"is" or "are"

I know "is" used with the singlular and "are" is used with the plural.

What about words like society and family? I realize they define a group, but they are groups of two or more people.

Society, in general, is/are not very open minded.

My family is/are very excited about the reunion.

Which is it?

Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the input. I actually found a website that is very helpful.

http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/collectivenoun.htm