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SOCIOLOGY PROJECT ON
COMPETITION AS A SOCIAL PROCESS

Hidayatullah National Law University
Raipur, Chhattisgarh
Submitted to:
Dr. Uttam Kumar Panda
(Assistant Professor, Sociology)
Submitted by:
Ayushi Dwivedi
Roll No.-47
Semester- I, Batch XIII, B.A.L.LB.(Hons.)
Date of Submission: 08/26/2013

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY......3
2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.........................................................................4
3. OBJECTIVES...........5
4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY............................................................................5
5. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................6
6. SOCIAL PROCESS : THE CENTRAL IDEA..........................................................7-8

6.1 Definitions

6.2 Types of social process

7. SOCIAL PROCESS AND COMPETITION...................................................................9

8. CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPETITION....10

9. TYPES OF COMPETITION............................................................................................11

10. STAGES TO A COMPETITIVE PROCESS...... 12-13

11. COMPETITION AND OTHER PROCESS14-16

12 . COMPETITION: GOOD OR BAD..17

12.1 Positive functions

12.2 Negative functions

13. MAJOR FINDINGS..18

14. CONCLUSION.19
15. REFERENCES..20


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1.Certificate of Originality

I hereby declare that the project work entitled Competition as a social process submitted to
HNLU, Raipur, is record of an original work done by me under the able guidance of Dr. Uttam
Kumar Panda, Assistant Professor (Sociology), HNLU, Raipur.



AYUSHI DWIVEDI
ROLL NO. 47
SEM-I




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2.Acknowledgement

Thanks to the Almighty who gave me the strength to accomplish the project with sheer hard
work and honesty. This research venture has been made possible due to the generous co-
operation of various persons. To list them all is not possible, even to repay them in words is
beyond the domain of my lexicon.
This project wouldnt have been possible without the help of my teacher Dr.Uttam Kumar
Panda, Assistant Professor, Sociology at HNLU, who had always been there at my side
whenever I needed some help regarding any information. He has been my mentor in the truest
sense of the term. The administration has also been kind enough to let me use their facilities for
research work. I thank them for this.

AYUSHI DWIVEDI
ROLL NO. 47
SEM I




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3. Objectives
The main purpose and objectives of this project are:
1. To study and examine the basic concept of Social Interaction with respect to different
Social Processes.
2. To study Competition as a vital element in the society, its major features, types and
stages.
3. To compare Competition with other Social Processes.

4. To study and examine the merits and demerits of Competition.














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4. Research Methodology

This project work is descriptive in nature. The researcher has based his research on non empirical
research and data collected from secondary and electronic sources. It is purely based on data
collected from books, journals, and web sources. Books and other references as guided by
faculty of sociology were primarily helpful for the completion of this project.













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5.INTRODUCTION


Man is a social animal. It is difficult for him to live in isolation, thus he always lives in groups
and associations. Social interaction is the dynamic interplay of men within social structures. It is
the basic process through which human nature and social structure develop and are changed
through the means of social processes. The fundamental social processes are interaction,
socialization, cooperation, conflict and competition, accommodation and assimilation, etc.
Competition is the most fundamental form of opposition or social struggle. It is a
struggle of two or more persons for the same object which is so limited that all cannot share it. In
our society, for instance, there is competition for jobs, for goods, power , social position, fame
and all other things one cannot get by mere asking. Thus competition goes on an impersonal
manner. The eye is on the goal or reward rather than the competitors. Humans compete usually
for food and mates, though when these needs are met deep rivalries often arise over the pursuit
of wealth, prestige, and fame. Competition is also a major tenet in market economy and business
is often associated with competition as most companies are in competition with at least one other
firm over the same group of customers, and also competition inside a company is usually
stimulated for meeting and reaching higher quality of services or products that the company
produce or develop.
1
Competition therefore, exists everywhere, but appears in many ways. It
varies as to scope, intensity and type from one system to another.
According to Anderson and Parker, Competition is that form of social action in
which we strive against each other for the possession of or use of some limited material and non-
material good.
2

The role of competition as a social process is pivotal and wide. Healthy competition is
always beneficial for an individual and for the society as a whole. Since competition rests upon
a set of rules, it creates respect for the ruling of the game. It has detrimental effects as well, but
these are very rare and can be avoided by always yearning for an effective competition.

