In all inclusive social systems such as society, replacement is mainly through the process of sexual reproduction. This implies that such a social system has to be heterosexual (that is, consisting of both males and females) in demographic composition. We may recall Marion J. Levy’s definition of society, discussed at length in which he says that members are recruited at least in part by their own sexual reproduction. The insertion of the phrase ‘in part’ is important because it hints at two aspects of recruitment: (i) it does not imply ‘promiscuity’—free sex, in which any male member can have sex with any female member—but says that the system permits sexual relationships amongst its members (for which there are eligibility criteria and other norms); and (ii) it also allows people who are not the product of sexual reproduction between existing members to become its members—foreigners choosing to become members, for example. Of course, they may also contribute to societal recruitment through sexual reproduction. For example:
- a foreigner might get married to a member of the host society and the children from this union may be allowed to be members of the host society; there are some societies that allow a child of such a union dual membership—citizenship of the society of the parent, and citizenship of the country where the child was born—this is an instance where the parents have different nationalities;1
- where a foreign couple have become naturalized citizens of the host society, it becomes a potential supplier of new members;
- foreigners who haven‘t taken membership may produce a child in the host land, and by virtue of its birth on the land, it automatically gets citizenship while the parents remain alien: in fact, such children have dual membership—that of the society of their birth and of the country of their parents—and are given the option to choose one upon reaching adulthood.
The key point is that we cannot conceive of a society where recruitment via sexual reproduction is not possible. However, this does not rule out other mechanisms of recruitment and replacement.
We must not forget that there are many sub-systems within a society that are composed of individuals who, in the context of that sub-system, are not required to be involved in the process of sexual reproduction with other members of the opposite sex. Even when both husband and wife become members of such a group, their sexual interaction is not a condition for their membership. Of course, some clubs grant membership to the children of their members—either as replacements or ‘additionals’. But this is not essential for the continuance of the group. Unlike society, their progeny does not automatically become a member. Membership in such social groups is not contingent upon recruitment by birth.
To repeat: the need for reproduction is both a sexual drive and a social necessity. A society lives through its members. Like all living beings, humans too follow a lifecycle of birth-growth-death. The void caused by death is mainly filled by the birth of new members.
At any given point in time, any society has three distinct types of persons:
- Those born in the society: natives (indigenes), also known as natural citizens;
- those migrated from other societies and settled: naturalized citizens; and
- those from abroad staying temporarily: constituting the transient population.
Similarly, loss of membership is caused by:
- Death of the members; and
- migration to other societies either
- for a short period (temporary dislocation), or
- for good.
Taking note of these factors, the population of a society at any given point in time is expressed through this simple demographic formula:
where P = Population; b = Birth; i = Immigration; d = Death; e = Emigration
The population of a society consists of those who were born there and those who migrated from other places. Such immigration can take several forms (temporary or permanent, seeking refuge, annexation by force, individual or group migration, etc.). From this total is deducted those persons who leave the society, either due to death or dispersal to other areas—temporarily or permanently. The latter category is now known as Diaspora. India and China are the two main sources of diaspora export. In practically all countries of the world, one finds representatives of these two civilizational cultures. Of course, other societies have also contributed to the world’s diaspora population.
In the societies of their settlement—the host societies—these groups have marked their significant presence, and have succeeded in many cases in creating their own sandwich cultures, thus possessing a double identity.
Leave a Reply