Society: The Purpose Of Society By Mark Bittman

Society can best be described as a group of people sharing similar values within the same industrial, economic, cultural and social arena. Without society, civilizations would crumble and human progress would come to a standstill. The importance of society can never be overemphasized. In fact, the underlying goals and objectives of society condition its subsistence. One of the main purposes of a society is to ensure that its citizens achieve optimum care and enjoy the highest quality of life possible. This is guaranteed though the establishment of social networks tailored to suit the needs of all citizens. Within an ideal society, individuals work tirelessly to support each other for a common good; the outcome of such an approach is basically

Nevertheless, most of these concepts and approaches are changing, and day by day, citizens are realizing that the changes occurring are not necessarily in favor of their interests and common goals. The article “What is the purpose of society” by Mark Bittman, gives a clearer picture of such changes, and the same merits a great deal of reflecting and pondering. In his opening paragraph, he clearly outlines the subtle decisions that are gradually gaining grounds and modifying the true definition and meaning of society. His call for reflection on the underlying factors influencing the change in the true purpose of the modern society is timely, since evidence of gradual deterioration is visible. His view on the current political economy is that more emphasis is currently being placed on securing an adequate

This simply implies that citizens are no longer the nucleus of the society, thereby modifying its true significance. The author puts forward a classic example of large firms in the agricultural sector, where farming is done on a commercial level; such corporations utilize a series of measures to maximize their profits at the expense of the environment and the citizens. Harmful chemicals are used to increase soil fertility; genetic engineering is used to create varieties of fast growing crops. These measures not only put small scale farmers out of business but also flood the markets with unhealthy produce, while destroying the environment – all in the name of profit. Eventually it becomes clear that the society is on a path of inevitable auto-destruction, with the citizens receiving the major blow. Such a practice, once again, does not reflect the original definition of society. If huge corporations rallied around the society and its citizens, the approach adopted by them would be totally different: for example, small scale farmers would be encouraged to cultivate organic produce, most of which may be sold with the aid of these corporations thereby securing substantial returns for farmers. Likewise, these “megacorporations” would also advocate for the use of organic products throughout the society, rather than the consumption of genetically modified fruits