1
Competition, Encyclopaedia Britannica Online edition. Retrieved August 14,2013
2
Mr. Tanay Jha, Social Interactions, in The concept of Sociology
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6.SOCIAL PROCESS:THE CENTRAL IDEA

Human being, by nature and necessity, is a social entity. As a social animal he meets with other
human beings, interacts with them and establishes social relationship. Thus, when individuals
and groups meet and establish social relationships they interact with each other. Such interaction
is known as Social Interaction. Dawson and Getly say that "Social interaction is the process
whereby I inter-penetrate the minds of each other. This interaction can take place between two or
more individuals or groups. Interaction occurs in the form of Social Processes. The social
processes are the fundamentals in which people interact and establish social relationships.
6.1 DEFINITIONS:
Ginsberg: "Social processes mean the various modes of interaction between individuals
or groups including co-operation and conflict, social differentiation and integration,
development, arrest and decay".
Horton and Hunt: "The term Social process refers to the repetitive form of behavior
which is commonly found in social Life".
Thus, Social Process consists of sequence of events, repetition of events, relationships between
the events, continuity of events and special result.
6.2 TYPES OF SOCIAL PROCESS
There is lack of unanimity among the Sociologists regarding the types or forms of social
processes. In 1905, Ross had listed thirty eight Social Process. Gillin divided social processes
into six categories. Park and Burgess reduced the list to four fundamental types. However, social
processes can broadly be categories into two types i.e. Associative and Dissociative.
3
The
German Sociologist George Simmel was the first thinker for the first discussed theoretically the
associative and dissociative processes. Associative processes always work for the integration and
benefit of society. Therefore, they are called as integrative social processes; these social

3
Satyam De, Social Process and its Types , in Preserve articles
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processes bring progress and stability in the society. Cooperation, accommodation, assimilation
etc. are the examples of associative social processes.
Dissociative social processes are just apposite of associative social processes. These social
processes always work for the disintegration of society and hinder the progress and development
of society. These types of social processes are also known as disintegrative social processes.
Competition and conflict are the examples of dissociative social processes.
4

Certain processes play divisive or disintegrate roles in the social life of individuals or groups.
These are called dissociative processes. Conflict, competition and mutual opposition are called as
dissociative processes.

TYPES OF SOCIAL PROCESS




4
Geoffrey Duncan Mitchell(1970),A new dictionary of sociology,p.201
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7. SOCIAL PROCESS AND COMPETITION
Competition is one of the major categories of social process. The word compete means to
strive or vie for something for which others are also contending. Without others, competition
does not occur. Competition is unlike cooperation, which involves working together toward a
common goal with rewards shared equally by all. It is also unlike individual activities, which are
performed alone or in proximity to others who are not aware of the individual's standard for
performance. Competition is a process that is influenced by society and motivated by personal
enjoyment and external and unequal rewards.
As trees in forest compete with one another to get sunlight, in a similar way wild animals
compete for food, water and security. In the same way, competition goes on among human
beings with, the desire to fulfill their needs. Wherever and whenever the commodities, which
people want, are available in a limited supply, there is competition.

