Understanding Society

Essay by BootieBlokeUniversity, Bachelor'sB, December 2007

download word file, 5 pages 3.0

In what ways are people and societies connected to each other?When two objects are connected, a relationship exists between them. This relationship can also exist between people and societies. For example, two siblings are connected to a parent; in a similar way, trade connects two countries on different sides of the globe. These aspects of similarity and difference are as important today as they were many years ago. It is my aim in this essay to show connectedness between people and societies by using the following examples: Culture, the movement of goods and labour between different countries, in addition to the way social movements are connected in pursuit of a common goal.

Culture sums up many connotations; in this context, I am explaining the shared beliefs of a group of people. As Williams (1976) suggests, culture is a part of everyday life and can provoke implicit or explicit meanings and values.

To give this emphasis I will use the 'football culture' as my example. As Britain's premier spectator sport, football commands an immense audience and substantial media coverage. This popularity for British football is not just limited to the United Kingdom (UK) as with satellite sports channels, football is viewed worldwide and as Goldblatt (2003) suggests football is becoming so popular it can be seen as recruiting more followers than any other activity or belief.

The supporters of Manchester United, arguably one of the world's most popular clubs, rally behind its badge. Sherrat et al. (2004, p43) state that 'connectedness is marked through symbols. Symbolization is a key aspect of culture… 'This association with culture and ownership is not exclusively linked to football. It can cross over to politics and religion, although in the case of Celtic and Rangers Football Clubs these could also be considered as connected.

During the...