Associations and its charecteristics

A group of people organised for a particular purpose or a limited number of purpose. Sometimes it is a group of social beings attached to an organisation with a view to secure a specific end or specific ends.

Definition of Association

Mac Iver defines an association as "an organisation deliberately formed for the collective pursuit of some interest or set of interests, which its members share".

According to Ginsberg an association is "a group of social beings related to one another or have instituted in a common organisation with a view to secure a specific end or specific ends".

Elements of Association

i) There must be group of people.

ii) It must be an organised one based upon rules and regulations.

iii) They must have a common purpose.

Thus family, church, trade union, music or any such clubs are associations. Associations may be formed on several basis.

Vocational (trade unions, teachers association) recreational (Tennis clubs) or philanthropic (Charitable societies). They may be formed on the basis of duration (ie) temporary or permanent like flood relief association or trade unions.

Difference between society and association

1. Society is older than association: Society exists since man appeared on the earth, while association arose when man learnt to organise himself.

2. Aim of society is general: Society is for the well being of the individuals, whereas association is formed for the particular purpose or purposes.

3. Society may be organised or unorganised but association must be organised.

4. Membership of society is compulsory as no man can live without it. But man can live without being member of any association at all. Society will exist as long as man exists but association may be only transitory.

5. Society is marked by both cooperation and conflict whereas association is based on co-operation alone.

6. Society is a system of social relationship, whereas association is a group of people.

7. Society is natural, whereas association is artificial.

Difference between Association and Community

1. An association is partial, whereas community is a whole. Association is to achieve some specific purpose, which does not include the whole purpose of life. Whereas community includes whole circle of common life. It is not for specific purpose.

2. Community is not deliberately created. It has no beginning, no hour of birth. It is simply whole life, more comprehensive and more spontaneous than any association.

3. Associations exist within community. Human beings belong to association by virtue of some specific interests that they possess (music club etc.). Though they born into communities they choose their associations.

It should be remembered that associations may become communities by serving plurality of ends, though that may never be reached.