DEFINITIONS
"Competition is an interaction without social contact." -Parl and Burgess

"Competition is the striving of two or more persons for the same goal which is limited so
that all cannot have." -Biesanz

"Competition is an impersonal, unconscious, continuous struggle between individual or
groups for satisfaction which, because of their limited supply, all may not have.
5

-Sutherland and Maxwell


5
Social Process, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1918
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8. CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPETITION
8.1. Impersonal action
Competition is not a personal action. The individual may aware but has no personal contact with
other competitors. The attentions of competitors are fixed on goal. Therefore, the personal and
direct relations do not exist among the competitors.
8.2. Unconscious action:
Competition is an unconscious action and occurs unconsciously. The competitors even do not
know each other but their attention is fixed on the goal, which is regarded as the main object of
their competition.
8.3. Continuous Process:
Competition never ends. It is found in every area of social activity, Competition for status,
wealth and fame is always present in almost all societies.
8.4. Universal Process:
No society can be called as to be exclusively competitive or co-operative, yet competition is
found in every society and in every level. It covers almost all the areas of our social living.
8.5. Dissociative Process:
Competition is a dissociative social process. Competition may lead to conflict. These processes
are called negative type of interaction. It always works for disintegration of society. This process
may hamper the unity and integrity of society.
8.6. Constructive or destructive in nature:
Competition may be healthy or unhealthy. If one of the two or more competitions tries to win
only at the expense of the others then it is destructive. But constructive competition contributes
to the welfare of alt.
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9. TYPES OF COMPETITION



COMPETITION



Competition is of five main categories. They are:
9.1. Social Competition: People always compete to get into higher status and position. Where
individual ability, merit, talent and capacities are recognized there, competition for status is
acute.
9.2. Economic Competition: Economic competition is found in the process of production,
consumption and distribution of goods. Man always struggles for higher standard of living. The
competition for jobs, customers, clients, patients, profits, wages, salaries, promotions etc. are
economic competitions.
9.3. Cultural Competition: Cultural competition may take place between two or more cultural
groups. When cultures try to establish their supremacy over others this type of competition takes
place.
9.4. Racial Competition: Racial competition takes place when one race tries to establish its
superiority over the others. The competition between whites and blacks is the bright example of
racial competition.
9.5. Political Competition: Political parties are always engaged in competition to secure power.
Similarly, in the international level there is always diplomatic competition between different
nations.
SOCIAL RACIAL
POLITICAL CULTURAL
ECONOMIC
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10. STAGES TO A COMPETITIVE PROCESS
MARTENS PROCESS MODEL
Objective Competitive Situation

Consequences PERSON Subjective competitive
Situation
Responses

This model explains the four stages to a competitive process and highlights the reason as to why
people have different perceptions towards competition. It is basically a social comparison
research model.
6


STAGE 1: OBJECTIVE COMPETITIVE SITUATION
This stage shows the real factors in the physical or social environment constituting the
competitive situation.

1. Social Environment - Presence of others, opponents abilities.
2. Physical Environment - Playing field conditions, weather, etc.
3. Available Rewards - Tangible or nontangible.
4. Task Characteristics - Performance demands, rules of the contest, etc.
7




6
Competition, cms.cerritos.edu/uploads/smith/Lec competition, Retrieved on August 18, 2013
7
ibid.
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STAGE 2: SUBJECTIVE COMPETITIVE SITUATION

This stage explains how we perceive, accept or appraise the Objective Competitive
Situation. It is affected by personality traits, perceived importance of competition,
perception of the comparison standard and perceived response capabilities.

STAGE 3: RESPONSE

Response can either be that one approaches the achievement task or avoids it. After the
appraisal of the Objective Competitive Situation, one experiences positive and negative
adaptations, which in turn prepares us for competition physiologically, psychologically
and behaviourally.
8


STAGE 4: CONSEQUENCE

Consequences can be of two types:
Negative - lose dissatisfaction
Positive - win satisfaction

The perception of the consequence is important than the actual outcome. These
consequences impact short and long term emotions, perception of competence and future
decision to compete.
9







8
Karen Christensen, Competition Model(18
th
August, 2013)
www.berkshirepublishing.com
9
id.
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11. COMPETITION AND OTHER PROCESS

