Portal:Society

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Portal topics
Activities
Culture
Geography
Health
History
Mathematics
Nature
People
Philosophy
Religion
Society
Technology
Random portal
edit 

The Society Portal

Ant (formicidae) social ethology
Ant (formicidae) social ethology

A society (/səˈsaɪəti/) is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societies are characterized by patterns of relationships (social relations) between individuals who share a distinctive culture and institutions; a given society may be described as the sum total of such relationships among its constituent members. In the social sciences, a larger society often exhibits stratification or dominance patterns in subgroups.

Societies construct patterns of behavior by deeming certain actions or concepts acceptable or unacceptable. These patterns of behavior within a given society are known as societal norms. Societies and their norms undergo gradual and perpetual changes.

So far as it is collaborative, a society can enable its members to benefit in ways that would otherwise be difficult on an individual basis; both individual and social (common) benefits can thus be distinguished, or in many cases, found to overlap. A society can also consist of like-minded people governed by their own norms and values within a dominant, larger society. This is sometimes referred to as a subculture, a term used extensively within criminology and also applied to distinctive subsections of a larger society.

More broadly, and especially within structuralist thought, a society may be illustrated as an economic, social, industrial, or cultural infrastructure made up of, yet distinct from, a varied collection of individuals. In this regard, society can mean the objective relationships people have with the material world and with other people, rather than "other people" beyond the individual and their familiar social environment. (Full article...)

edit 

Selected article

A Song Dynasty painting of an outdoor banquet
Chinese society during the Song Dynasty was marked by political and legal reforms, a philosophical revival of Confucianism, and the development of cities beyond administrative purposes into centers of trade, industry, and maritime commerce. The inhabitants of rural areas were mostly farmers, although some were also hunters, fishers, or government employees working in mines or the salt marshes. Contrarily, shopkeepers, artisans, city guards, entertainers, laborers, and wealthy merchants lived in the county and provincial centers along with the Chinese gentry—a small, elite community of educated scholars and scholar-officials. The military also provided a means for advancement in Song society for those who became officers, even though soldiers were not highly-respected members of society. Although certain domestic and familial duties were expected of women in Song society, they nonetheless enjoyed a wide range of social and legal rights in an otherwise patriarchal society. Women's improved rights to property came gradually with the increasing value of dowries offered by brides' families. Daoism and Buddhism were the dominant religions of China in the Song era, the latter deeply impacting many beliefs and principles of Neo-Confucianism throughout the dynasty. The Song justice system was maintained by policing sheriffs, investigators, official coroners, and exam-drafted officials who acted as magistrates.
edit 

Featured picture

Calydonian BoarCredit: Engraving: François Louis Lonsing, after Giulio Romano; Restoration: Adam Cuerden

A 1773 engraving showing the Greek legend of the Calydonian Boar, which was sent by Artemis to ravage the region of Calydon in Aetolia because its king failed to honor her in his rites to the gods. Many Olympian heroes took part in hunting the boar, and it was eventually killed by Meleager and Atalanta, as depicted here.

edit 

Did you know...

Buryat people

edit 

Anniversaries this month

≠→

American Association for the Advancement of Science

edit 

Selected quote

George Clooney
— George Clooney, 2006
edit 

Selected biography

Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu was an ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher who is traditionally believed to be the author of The Art of War, an influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy. Sun Tzu has had a significant impact on Chinese and Asian history and culture, both as an author of The Art of War and through legend. Sun Tzu, also known as Sun Tze or Sun Wu in other translations, was a historical figure whose authenticity is questioned by historians. This is a Chinese name which would usually mean the family name comes first however "Zi" (子; "Tzu" in Wade–Giles transliteration) was used as a suffix for the family name of a respectable man in ancient Chinese culture. In this case, 子 "Tzu" is not the personal or family name. It is a rough equivalent to "Sir" and is commonly translated into English as "Master". Traditional accounts place him in the Spring and Autumn period of China (722–481 BC) as a military general serving under King Helü of Wu, who lived c. 544–496 BC. Modern scholars accepting his historicity place the completion of The Art of War in the Warring States period (476–221 BC), based on the descriptions of warfare in the text, and on the similarity of text's prose to other works completed in the early Warring States period. Traditional accounts state that his descendant, Sun Bin, also wrote a treatise on military tactics, titled Sun Bin's Art of War. Both Sun Wu and Sun Bin were referred to as Sun Tzu in classical Chinese writings, and some historians believed that Sun Wu was in fact Sun Bin until Sun Bin's own treatise was discovered in 1972. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Sun Tzu's The Art of War grew in popularity and saw practical use in Western society. His work continues to influence both Asian and Western culture and politics. (Full article...)
edit 

Featured audio

  • October 1888 – After-dinner speech by Arthur Sullivan at the Little Menlo, London
    A very early wax cylinder recording (October 5, 1888) of composer Arthur Sullivan. It was created in London by George Gouraud as an audio letter to be sent back to Edison.
    • edit 

    Categories

    Society categories
    Society categories
    Society
    edit 

    Related portals

    edit 

    Recognized content

    Featured articles

    Featured lists

    Good articles

    Featured pictures

    • 20151030 Syrians and Iraq refugees arrive at Skala Sykamias Lesvos Greece 2

      20151030 Syrians and Iraq refugees arrive at Skala Sykamias Lesvos Greece 2

    • Bertillon, Alphonse, fiche anthropométrique recto-verso

      Bertillon, Alphonse, fiche anthropométrique recto-verso

    • Cicatrices de flagellation sur un esclave

      Cicatrices de flagellation sur un esclave

    • Daisy (1964)

    • DurbanSign1989

      DurbanSign1989

    • Frances Benjamin Johnston, Self-Portrait (as "New Woman"), 1896

      Frances Benjamin Johnston, Self-Portrait (as "New Woman"), 1896

    • Jane Addams - Bain News Service

      Jane Addams - Bain News Service

    • Marine da nang

      Marine da nang

    • Nanook of the North

    • SantaCruz-CuevaManos-P2210651b

      SantaCruz-CuevaManos-P2210651b

    • United States President Barack Obama bends down to allow the son of a White House staff member to touch his head

      United States President Barack Obama bends down to allow the son of a White House staff member to touch his head

    • W.E.B. Du Bois by James E. Purdy, 1907

      W.E.B. Du Bois by James E. Purdy, 1907

    • Xiahe mandible

      Xiahe mandible

    edit 

    Things you can do
    Here are some tasks awaiting attention:
    edit 

    WikiProjects

    Related projects

    WikiProjects

    What are WikiProjects?
    edit 

    Web resources

    edit 

    Associated Wikimedia

    Society on Wikibooks  Society on Wikimedia Commons Society on Wikinews  Society on Wikiquote  Society on Wikisource  Society on Wikiversity  Society on Wiktionary 
    Manuals and books Images and media News Quotations Texts Learning resources Definitions
    Discover Wikipedia using portals
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Portal:Society&oldid=1147915925"