STRUCTURE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF

URBAN, RURAL AND TRIBAL COMMUNITY.

MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEMS IN

URBAN, RURAL AND TRIBAL COMMUNITIES
COMMUNITY:

“Community means group of people who

live and belong together and share whole set of
interests.”
- Manheim

“Community is human population living

within a limited geographic area and carrying on a
common interdependent life.”
- Lundberg
TYPES OF COMMUNITY
1) Rural Community: A community containing
less than 5000 population.

2) Urban Community: A community containing

more than 5000 population.
RURAL COMMUNITY
“ A rural community may be defined as a
group of people permanently residing in a definite
geographical area who are having community
consciousness i.e. cultural, social and economic relations
feel that they are separate from other communities.”

- J H Kolb &
Burner

“ Rural community means people who

are staying together and living on dispersed farmsteads
and in a village which forms the centre of their common
activities.”
- Sanderson
RURAL COMMUNITY

“ A rural community is a group of

people, who mainly depend upon agriculture and
allied occupation, are permanently residing in a
particular geographical area and participating in
common socio economic and cultural activities.”
NATURE / CHARACTERISTICS OF RURAL
COMMUNITY:
1) Agriculture as main occupation
2) Natural environment
3) Small size and low density
4) Low social mobility
5) Homogeneity
6) Social interaction
7) Less social differentiation and caste as social
stratification
8) Joint family
9) Informal means of social control
10) Social solidarity
NATURE OF RURAL SOCIETY OR RURAL
COMMUNITY:
1) Agriculture as main occupation:
The main occupation of rural society is agriculture and small
activities like animal husbandry, poultry and small enterprise like bee-
keeping & fishing.

2) Natural environment: The natural atmosphere enables the rural

people to have simple and natural lifestyle (pollution free
environment).

3) Small size and low density:

The size of rural society is small. There may be few household
or small numbers of people in rural area. Low density of population is
found in the rural society.

4) Low social mobility: In village, low mobility is observed. They

don’t like to change their house frequently from one place to another.
CONT’D…
5) Homogeneity: The rural life has much homogenous. The
people of village share the same customs, traditions, values and
style of life.

6) Social interaction: Primary group relationship: Rural

communities are small in size and have primary group
relationships. A village is like a large family. Everyone knows
everybody personality and members have face to face
relationships.

7) Less social differentiation and caste as social stratification:

People in the village are differentiated on the basis of caste
system. They have been sub grouped on the basis of caste. Rural
communities are stratified more on caste than less on class basis.
CONT’D…

8) Joint family: In rural areas, individuals mostly reside

in joint families.

9) Informal means of social control: Informal means

of social control such as traditions, norms, values are
used to control the behaviour of people.

10) Social solidarity: The degree of social solidarity is

greater in villages as compared to urban areas. Common
experience, purposes, customs and traditions form the
basis of unity in the villages.
INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES IN RURAL COMMUNITY:

Institutional structures refer to organizations with

policies, programs and administrative powers.
 They affect the life of local communities in various
ways.

 Institutional structures can be classified into three types:

1. Governmental organizations

2. Non- Governmental organizations

3. Statutory and public institutions.

CONT’D…
1. Governmental organizations:
 Various state government departments such as health, revenue,
forest, irrigation, public works and general administration and
autonomous organizations like electricity boards, police
departments exercise direct control and take all decisions related
working conditions of rural community.
2. Non- Governmental organizations:
 Most villages may have Mahila Mandals and committees for
managing the affairs of local activities.
3. Statutory and public institutions:
 Co-operative organizations like Gram Panchayat and Gram
Sabha are involved in agricultural processing and marketing.
 Milk co-operative societies have been set up in many rural areas.

 National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development and

Regional rural Banks have been set up for providing a greater
impetus for Bank activities in rural areas.
URBAN COMMUNITY
URBAN COMMUNITY OR SOCIETY
DEFINITION OF URBAN COMMUNITY /
URBANIZATION:
 Urban community / Urbanization is a
process, cycle of changes in which agricultural
society is transforming into industrial society.
-David

