Introduction:
When a number of people are united for a specific purpose, it is called an Association. Association in the general sense means a group of people who will organize and perform a special task. Sociologists have observed different types of associations in the social structure. Multiple associations can belong to one community.
Association: Definitions and Ideas
Association means a group of people who are organized for one or more purposes and adopt a certain course of action. The two elements behind the formation of an association are functional, namely – a common purpose and a strong desire to be organized. For example, football club, teachers association, merchant association, etc.
The association has two characteristics,
namely- (a) Membership and (b) Common object.
To be a member of the association, its declaration letter has to be complied with, the regular subscription has to be paid and the meeting has to be attended. A society can have many associations. McIver and Page say that when a group is organized for one or more purposes, it is called an association.
According to McIver and Page, there are three ways for people to achieve their goals.
- 1. People can take initiative to satisfy their personal interests without interacting with other members of society. However, such attempts are considered antisocial and rarely succeed.
- 2. Many times people can take the initiative to fulfill a purpose by engaging in conflict with others. But it can often disrupt peace and order in society, although conflict and rivalry are observed throughout social life.
- 3. The third way to achieve the goal is to unite and follow the path of mutual cooperation. That is, when people spontaneously unite to achieve a purpose and form an association, then it is helpful for the welfare of society.
According to McIver and Page, an association is a group formed to serve the interests of a common group. In this sense we can call any political party and state a union.
According to Gisbert, a union is a major group formed for a specific purpose. Associations can be temporary communities. The family and the state can be considered as unions. An association can also be called an agency. In that case, the union is the equivalent of a corporation.
There are different kinds of needs, purposes, and goals in human life. It is impossible for man to achieve all his needs and goals in a single effort. For this purpose, people want to implement the aims and objectives of social life in a collective way and easily. Therefore, we can say from the above discussion that man is in the pursuit of his intentions and the diverse purpose.
