Elements of Social System: Followings are the main elements of social system:
1. Belief and Knowledge: Any proposition about any aspect of the universe that is accepted as true may be called a belief. Belief is the basis for social action.
2. Sentiment: Sentiments are closely related to beliefs. A sentiment denotes 'what we feel' about the world. Sentiments are the products of the experience and cultural training. Sentiment may be of various types, i.e., intellectual, ethical and religious, etc. Sentiments also have a background of historical and cultural legacy.
3. Goal or objective: Objectives create social systems. Members along with relevant social structures of a social system expect to accomplish a particular end or objective through appropriate interaction. The human needs, goals and ends determine the nature of the social system. Primarily, human beings are united to accomplish the basic needs of life, e.g., food, clothing and shelter.
4. Norms: Norms are the standards for determining what is right and wrong, appropriate and inappropriate in social relationships. Every social system possesses norms, which the individuals are obliged to observe.
5. Status and Role: In a social system each individual has a status. The status may be ascribed or achieved. The ascribed status is one, which is conferred upon an individual by the group or society. It may be based on sex, age and caste, etc. The achieved status is one that an individual achieves by his own efforts. For instance, an individual may be of lower caste origin but may acquire a high status through good economic achievements.
6. Ranks: Rank here is equivalent to 'standing'. It includes the importance an individual has for the system in which a rank is accorded to him. An individual is given a rank on the basis of two factors. One is the evaluation made of him and the other is his act in accordance with the norms of the system. For instance, a business corporate executive enjoys higher rank than a teacher in modern society, whereas in ancient times the teacher often enjoyed higher rank than even a king.
7. Power: Most of us often feel that even though we vote and send the politicians to power positions, we actually do not matter to them in the case of many decisions. Power refers to the capacity to control and deprive others. State and policing systems are the expressions of such power.
8. Sanction: It refers to the rewards and penalties given out by the members of the social system as a device for inducting conformity to its norms and ends. Sanction can be positive or negative. The negative sanction is, for instance, the death penalty whereas positive sanction is any rehabilitative effort for the convict.
9. Facility: A facility has been defined as a means used to attain ends within the system. It is necessary that the individuals in a social system should be provided with adequate facilities to enable them to perform their roles efficiently. Facilities should not only exist but should also be realized. The goals or objectives of a social system are realized only through the utilization of facilities.
