1. Sociological
Concepts
Study Unit 2
By C. Settley

2. Society defined page 8 in reader
 organisational system within which man
gives expression to his social nature by
interaction with his fellow men.
 group of human beings who interact with
one
 major interests which usually include self-
maintenance

3. Characteristics of a society
page 8 in reader
 Definite territory
 Continuity of relationships
 A functioning group
 Sexual reproduction
 A comprehensive culture
 Independence

4. Community defined
 Is part of a society.
 A subgroup with many of the
characteristics of society.
 But is restricted to certain groups within
the larger society.
 It is the smallest group with a common /
shared way of life.

5. Characteristics of a
Commuinity
page 8 in reader
 A common territory
 Special bonds of unit
 Community feeling
 Provision of institutions & organisations

6. Interaction between urban
and Rural areas
Chapter 5, page 10 in reader
 Interaction in the country takes place to a greater
or lesser degree depending on factors such as
distance, rivers, mountains etc. nature of soil and
availability of raw materials.
 Town is supplied with raw materials from the
country.
 Finished articles which are made in town from
these raw materials are supplied to town markets
 There is always interaction between urban and
rural
 There’s more social interaction between rural and
urban due to the development of roads, motor
and air transport, there’s more social interaction

7. Interaction between urban
and Rural areas
Continued
 People from towns can more easily visit urban
areas and vice versa
 Fast disapearance of the old rural community,
which was isolated, static and tradition
bound, amongst the whites
 Black population from the rural take some
time before the impact of towns will be felt
 The development of boarder industries is
bringing urbanisation to more of the black
people than in the past.

8. Figure 1: A simplified view of the urban-rural interrelationship.
(Graphic: Stig Enemark.)

9. Urban and Rural areas
Urban area Rural area

10. Main differences
page 12 in reader
Rural (country)
 More homogenous
 Personal relationships are more real
 Far more social control, customary
norms
 Less social mobility
 Less changes in the rural area with
regard to political and religious
affiliations
 Rural areas show more stability and
generally more conservatism
 Less diversity of occupations
 Higher birth rate
 Lower divorce rate
 Lower suicide rate
Urban (town)
 Heterogenes (mixed)
 Status plays a big role in townfewer
personal relationships in town
 Low social control.
 Social mobility higher, more fluid
 Political &religious affiliations are
viewed with more tolerance.
 More social change.
 Greater diversity of occupations.
 Lower birth rate
 Higher divorce rate
 Higher suicide rate

11. Why is the knowledge of
rural and urban communities
important to the nurse?
DISCUSSION
(See reader, page 13)

12. Informal settlements
Factors contributing to informal
settlements
 Depopulation of the platteland and the
 Rapid urbanisation,
 Lack of work in the rural areas
 Hope/belief that things will be better in the
town
 When they arrive they find there is no housing,
usually no work. Leads to poverty /
unemployment.

13. Factors contributing to
informal settlements
Continued
 Lack of education and skills for what work
might be available.
 These people find an area of vacant land
and start to build some form of shelter
with bits of wood, plastic, odd pieces of
corrugated iron and other buildings
materials they can find
 Almost overnight there is a squatter
camp, eg Joe Slovo in Langa, Cape Town

14. Physical, psychological and social
consequences of informal
settlements
 Usually no water, no sanitation facilities , no health services -
the scene is set for health problems.
 Also as a result of overcrowding, lack of disposal of refuse,
no proper shelter, especially bad in Western Cape Winter
colds, no work, no food.
 Local municipalities have a very difficult problem trying to
cope with health hazards of such situations
 Including epidemics, many sick children, street children,
etc.
 Some areas there are more squatter huts than
conventional houses
 Planned informal settlements – at least some from of
communal water supply and some type of sanitation is
arranged. Mobile clinics supply some from of health
service.

15. References
 Stig Enemark University of Aalborg,
Denmark. Retrieved on 07/08/2014 on
website:
http://www.fig.net/pub/figpub/pub33/fig
pub33.htm
 http://blackbusinessnow.com/author/gilli
an-nanton/