 Urban community / Urbanization is the

process of formation of urban area &
movement of rural people towards cities &
increase in urban process, population & area.
-Fairchild
 CHARACTERISTICS/ NATURE OF
URBAN COMMUNITY:
1) Large size & high density of population
2) Non- agricultural occupation
3) Heterogeneity
4) Anonymity (loss of identity & sense of
belongingness)
5) High mobility
6) Nuclear family
7) Formality of relations
8) Social distance
9) Regimentation (clock regulated life)
10) Segmentation of personality
11) Class based social stratification.
CONT’D…
1) Large size & high density of population:
 The size of urban society is much larger than rural society. There
is high density of population.
2) Non- agricultural occupation: In urban areas, the major
occupations are professional in nature along with others like
industrial or administrative areas.
3) Heterogeneity:
 Here, population is heterogeneous. It consists of various shades of
people different caste, classes, ethnic groups, relations etc.
4) Anonymity (loss of identity & sense of belongingness):
 Anonymity is a loss of identity & sense of belongingness. The
heterogeneity of city life with its mixture of people of all races,
classes, occupations and ethnic origins heightens the sense of
anonymity.
5) High mobility:
 Urban life is dynamic and temporary social relations. So,
permanency does not develop in urban relations.
CONT’D…
6) Nuclear family: Nuclear families are more popular in urban areas.
7) Formality of relations:
 In urban life, relations are not intimate and kinship based. These
relations are based on business or formal friendly.
8) Social distance:
 Social distance is the result of anonymity, heterogeneity and
impersonality.
9) Regimentation (clock regulated life):
 The city life is always in hurry. On the streets, the life is controlled by
traffic lights, on railway station and other places by elevators and
escalators.
10) Segmentation of personality:
 In urban society, interact with only segment of person, not with the
whole persons.
11) Class based social stratification:
 The nature of stratification is complex in urban area. It mostly depend
on social class.
INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES IN URBAN
COMMUNITY:
Urban communities witness a wide variety of
organizations as compared to rural communities.
This is because urban areas are a hub for industries.

 Institutional structures can be classified into three types:

1. Governmental organizations

2. Non- Governmental organizations

3. Statutory and public institutions.

CONT’D…
1. Governmental organizations:
 A number of governmental organizations undertake urban
community functions. These include revenue department,
general administration, town planning, industries etc.
2. Non- Governmental organizations:
 A number of Non-governmental organizations such as
chambers of commerce, merchant association, religious
bodies, social organizations, student organizations, women’s
group etc.
 These play an important role in urban setting. Political
parties and social work organizations are other notable
organization in urban communities.
3. Statutory and public institutions:
 are municipality, co-operative societies and credit co-
operative bodies that play a role in the urban setting.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
RURAL AND URBAN
COMMUNITY
 RURAL COMMUNITY URBAN COMMUNITY

1. The rural society is 1. The urban society is

homogenous in unity of heterogeneous.
customs, occupation, values
and style of life.

2. The rural society is dominated 2. The urban society is

by primary relations. dominated by secondary
relations.

3. The rural people are simple, 3. Urban people are artificial,

frank, hospitable and generous. narrow minded and selfish.
 RURAL SOCIETY URBAN SOCIETY

4. Informal means of social control 4. Formal means of social control

are enough to regulate interpersonal like laws, legislations, policies etc.
relations. are enough to regulate the behaviour
of people.
5. Rural society is less mobile. Both 5. Urban society is more mobile due
physical and social mobility are to transportation, communication
limited. and education.

6. People in rural areas are more 6. People in urban areas are more
conservative , orthodox and progressive.
dogmatic.

7. Rural people are not class 7. In cities, there are more

conscious. Class conflicts are less opportunities to make money. So,
common. they are little class conscious.
 RURAL SOCIETY URBAN SOCIETY

8. Occupation: Agriculture and 8. Non-agriculture occupations

allied occupation such as animal such as industry, trade,
husbandry, poultry, fishing, commerce, teaching,
forestry and handicrafts. administration etc.

9. Natural environment 9. Man made environment

10. Size of community relatively 10. Large community and high

small. Low density of population. density of population.

11. System of social interaction: 11. Impersonal, indirect and

Personal, close, direct, intimate abstract relationships and
and primary relations. secondary relations.
 RURAL SOCIETY URBAN SOCIETY

12. Family: Large family, joint 12. Family: Small / nuclear

family, extended family. family.

13. Religion: Concrete 13. Abstract religion based on

meaningful religion, makes more scientific principles.
naturally religious.

14. Politically less conscious 14. Politically more conscious.

15. Social change: Relatively 15. Rapid large scale changes,

slow and gradual. unstable public opinions.
16. Recreation: Natural and 16. Commercial and specialized.
simple.
TRIBAL COMMUNITY
TRIBE / TRIBAL
COMMUNITY
 INTRODUCTION:
 Tribe is a category of human social group.
 A tribe is group of people who live and work
together in a shared geographical area.
 Tribes are a group of community with similar
ancestors, customs and traditions.
 The people of tribal community living in tribal
areas, away from the area of influence of
civilization.
DEFINITION OF TRIBE /
TRIBAL COMMUNITY:
 Tribe as “a collection of families bearing common
name, members of which occupy the same territory,
speak the same language and observe certain taboos
regarding marriage, profession or occupation and
have developed a well assessed system of reciprocity
and mutuality of obligations.” -
Majumdar

