Discuss Ferdinand Tönnies's Concepts of a Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft

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The Answer is German sociologist Ferdinand Tönnies was interested in identifying the consequences of mass urbanization and the relational forms emerging in the new urban social order.In his famous text Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft,originally published in 1887,Tönnies (1957)outlines two basic organizing principles of social relationships and institutions.He associates these "ideal types" loosely with towns and cities and understands them as stages in the evolution of human society.The first stage is gemeinschaft,or "communal association." This is the traditional,rural settlement with a homogeneous population in which everyone knows all the other residents and their biographies.Relationships are intimate and enduring,and interactions are guided by a mutual interest in the common good of the village.Because kinship,community,and religion unite individuals,the shared traditions and culture of the village,in addition to religious beliefs,function as the main instruments of social control.
At the other end of the continuum,or the next stage in human social development,is gesellschaft,or "societal association." This is the modern city in which "rational self-interest" or individualism eclipses community interests.Relationships are no longer steeped in sentiment but instead are primarily associational and based on calculating,economic exchanges.Given the heterogeneous populations of emerging cities,residents no longer share language,religion,and traditions,and behavior and interaction are governed by external forces like the evolving criminal justice system.For Tönnies,the process of urbanization was inseparable from the parallel process of industrialization.Together these forces erode social bonds and weaken the family unit,which he saw as a vital component of a healthy society.

Discuss Ferdinand Tönnies's Concepts of a Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft

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