Co-operation may be defined as pooling of resources or working of different individuals or groups together for the achievement of common objectives. Having in mind competition and conflict we should not think that co-operation is impossible among the human beings. Co-operation is one of the basic social processes. Many co-operators may not desire common objects to be achieved and their motives may be different, but the process of co-operation is there. There are people, who cooperate because they want to be helpful to others, while others may be having personal interests and still others may be interested in monetary gains. So it is not wholly correct to say that common desire is the .only purpose behind co-operation. For instance, co-operation of teacher and students in an educational institution is not due to common objectives, but they hive quite different objectives. The teacher co-operates because he is paid and the students, on the other hand, want to get 'knowledge. However, co-operation is an important social process, because without co-operation the structure of society would have not come into existence. The group life would have been impossible without co-operation. The cooperation among the members of the family--infant and mother's co-operation, husband and wife's cooperation is the web of 'fatuity group' and it 'perpetuates the existence of life. The noncooperation of mothers with their children would have made the perpetuation of human race impossible. The same is true in the case of animal life--cooperation is found even among animals.
Culture has a big hand in patronizing co-operation as a social process and helps in socializing the individuals to be co-operative in different social contacts. Even religious institutions advocate co-operation with the members of family, neighbors and playmates. The public co-operates with the government in political, economic and social fields. The casting of votes in general election is also co-operation on the part of public with the government. So in order to keep harmony, peace and order, unity and cohesion in social institutions, social structure and social organizations of communities and society as a whole, co-operation is an utmost necessity.

FORMS OF CO-OPERATION 

There are different forms of co-operation which are discussed as under;
i. Informal and Formal Co-operation. When an old, blind man is helped by a passer-by in crossing the road, then we attribute this type of co-operation as informal, because there are no set rules and regula-tions in this form of interactional process. This informal co-operation can also be attributed as non-contractual co-operation, i.e., without any contract. But, on the other hand, co-operation of teacher and taught, bankers and customers is a formal or contractual co-operation. There are prescribed rules and regulations to social process. In the same way Multipurpose Co-operative Societies, Agricultural Farming Co-operative Societies, in the field of agricultural production, procuring of seeds, fertilizers and sale of products etc., are types of formal cooperation.
ii. Direct and Indirect Co-operation. Direct co-operation comes into existence, when two or more .individuals jointly performs the same or similar jobs. For instance, in agriculture the farmers help one another in performing different jobs, i.e., harvesting, thrashing, plowing etc, which enables them to perform work efficiently. This type of co-operation is called direct co-operation. The indirect co-operation takes place when different individuals co-operate to perform different tasks for achieving the same object. As we find in different industrial establishments like automobile where there is division of labor and each one co-operates in the production of automobile by performing different tasks.
iii. Competitive Co-operation or Co-operative Competition. Certain groups co-operate to compete effectively as in cases of sports we find that different individuals co-operate with one another to form a team of football, hockey, cricket etc. to compete with another team effectively. The success of team through this co-operation is the success of the members of the team. Two teams while playing, i.e., competing with each other also co-operate with each other by abiding rules of the game.
iv. Antagonistic Co-operation or Co-operative Conflict. Cooperation may exist between antagonistic groups. For instance, an organization or a union of employees has to co-operate on certain working conditions with the Directors of an industrial unit or employers, because this type of cooperation is indispensible and both parties cannot exist without it. In the same way, in political field the antagonistic or opposing parties have to make coalition for establishing ministry or government in the country. In the same way, the two antagonistic blocks like Russian and the American have co-operated in signing "Nuclear Test Ban" to achieve world peace. In the same way, certain groups co-operate to intensify conflict, i.e., the co-operation of laborers through "Labor Union" for strike and co-operation of employers for lock-out against laborers are the examples of co-operation for conflict.
v. Subordinate Co-operation. There may be co-operation from the minority or subordinate groups towards superior groups. In the case of slavery the slave has to co-operate with his master. In the same way, Hindus and Muslims are minorities in Pakistan and India respectively and they have had to co-operate with the majority group in many respects in order to live as peaceful citizens in their respective countries. This co-operation is due to compulsion and does not occur due to sweet will of the minority group. The same is the case of "Negroes" in the United States of America as they have to co-operate with the majority, i.e., White Americans.
These forms and extent of co-operation mentioned above vary from institution to institution and society to society.

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EFFECTS OF CO-OPERATION

There are many effects of cooperation on the structure and functioning of human society, e.g.,
i. The family system, the mosque, the church, group life and the economic system are the result of co-operation. Had there been no formal or informal co-operation, the life would have been miserable and without any charm. The state, group life, and culture are the outcome of co-operation.
ii. The security of persons and groups is possible due to co-operation. In community life the services of an individual are reciprocated by the others. Different persons have various roles to perform in the socio-economic order. They can depend on one another in need due to consensus of opinion regarding co-operation.
iii. The element of co-operation is always found in human life, even in the extreme cases of conflict, i.e., war between two or more nations. If there is no co-operation between individuals, this world may turn into hell. The prediction in human behavior, business regulations, government functions, socialization of the new generation, and transmission of culture and personality development would be an impossible task without co-operation among human beings.
Co-operation and conflict are the basic social processes of social life. These interactional processes are present in every sphere of human life in one or the other form. The study, of co-operation and conflict processes is important for the students of sociology. Such a study is theoretically fruitful and pragmatically useful from social action point of view.