THE THEORY OF SOCIAL CLUSTERING AND THE REORGANIZATION OF HUMAN SOCIETY

Abstract

Human society is characterized by the existence of social groups that interact on a day to day basis. Initial attempts have been made to understand how society members relate. This inquiry brought forth concepts and theories such as socialization, functionalism, anomy and deviance. As societies evolve, questions start to emerge as to whether they are sustainable in nature or not. One would want to know, for instance, whether the talked about content, structural and functional dynamism of these societies are breeding integration or loosening up of their social fabric. It would also be interesting to know what either integration or disintegration mean for any societies in terms of potential gains and losses, and what causes them. It is in this regard that the paper suggests that social clustering (geographical such as villages or functional such as worker’s unions), or simply put as social integration, can help societies address their challenges. According to this paper, such issues surrounding cluster functions include emerging trends of environmental degradation, competition over resources, human migration, and increasing defiance among new generations to traditional cultural practices and roles that have all along kept traditional clusters together. The core argument presented in this paper is that in the context of a more modernizing and fast integrating world, individuals and families should embrace the idea of working together with others in social clusters as opposed to working in isolation so as to benefit from economies of scale, protect the environment and guarantee their safety and security. These aspects were initially seen to make business sense; however, trends indicate that they should gain more currency in sociological and environmental spheres as well considering the global demographic and environmental degradation trends, and it is only fair that they gain the acknowledgement they deserve. The paper is motivated greatly motivated by the researcher’s own observation of social dynamics in Kenya.