 “Tribe is any collection of pre-literate local group

that occupies a common general territory speaks a
common language and practices a common culture.”
- Gillin
NATURE / CHARACTERISTICS
OF TRIBE / TRIBAL COMMUNITY:
 Definite common topography
 Consciousness of unity
 Common language
 Endogamous group
 Ties of blood relationship
 Need for protection
 Political organization
 Importance of religion
 Common Name
 Common cultures
 Organization of clans (due to exist laws of mutual
understanding among its members).
INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES IN TRIBAL
COMMUNITY:
 Tribals do not posses any forms of government, court or
judicial system.
 Each tribe has its own political system.
 The Panchayat raj system, co-operative bodies,
educational institutions and market structures are
now slowly being formed in tribal areas.
 In many tribal areas, social work organizations and
NGOs have made important contributions in the field of
education and health.
MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEM IN
URBAN, RURAL AND TRIBAL
COMMUNITIES
MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEMS IN RURAL AREA:
 Rural people in India have their own beliefs and
practices regarding health.
 Some rural people have continued to follow rich,
undocumented, traditional medicine system to maintain
positive health and to prevent disease.
 The basic nature of rural health problems is attributed
also to lack of health literature and health consequences,
poor health services and occupational hazards.
 The majority of rural deaths, which are preventable, are
due to infectious and communicable, parasitic and
respiratory diseases. There are:
MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEMS IN RURAL AREA -
CONT’D…
 Communicable diseases and respiratory tract diseases:
Diseases that are carried in the air through coughing, sneezing
or even breathing such as measles, TB, whooping cough,
pneumonia and COVID-19.
 Gastrointestinal diseases: Diseases that are concerned in the
GIT, such as diarrhoea, Amoebiasis, lymphoid fever, infectious
hepatitis, worm infestations and poliomyelitis.
 Parasitic diseases: like malaria, filaria and kala-azar.
 Nutritional deficiency in rural area: There is wide spread
prevalence of PEM, anaemia, Vitamin A deficiency and iodine
deficiency.
 Poor maternal health
 Animal and insect bites
 Agricultural related injuries and diseases
 Socio-psychological problems of the female,

MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEMS IN URBAN AREA:
 Unhealthy lifestyle of urban peoples leading to higher prevalence
of non- communicable diseases including diabetes, hypertension,
cancer, outbreaks of seasonal diseases, accidents and injuries.
1. Cardio-vascular diseases:
 Urbanization has been accompanied rise in the rate of
cardiovascular diseases, heart attack, hypertension,
arrhythmias etc.
2. Diabetes
3. Obesity
4. Cancer
5. Neurological disorders
6. Mental diseases
7. Infertility
8. Infectious diseases etc.
MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEMS IN URBAN AREA-
CONT’D…
 Other problems are:
- Air pollution
- Global warming and change in climate
- Change in the ecosystem
- Development of slum areas
- Overcrowding
- Unemployment
- Water and sanitation problems
- Traffic congestion
- Increased proportion of crimes
- Higher incidence of epidemic diseases
- Higher proportion of malnutrition among children etc.
-
MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEMS AMONG TRIBAL
COMMUNITY:
 Tribes usually remain isolated and majority of them
have poor status due to inadequate health infrastructure.
Tribal communities have large burdens of under
nutrition, malaria, tuberculosis.
 Communicable diseases: Tuberculosis, Hepatitits, STD,
Fungal and skin infection, leprosy, HIV/AIDS etc.
 Nutritional deficiency or improper nutrition
 Genetic disorder- Sickle cell anemia, thalassemia etc.
 Tribal communities face the “ Triple burden” of disease.
 Apart from high rates of malnutrition and communicable
diseases (TB, Leprosy, HIV etc.) the advert of rapid
urbanization and changing lifestyles, environment has led
to rise in non- communicable diseases (Cancer, diabetes
and hypertension etc.)
 MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEMS AMONG TRIBAL
COMMUNITY- CONT’D…
 Low life expectancy
 Poor maternal health
 Higher child mortality rate
 Poor use of family welfare services
 Communicable diseases
 Genetic disorders
 Malnutrition
 Animal attacks
 Violence
 Addiction
 Poor access to health services.
CONT’D…
 Low life expectancy:
- The estimate published in Lancet 2016, shows that the
life expectancy at birth of the tribal population is 63.9
years as against 67 years for the general population of
the country.
 Poor maternal health:
- It is higher among the tribal community due to multiple
factors like early marriage, early child birth and high
incidence of anaemia among women of tribal
communities.
 Higher child mortality rate:
- There was a higher incidence of low birth weight babies
and poor rate of immunization among the children of
tribal communities.
CONT’D…
 Poor use of family welfare services:
- There was very low use of contraceptives among the ST
population and TFR at 2.5 was also higher than the
general population(2.1) according to NFHS 4 data.
 Communicable diseases:
- These population bears burden of communicable diseases
such as malaria, TB, skin infections, STD, HIV, typhoid,
Cholera, diarrheal diseases, hepatitis and viral fever.
 Genetic disorders:
- The prevalence of sickle cell anemia and thalassemia are
higher among the tribal population.
 Malnutrition:
-The prevalence of stunning growth and lower BMI
among the tribal population is more than the general
population across the country.
CONT’D…
 Animal attacks:
- As tribal areas are often surrounded by forests, animal
bites from snakes, dogs and scorpions are very common.
 Violence:
- Maoist insurgent or Naxalite activity has expanded
markedly especially in the central tribal belt of India.
 Addiction:
- Tribal population consume locally made alcohol that
contributes in deteriorating their health.
 Poor access to health services:
- The tribal population has poor access to basic health
services due to lack of transportation or money to utilize
the health facilities.
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