Society :
In common language the concept of Society’ is used to designate the members of specific in-group, persons rather than social relationship of those persons. Thus, we speak of Brahmin society, but in sociology, the term ‘society’ refers not to a group of people but to the complex pattern of the norms of interaction that arise among them. The important aspect of society is the system of relationships, the pattern of norms of interaction by which the members of the society maintain themselves. Thus, the relations which are not organised in definite associations are excluded from the definition of society. According to Giddings a number of likeminded individuals, who know and enjoy their like mindedness, and are, therefore, able to work together for common ends forms the society.

Some Definitions :- Maclver and Page :- “Society” is a system of usages and procedures, authority and mutual aid, of many groupings and divisions of controls of human behaviours and of liberties.

Ginsberg :-A ‘Society’ is a collection of individuals united by certain relations or modes of behaviour which mark them off from others who do not enter into these relations or who differs from them in behaviour

Community

Maclver definers community as “an area of social living marked by some degree of social coherence” As the man cannot live or exist alone. He is connected in many ways to his fellows who form a group. As the man could not become the member of all the existing groups. He can establish and maintain relations only with the people who inhabit near him in a certain part of the territory. The people who over any duration of time inhabit in a particular locality should develop social likeliness, should have common social idea, common traditions and the sense of belongingness. All these common factors give birth to community.

Some Definitions of Community :-
Lundberg – “Community is a human population living within a limited geographical area and carrying on a common inter dependent life.”
Bogardus – “Community is a social group with some degree of we feeling and living in a given area.”

Characteristics of Community :-
(1) Group of people: Community is a group of people.
(2) Locality: The group of people forms a community when it begins to reside in a definite locality.
(3) Sentiments or Belongingness: The belongingness means feeling of community sentiments that developed among community people while residing together.
(4) Permanency – Community is unlike crowd. it basically includes a permanent life in a definite place.
(5) Not made by act of will – Communities are not made or created by an act of will but are natural.
(6) Commonness- Community shares common language. Customs, mores etc.
(7) Specific Name :- Every community have some specific name.
(8) Wider ends – In communities the people a associate not for the fulfillment of a particular end. The ends of a community are wider. These are natural and not artificial.

Difference between community and Society :-

Community is the group of people who live together in a specific area or locality and share common life. The community people also have community sentiments. Society includes every relation which is established among the people, society has no definite boundary infect it is universal. Society is the name of our social relationship on the contrary community is the group of people living together is a particular locality.

Community is the part of society and exists within society and possesses its distinguishable structure which differentiates it from other communities. Society is a web of social relationship which cannot be seen or touched. It is an abstract concept on the contrary community is a concrete concept. It is a group of people residing together in a geographical area having a sense of belongingness.