What is the concept of a system? Is it also a social infrastructure?

The concept ‘system’ refers to wholeness, interrelationships between parts or elements and self- regulation. It is a systematic organisation of the elements that operate in a unique way if we can take an example of our motorbike. It has different parts viz. brake, handle, gear, battery etc.

All these parts have their own functions. These are all like elements. If any part does not function, the other parts are also affected and the bike cannot function this all discussion shows that the elements are interrelated and interdependent, functioning towards the bike effective operation. With all these characteristics, the bike becomes a system. Hence a system has a number of elements functioning together in an interrelated and interdependent manner towards the attainment of certain functions of the system as a whole. A system is also dependent to the surroundings.

Man is a social animal who lives in a more or less organised group of people which is known as society. If we apply the concept of system as described above, society can be considered a system, with a set of goals to be achieved, different sections with different functions, working towards these common goals of the society.

A society has a certain set of elements working toward the goal of managing funds for the welfare of the people, another set for taking care of the health of the people, another set for education of the people and for employment of the people, and so on and so forth. Unless all these different sections of the society work effectively in a coordinated tradition, the goal of the society i.e. successful proportion of the society cannot be achieved.

Successful .functioning of each section is determinant for maintaining the continuity of the society: Thus one can say that different elements of a society like economic system, political system, transport and communication system, education system etc. work in interrelated and interdependent manner towards achieving the goals of the social system. Hence, it is a social infrastructure.