Conceptualization of the society category in the history of sociology: key discussions

The article highlights and analyzes in detail the key discussions that took place in the history of sociology in relation to the category of society and its conceptualization: about the essence of society, about the driving forces (factors) that determine the development of society; on the identification of historical types of societies; about the methodology of analysis of society.

Within the framework of the first discussion – about the essence of society, approaches to the essence of society by sociological nominalists and sociological realists are considered.

The second discussion, dedicated to the driving forces of societal development, is presented from the points of view of geographic, demographic, technological, cultural, biological and economic determinists.

Special attention is paid to the concept of socio-historical determinism, and within its framework – to the categories of social production and social activity.

In the third discussion, devoted to the problem of identifying historical types of societies, the stages of development of societies according to H. Spencer, the movement of society from barbarism to civilization by J.St. Mill, and also provides a typology of societies according to E. Giddens.

The trajectories of development of industrial societies also apply to this discussion. The article examines the concept of “new industrial society” by J. Galbraith, ideas about modern and postmodern societies, ideas about “reflexive modernization”. Particular attention is paid to the information and digital societies. Approaches to the category of digitalization are outlined, a definition of a digital society is given, types of digital inequality are outlined, which lead to a special social exclusion that reduces the life chances of people.

The fourth discussion, about the methodology of analyzing society, is presented by the points of view of structural functionalists – T. Parsons and E. Shills, as well as a systematic approach that takes into account the totality of all types of relations between members of society, in modern sociology is designated by the concept of “societal relations”. The article emphasizes that it is societal relations that form social reality, which has a significant impact on the content and forms of social behavior of people and the world around them in a particular society.

The authors also consider the reasons for the critical understanding of the category of society in modern sociology, and also provide arguments showing its significance.

1. Baumann Z. Intimations of postmodernity. L., 1992.

2. Bell D. Grjadushhee postindustrial’noe obshhestvo. Opyt social’nogo prognozirovanija [Qe coming postindustrial society. Social forecasting experience]. M., 2004 (in Russian).

3. Bzhezinskij Zg. Vybor: mirovoe gospodstvo ili global’noe liderstvo [Choice: world domination or global leadership]. M., 2010 (in Russian).

4. Giddens Je. Sociologija [Sociology]. M., 1999 (in Russian).

5. Giddens Je., Satton F. Osnovnye ponjatija sociologii [Basic concepts of sociology]. M., 2018 (in Russian).

6. Gjelbrejt Dzh. Novoe industrial’noe obshhestvo [Qe new industrial society]. M., 1969 (in Russian).

7. Darendorf R. Tropy iz utopii. Raboty po teorii i istorii sociologii [Paths from Utopia. Works on the theory and history of sociology]. M., 2002 (in Russian).

8. Dobrinskaja D.E. Kiberprostranstvo — territorija sovremennoj zhizni [Cyberspace — the territory of modern life] // Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Serija 18. Sociologija i politologija. 2018. N 1. S. 52–70 (in Russian).

9. Dobrinskaja D.E., Martynenko T.S. Perspektivy rossijskogo informacionnogo obshhestva: urovni cifrovogo razryva [Prospects for the Russian information society: levels of the digital divide] // Vestnik RUDN. Serija: Sociologija. 2019. T. 19. N 1. S. 108–120 (in Russian).

10. Djurkgejm Je. Sociologija. Ee predmet, metod, prednaznachenie [Sociology. Its subject, method, purpose]. M., 1996 (in Russian).

11. Frank S.L. Duhovnye osnovy obshhestva. Vvedenie a social’nuju filosofiju [Spiritual foundations of society. Introduction to Social Philosophy]. Parizh, 1930 (in Russian).

12. Halin V.G., Chernova G.V. Cifrovizacija i ee vlijanie na rossijskuju jekonomiku i obshhestvo: preimushhestva, vyzovy, ugrozy i riski [Digitalization and its impact on the Russian economy and society: advantages, challenges, threats and risks] // Upravlencheskoe konsul’tirovanie. 2018. N 10 (in Russian).

