1/13/2015

Tonnie'sGemeinschaftandGessesschalf

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Tonnie'sGemeinschaftandGessesschalf
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IntroducedbyGermansociologistFerdinandTnnies,Gemeinschaftand
Gesellschaftaretwoconceptualmodelsfortypesofhumanassociation.
LEARNINGOBJECTIVE
ExplainhowstatusisachievedinGemeinschaftandGesellschaftrespectively

KEYPOINTS
GemeinschaftandGesellschaftaresociologicalcategories,introducedbytheGermansociologist
FerdinandTnnies,whichdescribetwocommonkindsofhumangroupingsorassociation.
Gemeinschaft("community")isanassociationinwhichindividualsareorientedtothelargergroupas
muchas,andoftenmorethan,theirownselfinterest,andarefurtherregulatedbycommonsocialmores
orbeliefsabouttheappropriatebehaviorandresponsibilityofmembersoftheassociation.
Gesellschaft("society")describesassociationsinwhich,fortheindividual,thelargerassociationnever
takesprecedenceovertheirownselfinterest,andtheseassociationslackthesamelevelofsharedsocial
moresasGemeinschaft.

TERMS

association
Agroupofpersonsassociatedforacommonpurposeanorganizationsociety.

kinship
relationorconnectionbyblood,marriage,oradoption

EXAMPLES
AcurrentexampleofaGemeinschaftcommunitywouldbetheAmish,whereastheUnitedStateswould
beconsideredaGesellschaftsociety.

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Gemeinschaftcommunityinvolvesascribedstatus,meaningafixedstatusgivenbybirth.Forexample,
anindividualbornfromfarmerswillcometooccupytheirparents'roleuntildeath.

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FULLTEXT

IntroducedbyGermansociologistFerdinandTnnies,GemeinschaftandGesellschaftaretwoconceptual
modelsfortypesofhumanassociation.

Gemeinschaft
Gemeinschaft("community")isanassociationinwhichindividualsaremainlyorientedtothewillofthe
largergroup,generallymorethantheirownselfinterest.Theiractivitiesareregulatedbycommonmores
orbeliefsabouttheappropriatebehaviorandresponsibilitiesofmembersoftheassociation.These
associationsaremarkedbywhatTnniescalled"unityofwill."Hesawthefamilyasthemostperfect
expressionofGemeinschafthowever,healsoexpectedthatGemeinschaftcouldbebasedonsharedplace
andsharedbeliefaswellaskinship,andincludedgloballydispersedreligiouscommunitiesaspossible
examplesofGemeinschaft.
Gemeinschaftcommunityinvolvesascribedstatus,meaningafixedstatusgivenbybirth.Forexample,an
individualbornfromfarmerswillcometooccupytheirparents'roleuntildeath.Gemeinschaften
("communities")arebroadlycharacterizedbyamoderatedivisionoflabor,strongpersonalrelationships,
strongfamilies,andrelativelysimplesocialinstitutions.Insuchsocieties,thereislessofaneedtoenforce
socialcontrolexternallyduetoacollectivesenseofloyaltyindividualsfeelforsociety.

Gesellschaft
Hellothere,letusknow...
Incontrast,Gesellschaft("society")describesassociationsinwhichthelargerassociationnevertakes
precedenceovertheindividual'sselfinterest,andtheseassociationslackthesamelevelofsharedsocial
Areyoua(n):
mores.Gesellschaftismaintainedthroughindividualsactingontheirownselfinterest.Amodern
Educator

businessisagoodexampleofGesellschaft:theworkers,managers,andownersmayhaveverylittlein
Student
termsofsharedorientationsorbeliefs,ortheymaynotcaredeeplyfortheproducttheyaremaking,butit

isinalltheirselfinteresttocometoworktomakemoney,and,therefore,thebusinesscontinues.
Other

Gesellschaftsocietyinvolvesachievedstatus,orastatusreachedbyeducationandprofessional
advancement.UnlikeGemeinschaften("communities"),Gesellschaften("societies")emphasizesecondary
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relationshipsratherthanfamilialorcommunityties,andthereisgenerallylessindividualloyaltytothe
largercommunity.SocialcohesioninGesellschaftentypicallyderivesfromamoreelaboratedivisionof
labor.Suchsocietiesare,therefore,potentiallymoresusceptibletoclassconflict,aswellasracialand
ethnicconflicts.
Asallconceptualmodels,thesecategoriescanbechallengedbysocialchange.Forinstance,duringthe
socialupheavalsoftheReconstructioneraintheUnitedStates,formerslaves,whosekinshiptieswere
forciblydisruptedunderslavery,forgednewcommunitiesthatsharedaspectsofbothGemeinschaftand
Gesellschaft.AcurrentexampleofaGemeinschaftcommunitywouldbetheAmish,whereastheUnited
StateswouldbeconsideredaGesellschaftsociety.

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FerdinandTnnies
FerdinandTnnies'bustinHusum,Germany.

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PREVCONCEPT

NEXTCONCEPT

1questionforuseinquizzeshavebeenwrittenaboutthisconceptbelow

WhyareGesellschaftenmoresusceptibletoclassconflictthanGemeinschaften?
Gesellschaftismaintainedthroughindividualsactingontheirownselfinterest,
Gesellschaften(societies)emphasizesecondaryrelationshipsratherthanfamilialor
communityties,Gemeinschaftcommunityinvolvesascribedstatus,meaningafixed
statusgivenbybirth,andSocialcohesioninGesellschaftenderivesfromdivisionoflabor
ratherthanfromsharedbeliefs

KEYTERMREFERENCE

Divisionoflabor

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:TheImportanceoftheDivisionof

Labor,GenderRolesintheU.S.,andTheImportanceofPaidandUnpaidWork

More

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:TheConflictPerspective:ClassConflictand

ScarceResources,ValueContradictions,andNormsandSanctions

Ties

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:Subcultures,ControlTheory,andSocialNetworks

achievedstatus

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:OpenVersusClosedStratification

Systems,Prestige,andFromGemeinschafttoGesellschaft

ascribedstatus
class

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:SocialStatusandSocialMobility

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:IndustrialWork,OpiumofPeopleandthe

LegitimationofSocialInequalities,andFunctionsoftheState

cohesion

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:SurfaceTension,CapillaryAction,and

WatersCohesiveandAdhesiveProperties

community

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:Neighborhood,SociologicalApproaches

totheSelf,andCommunityEcologyandEcosystemEcology

control

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:RandomAssignmentofSubjects,Managingto

PreventFraud,andUsingaBankforControl

family

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:TheConflictPerspective,TheSymbolic

InteractionalistPerpsective,andPeriodicTrendsinMetallicProperties

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