power.<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"merit-in-each-theory\" class=\"heading-toc\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-60\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block reference-sc-block-heading mntl-sc-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Merit_in_Each_Theory\"><\/span><span class=\"mntl-sc-block-heading__text\">Merit in Each Theory<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-61\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">While some sociologists align themselves with either Durkheim&#8217;s or Marx&#8217;s view of social order, most recognize that both theories have merit. A nuanced understanding of social order must acknowledge that it is the product of multiple and sometimes contradictory processes.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-63\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">Social order is a necessary feature of any society and it is deeply important for building a sense of belonging and connection with others. At the same time, social order is also responsible for producing and maintaining oppression.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0-65\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">A true understanding of how social order is constructed must take all of these contradictory aspects into account.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Social order is a fundamental concept in sociology that refers to the way the various components of society work<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11844,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1033,114,1030,1029,1028,1032,1026,115,116,1034,1027,1031],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-best-optional-sociology","category-sociology-optional","category-sociology-civils","category-sociology-ias","category-sociology-mains","category-sociology-mains-ias","category-sociology-optional-sociology-optional","category-sociology-optional-paper-i","category-sociology-optional-paper-ii","category-sociology-scoring-optional","category-sociology-upsc","category-sociology-upsc-mains"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12292"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12293,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12292\/revisions\/12293"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}