13. Mal’tus T. Opyt zakona o narodonaselenii [Experience of the Law on Population]. URL: http://liv.piramidin.com/politica/maltus_opyt/maltus_opyt.htm (data obrashhenija: 25.07.2019) (in Russian).

14. Mechnikov L.I. Civilizacija i velikie istoricheskie reki [Civilization and great historical rivers]. M., 1995 (in Russian).

15. Mill’ Dzh.St. Sistema logiki sillogisticheskoj i induktivnoj: izlozhenie principov dokazatel’stva v svjazi s metodami nauchnogo issledovanija [Qe system of syllogistic and inductive logic: a statement of the principles of proof in connection with the methods of scientibc research] / Predisl. i pril. V.K. Finna. M., 2011. Gl. XVII. § 1 (in Russian).

16. Negroponte N. Being digital. Kent, 1995.

17. Osipov G.V. Vvedenie v sociologicheskuju nauku [Introduction to sociological science]. M., 2010. S. 273 (in Russian).

18. Osipov G.V., Naletova A.D. Obshhestvo [Society] // Rossijskaja sociologicheskaja jenciklopedija. M., 1998 (in Russian).

19. Osipov G.V. Sociologicheskaja nauka v uslovijah stanovlenija cifrovoj civilizacii [Sociological science in the formation of a digital civilization]. SPb., 2016 (in Russian).

20. Osipova E.V. Patriarhi sociologii [Patriarchs of Sociology]. M., 2011 (in Russian).

21. Osipova N.G. Zapadnaja sociologija v XX stoletii: kljuchevyebgury, napravlenija i shkoly [Western sociology in the twentieth century: key bgures, trends and schools]. M., 2018 (in Russian).

22. Osipova N.G. Metodologicheskaja samoreSeksija zapadnoj sociologii na rubezhe stoletij [Methodological self-reSection of Western sociology at the turn of the century] // Osipova N.G. Zapadnaja sociologija v XX stoletii: kljuchevye bgury, napravlenija i shkoly. M., 2018 (in Russian).

23. Parsons T. Obshhij obzor [General overview] // Amerikanskaja sociologija. Perspektivy, problemy, metody. M., 1972 (in Russian).

24. Parsons T. Podsistemy obshhestva [Subsystems of society] // Parsons T. Sistema sovremennyh obshhestv. M., 1998 (in Russian).

25. Parsons T. Ponjatie obshhestva [Qe concept of society] // Parsons T. Sistema sovremennyh obshhestv. M., 1998 (in Russian).

26. Poljakova N.L. XX vek v sociologicheskih teorijah obshhestva [XX century in sociological theories of society]. M., 2004 (in Russian).

27. Shillz Je. Obshhestvo i obshhestva: makrosociologicheskij podhod [Society and society: macrosociological approach] // Amerikanskaja sociologija. Perspektivy, problemy, metody. M., 1972 (in Russian).

28. Shtompka P. Sociologija. Analiz sovremennogo obshhestva [Sociology]. M., 2005 (in Russian).

29. Shvyrev V.S. Scientizm [Scientism] // Jelektronnaja biblioteka IF RAN. Novaja blosofskaja jenciklopedija. URL: https:iphlib.ru (data obrashhenija: 25.07.2019) (in Russian).

30. Smart B. Modernity, postmodernity and the present // Qeories of Modernity and Postmodernity / Ed. by B. Turner. L., 1990.

31. Sokolova G.N. Trud [Labor] // Sociologija: Jenciklopedija / Sost. A.A. Gricanov, V.L. Abushenko, G.M. Evelkin, G.N. Sokolova, O.V. Tereshhenko. Mn., 2003 (in Russian).

32. Sorokin P.A. Sistema sociologii [Sociology System] / Vstupit. stat’ja, sost. i kommentarii V.V. Sapova. M., 2008 (in Russian).

33. Spenser G. Sinteticheskaja blosobja [Synthetic philosophy]. K., 1997 (in Russian).

34. Strauss L., Cropsly J. History of political philosophy. Chicago, 2012.

35. Strinati D. Postmodernism and popular culture // Sociology Review. 1992. Apr.