11.1 Competition: A Process of Interaction
Of the four great types of interaction--competition, conflict, accommodation, and
assimilation--competition is the elementary, universal and fundamental form. Social contact
initiates interaction. But competition, strictly speaking, is interaction without social contact.
Competition takes the form of conflict or rivalry only when it becomes conscious, when
competitors identify one another as rivals or as enemies. It is only when minds meet, that the
meaning that is in one mind is communicated to another mind so that these minds mutually
influence one another, and that social contact, properly speaking, may be said to exist.
11.2 Competition and Competitive Co-operation. "Competition," says Walker, "is
opposed to sentiment. Whenever any economic agent does or forbears anything under the
influence of any sentiment other than the desire of giving the least and gaining the most he can in
exchange, be that sentiment ,patriotism, or gratitude, or charity, or vanity, leading him todo
otherwise than as self interest would prompt, in that case also, the rule of competition is departed
from. Another rule is for the time substituted."
This is the significance of the familiar sayings to the effect that one "must not mix business with
sentiment," that "business is business" "corporations are heartless, etc. It is just because
corporations are "heartless ,"that is to say impersonal, that they represent the most advanced,
efficient, and responsible form of business organization. But it is for this same reason that they
can and need to be regulated in behalf of those interests of the community that cannot be
translated immediately into terms of profit and loss to the individual.
10

11.3 COMPETITION AND FREEDOM: The economic organization of society, so far
as it is an effect of free competition, is an ecological organization. There is a human as well as a
plant and an animal ecology. If we are to assume that the economic order is fundamentally
ecological, that is, created by the struggle for existence, an organization like that of the plant

10
R.E. Park and E.W. Burgess, Social Interaction, Pfeiffer.
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community in which the relations between individuals are conceivably at least wholly external,
the question may be very properly raised why the competition and the organization it has created
should be regarded as social at all. As a matter of fact sociologists have generally identified the
social with the moral order, and Dewey, in his Democracy and Education, makes statements
which suggest that the purely economic order, in which man becomes a means rather than an end
to other men, is unsocial, if not antisocial.
11.4 COMPETITION AND CONTROL: Competition is the process through which the
distributive and ecological organization of society is created. Competition determines the
distribution of population territorially and vocationally. The division of labor and all the vast
organized economic interdependence of individuals and groups of individuals characteristic of
modern life are a product of competition. On the other hand, the moral and political order, which
imposes itself upon this competitive organization, is a product of conflict, accommodation and
assimilation.
Competition is universal in the world of living things. Under ordinary circumstances it goes on
unobserved even by the individuals who are most concerned. It is only in periods of crisis, when
men are making new and conscious efforts to control the conditions of their common life, that
the forces with which they are competing get identified with persons, and competition is
converted into conflict. It is in what has been described as the political process that society
consciously deals with its crises. War is the political process par excellence. It is in war that the
great decisions are made. Political organizations exist for the purpose of dealing with conflict
situations. Parties, parliaments and courts, public discussion and voting are to be considered
simply as substitutes for war.
11.5 Accommodation, Assimilation, and Competition :Accommodation is the
process by which the individuals and groups make the necessary internal adjustments to social
situations which have been created by competition and conflict. War and elections change
situations. When changes thus effected are decisive and are accepted, conflict subsides and the
tensions it create dare resolved in the process of accommodation into profound modifications of
the competing units, i.e., individuals and groups. A man once thoroughly defeated is, as has often
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been noted, "never the same again." Conquest, subjugation, and defeat are psychological as well
as social processes. They establish a new order by changing, not merely the status, but the
attitudes of the parties involved. Eventually the new order gets itself fixed in habit and custom
and is then transmitted as part of the established social order to succeeding generations. Neither
the physical nor the social world is made to satisfy at once all the wishes of the natural man.
Conflict is then to be identified with the political order and with conscious control.
Accommodation, on the other hand, is associated with the social order that is fixed and
established in custom and the mores.
Assimilation, as distinguished from accommodation, implies a more thoroughgoing
transformation of the personalitytransformation which takes place gradually under the
influence of social contacts of the most concrete and intimate sort.
Accommodation may be regarded, like religious conversion, as a kind of mutation. The wishes
are the same but their organization is different. Assimilation takes place not so much as a result
of changes in the organization as in the content, i.e., the memories, of the personality. The
individual units, as a result of intimate association, interpenetrate, so to speak; and come in this
way into possession of a common experience and a common tradition. It is the role of history to
preserve this body of common experience and tradition, to criticise and reinterpret it in the light
of new experience and changing conditions, and in this way to preserve the continuity of the
social and political life. The relation of social structures to the processes of competition, conflict,
accommodation, and assimilation may be represented schematically as follows:
SOCIAL PROCESS SOCIAL ORDER
Competition The economic equilibrium
Conflict The political order
Accommodation Social organization
Assimilation Personality and the cultural heritage
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12. COMPETITION: GOOD OR BAD?
As a social process, competition plays a very important role in, the life of individuals. Like co-
operation, competition is also necessary for social life. H.T. Maunder discusses different
functions of competition.
Positive Functions:
1. Competition determines the role and status of individual.
2. Competition increases efficiency among competitors.
3. It protects individuals from direct conflict.
4. It prevents undue concentration of power among the hands of few.
11

