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The definition in the sociological sense is this: all "active states", whether fixed or not, are felt by individuals as long as they are forced by external forces; In other words, a kind of compulsion exists universally in the group, which is independent of the individual's internal existence and acts on the individual, making the individual feel. This compulsion is called social phenomenon. In sociology, it is easy to establish such a close relationship with life, structure, system and function, because there are a series of directly observable media between individuals and society, which shows the relationship between them. There is no such material in biology, so the order of research is different from that in sociology.
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Social phenomena cannot be simply equated with common social phenomena.
We usually use the word social phenomenon to represent all phenomena that occur in society, or to represent general generalized phenomena that have more or less interests with society. According to this view, everything about this species can be called "social phenomenon". Animal's daily life, diet, ideals, etc. All kinds of functions are running in an orderly way, which is naturally related to social interests. If these phenomena are regarded as social phenomena, sociology cannot have its special research object and purpose, and its activity field will be confused with that of biology and psychology.
There is a certain group phenomenon in society, which is very different from other natural science research phenomena. When we are fulfilling the obligations of brothers, couples or citizens, or fulfilling a contract, we are practicing the obligations stipulated by morality, customs and laws. This obligation exists outside the "self" and personal behavior. Even if we emotionally think that fulfilling these obligations is voluntary, we can still feel that there is an objective reality behind this voluntary behavior, because we are not born knowing that we must fulfill those obligations, but that education has made us accept these obligations and thus "consciously" fulfill them. And sometimes we don't know some of our obligations, and we often have to study the code or use the law to force us to know.
As for pure ethics, what is their coercive power? Public opinion has a power to prohibit or punish citizens' immoral behavior. Although some aspects of coercion are not very strong, coercion still exists. This is the same as the situation that we don't act according to customs and wear inappropriate or inappropriate clothes, which will lead to ridicule and contempt. Although it is not very compulsory, it is always a punishment. In addition, the indirect coercion of society is also very effective. When we talk to people in that country, we don't have to speak the language of that country, nor do we have to buy things in legal tender, but we must do so; Without a common language and currency, we can only hit a wall everywhere. Industry does not prohibit people from operating in ancient ways, but if someone insists on imitating ancient production methods, he will surely end in failure. So is the law. The law doesn't tell people not to violate it or oppose it. Even if the law is resisted and conquered, its repressive force can still prove its existence from resistance. All reformers in the world will encounter this kind of resistance even if the reforms they are engaged in are progressing smoothly. These are some social phenomena with special characteristics. They are behaviors, ways of thinking and ways of feeling that exist outside animals, and at the same time, they are imposed on each individual through a coercive force.
Social phenomena are different from organisms, which exist through certain forms and actions. They are also different from psychological phenomena, which only exist in individual consciousness and are expressed through individual consciousness. In a word, these phenomena have a new nature, and only the word "society" can show this nature and its significance. Because individuals can't have "non-biological" and "non-psychological" phenomena, only society can have this phenomenon. Such as political groups (in whole or in part), religions, political parties, literary associations, guilds, families, tribes and so on are all social phenomena. On the other hand, the word "society" has definite significance only when it is used to represent a comprehensive phenomenon, a phenomenon that is divorced from the individual phenomenon that has already formed. This phenomenon is unique to sociology.