differences in society

society... society...

Society is an interesting concept because it varies from person to person. For example, a person with kids and a family will feel a lot different than a single university student. As one of the latter, society to me means meeting up with my friends, going clubbing and working off a monumental hangover. In this article I will attempt to explore this theme of society through two points of view, a military service point and student point- two very different ends of the spectrum. From a military point of view society is very structured. You get up as a unit and parade as a unit before going to eat (scoff) together. Society in that environment is very structured and organised down to a fine detail. However, it cannot adapt to change, at all. I once waited 10 hours to use the shooting range and it didn’t happen. On the one hand this society is reassuring, as you always know what’s going on in the day and who you report too if something is wrong. Welfare is a focus despite the reputation and the commanders will always “square you away.” However, the lack of freedom is also restrictive. You can’t just go and meet your friends for a drink when you want as you need to get permission for most things. Additionally, you can get disciplined for things that are very small which can be demoralising. This means that society in this context is quite rigid and formal with little freedom but is very safe and secure.

society... society...

My other opinion on society is from a university perspective. University society is the exact opposite is where there is a lot of free time, not much planning and everyone is on roughly a level playing field. For me personally it means lectures at 11, gym at 2, preparing to go out on Wednesday, Friday and the weekend, going to work. It also involves creating a structure for yourself rather than having it dictated too you. However, this society is very heavily based on intellectual and mental activities rather than strength and physical activities. Additionally, you do a lot of partying, try a lot of drinks I really don’t want to try again and have taken far too many late-night takeaways. From these vivid and loud antics, I can effectively say that taking advantage of this freedom and lack of accountability is very much encouraged. In conclusion, society is very much and individual experience. It will vary upon many things such as family and where you live. However, I have found the most influencing factor on your perception of society is employment. As you spend a significant amount of time at work it is natural that society at an individual level will be moulded to that. A stockbroker will act very different to a soldier. Even wider society is structured around working life and the mythical working life balance. If I have learnt anything is that while thinking about society and jobs can be daunting, thinking about it with a rum and coke on a sandy beach makes it a lot less daunting. u