Social Sciences

Introduction

Sorokin 's Social and Cultural Dynamics is an illuminating attempt to describe the process of social integration in human societies . He defines human culture as , the norms possessed by the interacting persons (Pg .63 . The primitive societies are normally considered simpler quantitatively , but their interaction is much more complex than viewed . The inner working of the primitive societies is much more complex and is based on socio-cultural activities like beliefs , mythology , literature , and music (Pg .40

Human acts and their meaning in social context (Pg .122 ) are essential to

create interaction among the individuals and groups in societies through social systems of interaction (Pg .6 . The state family , Church , universities , political parties , labor unions , or armies and navies are based on cultural bonding rather than the chemical composition . All of these institutes have their own norms and value which may look useless to an outsider , but their foundations are based on these social values . Thus an ordinary stick can become sacred stick a piece of wood of Jesus can work miracles or a piece of cloth on a stick with few colours is considered worth dying and an ailing man can become saint over night . It is these social beliefs , which forms foundation of interaction and the cultural bonding Types of Integration

According to Sorokin there are four kinds of integration : spatial indirect association , casual , and Logico (meaningful integration of culture . All of them have different functions , but the most important is Logico , which creates cultural integration as he explains , It is the identity of central meaning , idea , or mental bias that permeates all the logically related fragments (Pg .146 . The cultural individuality creates a meaningful identity and ideas for a culture to exist . He argues that the basis of the unity of culture lies in the pursuit of religious , philosophical and scientific organizations as they bestow a meaning to a culture . Comparing the values and norms with physical or biological properties will not lead to interaction . For example Bible carries the same holiness , no matter whatever format it has , it will have the same reverence and meaning for its follower , and will not alter with the change in its chemical and physical properties . If we remove meaningful aspects from human interaction , life will become a biophysical phenomenon , which is meaningless for the existence of a culture

In a Sensory culture , true value is senses , and it is believed that there is no reality beyond the senses . The Western civilizations from ancient time (Greece and Rome ) are materialistic societies their culture can be called sensory cultures , which appeals to the senses . The second type is idealistic culture (platonic ideal , which believes that the sensory reality is illusion (Pg .150 . Through out the centuries God found its expression in different forms , ranging from painting to sculpture and ethics , giving the idea of an ideological integration especially in early Christianity

There are three forms of truth : sensory , spiritual , and rational . These forms have superceded each other at various moments...