Society

(From L. societas). Natural or consensual grouping of persons that constitutes a unity distinct from each of its individuals. A form or system of joint coexistence of human beings, and a certain stage of their self-organization. S. is not merely about the sum of its individuals; it is about their self-organization. In different periods of world history and in different regions, a number of specific models of s. have existed: various models of social structure, of family relations, of the community, of political institutions, of culture, ideology, etc. A s. may be made up of hundreds and thousands of communities, organized according to some criterion: religious, gender, occupational, familial, residential, or on the basis of common interests. Society has a dynamic life, as does each person, who is the bearer and creator of the social whole.