5. Competition is the symbol of social and economic progress.
6. It respects the rules of the game.
Negative Functions:
1. It leads to frustration.
2. Unlimited competition gives rise to monopoly.
3. Competition sometimes leads to conflict.
4. It treats emotional disturbances.
5. Competition also leads to exploitation.
12




11
Francis A, Walker, Social Organisation, p.4
12
Ibid.
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13. MAJOR FINDINGS

The major findings of this project are:

1. Competition is, basically a quest to be the winner of the race. This, in turn, requires
every individual to give his best. Therefore, with competition in the scenario, social
development becomes a cakewalk.
2. Different kinds of competition ensure proper upliftment of various societal
divisions.
3. Martens Approach to study the stages of competition is not only an in-depth study,
but a clear, organised and precise approach as well.
4. Competition in not a lone weapon; other social processes also affect its functioning.
5. Each coin has two sides. Similarly. Competition too has some demerits or say, it an
have adverse effects too. But, it depends upon us as to how we use this tool for the
betterment of the society.










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14. CONCLUSION
COMPETITION is a universal phenomena. It is a contest between organisms, animals,
individuals, groups, etc., for territory, a niche, or a location of resources, for resources and
goods, mates, for prestige, recognition, awards, or group or social status, for leadership.
Competition is the opposite of cooperation. It arises whenever at least two parties strive for a
goal which cannot be shared or which is desired individually but not in sharing and cooperation.
Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment.
For example, animals compete over water supplies, food, mates, and other biological resources.
Competition can have both beneficial and detrimental effects. Many evolutionary biologists view
inter-species and intra-species competition as the driving force of adaptation, and ultimately of
evolution. However, some biologists, most famously Richard Dawkins, prefer to think of
evolution in terms of competition between single genes, which have the welfare of the organism
'in mind' only insofar as that welfare furthers their own selfish drives for replication.
Thus , competition plays a highly meaningful role as a social process. It not only develops the
society, but also boosts it up. Hence , as a responsible and social being, its our duty that we
remain competent all our lives and ensure that our fellow-beings are also on the same track. This
will definitely change the scenario of the society in a positive and effective manner.


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15. REFERENCES
I. BOOKS
Vidya Bhushan and D.R. Sachdeva, An Introduction to Sociology(XLVth edition,2011)
Giddens Anthony, Sociology,6
th
(ed.), 2012,Gagandeep Publications, New Delhi
Rao, Shankar C.N., 2011 Sociology,New Delhi, S.Chand & Company LTD.

II. ARTICLES
Mr. Tanay Jha, Social Interactions, in The concept of Sociology

Satyam De, Social Process and its Types , in Preserve articles
R.E. Park and E.W. Burgess, Social Interaction, Pfeiffer.

Karen Christensen, Competition Model(18
th
August, 2013)

III. WEBSITES
www.berkshirepublishing.com
www.jstor.org
www.google.com
www.preservearticles.com


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