Evolution & Characteristics of Social Organization: From Tribal to Modern
Evolution of Forms of Social Organization
Social organization has evolved alongside the complexity of societal problems. From primary clusters based on family relationships, we have developed into increasingly complex societies based on shared interests and projects. We have gone through different phases, seeking more effective ways of organizing. Its development can be summarized as follows:
Tribal
Consists of small groups based on kinship. Economic relations are based on subsistence and the exchange of products. This form of organization is characteristic of prehistoric and tribal groups that still exist today.
Esclavista (Slave-based)
Began to develop from the earliest civilizations in antiquity. These were large groups of individuals in cities and empires, where only a few held the position of citizens and directed society, while the rest were engaged in production, with most producers being slaves.
Feudal
Characteristic of the Middle Ages, where feudal lords were the political and military leaders, responsible for social order and organization. The economy was largely rural, and each lord had their fiefdom and their own vassals.
Modern
Based on the development of industry and commerce. It corresponds to the time of great revolutions, particularly the Industrial Revolution. Social organization was radically transformed. It was born around the assertion that all humans are equal, regardless of status, role, or position. Modernity represents a significant turning point in social organization. Models preceding modernity can be grouped into the organismic model; from modernity onward, the individualistic model prevails.
The Organismic Model
In the organismic model, social organization, or society, is above the individual. The individual is only a part that has to fulfill its role within the whole, which prevails over its parts. Society is seen as an organized entity, and its parts are interconnected by ties of need or economic dependence. An individual cannot live isolated from the social; life outside of society is meaningless. In this model, the individual has no freedom. Autonomy and decision-making are reserved only for the powerful or the ruler. The struggle for autonomy and individualism has been a sign of social progress and has required struggles and demands. Social revolutions from the seventeenth century, culminating in the French Revolution, were essential in this regard. Reflecting this change, a new social model began to emerge.
The Individualistic Model
Modernity marked the origin of a new social model and a new way of understanding the individual and their relationship with society. The social struggles led by the thinkers of this era ended with the recognition of a series of equal rights and freedoms for all.
Features of Social Organization in Modern Times
We are indebted to the social model and political thought developed in modernity. The value of individual freedom and the aspiration to live a life based on equality and dignity for all human beings have been emphasized. Autonomy and the value of the individual have been highlighted, to the extent that some speak of “selfish individualism” as a characteristic of our time. This is due to the rise of capitalism and consumerism, which have taken precedence over private freedom and social and civil duties. Some define the modern human as a “consumerist” being.
The challenge lies in achieving the right balance between state power and the individual. The state has its institutions to exercise power, but the legitimacy of its power depends on the value of individuals as esteemed persons.
The involvement of civil society in the field of social and political organization is encouraged. Civil society is an association of individuals outside of political institutions or economic interests who come together because they share common interests and concerns, such as family, associations, etc. All these associations are very important, representing the value of the individual and allowing individuals, when associated, to join forces in the pursuit of common goals. These associations can exercise control over state power, allowing for independent public opinion capable of expressing and demanding achievements that are of common interest.
Currently, philosophers and intellectuals place hope for a better world in building an educated and informed, cooperative, and responsible civil society. They appeal to the solidarity and responsibility of civil society as an alternative future.
Globalization
Social organization has exceeded the limits of the state, and we now rely on supranational organizations like the EU or the UN. New times require global solutions. Civil society, the union of responsible and caring human groups, also has an open task. The education of new generations is a social challenge that may contribute to some solutions. Solutions that should be based on personal initiatives but must have a social implication. The individual and social factors intersect once again.
The Value of Individualism: Individual Securities
In summary, the value of the individual, not individualism, is based on respect for human life.