Understanding Social Factors
Social factors refer to elements that originate from society. These factors can be grouped into subsets, as society is composed of five main institutions: family, education, political, religious, and economic. Social factors can have a significant impact on individuals and society as a whole, and can even change the structure of society. For example, when a society experiences economic changes due to a crisis, this can create a massive impact on people, leading to changes in lifestyles, unemployment, and increased crime and deviance.
Exploring Cultural Factors
Cultural factors, on the other hand, are rooted in a society’s culture. To understand these factors, it is essential to have knowledge of culture, which encompasses the system of values, attitudes, beliefs, norms, mores, and taboos in society. These systems are created by the people of the society and are passed down from one generation to the next. Cultural factors are the values, norms, and beliefs that people in a society conform to, and are typically internalized by individuals through the socialization process. These factors often dictate an individual’s way of life, roles, and responsibilities.
Key Takeaways
- While social factors originate from society and bring about structural changes, cultural factors are rooted in a society’s culture and are internalized by individuals through the socialization process.
- Social factors can be grouped into subsets, as society is composed of five main institutions: family, education, political, religious, and economic.
- Cultural factors often dictate an individual’s way of life, roles, and responsibilities, and include values, attitudes, norms, and beliefs.
