Key Takeaways
- A social institution is a group or organization that has specific roles, norms, and expectations, which functions to meet the social needs of society. The family, government, religion, education, and media are all examples of social institutions.
- Social institutions are interdependent and continually interact and influence one another in everyday society. For example, some religious institutions believe they should have control over governmental and educational institutions.
- Social institutions can have both manifest and latent functions. Manifest functions are those that are explicitly stated, while latent functions are not.
- Each social institution plays a vital role in the functioning of society and the lives of the people that inhabit them.
What Are Social Institutions?
Social institutions are the organizations in society that influence how society is structured and functions. They include family, media, education, and the government.
A social institution is an established practice, tradition, behavior, or system of roles and relationships that is considered a normative structure or arrangement within a society.
Bogardus – “A social institution is a structure of society that is organized to meet the needs of people chiefly through well-established procedures.”
H. E. Barnes – “Social institutions are the social structure & machinery through which human society organizes, directs & executes the multifarious activities required to society for human need.”
Broadly, they are patterns of behavior grouped around the central needs of human beings in a society. One such example of an institution is marriage, where multiple people commit to follow certain rules and acquire a familial legal status about each other (Miller, 2007).
Social institutions have several key characteristics:
- They are enduring and stable.
- They serve a purpose, ideally providing better chances for human survival and flourishing.
- They have roles that need to be filled.
- Governing the behavior and expectations of sets of individuals within a given community.
- The rules that govern them are usually ingrained in the basic cultural values of a society, as each institution consists of a complex cluster of social norms.
They also serve general functions, including:
- Allocating resources
- Creating meaning
- Maintaining order
- Growing society and its influence
Examples (and Functions)
The five major social institutions in sociology are family, education, religion, government (political), and the economy.
Family
The family is one of the most important social institutions. It is considered a “building block” of society because it is the primary unit through which socialization occurs.
It is a social unit created by blood, marriage, or adoption, and can be described as nuclear, consisting of two parents and their children, or extended, encompassing other relatives. Although families differ widely around the world, families across cultures share certain common concerns in their everyday lives (Little & McGivern, 2020).
As a social institution, the family serves numerous, multifaceted functions. The family socializes its members by teaching them values, beliefs, and norms.
It also provides emotional support and economic stability. Sometimes, the family may even be a caretaker if one of its members is sick or disabled (Little & McGivern, 2020).
Historically, the family has been the central social institution of Western societies. However, more recently, as sociologists have observed, other social institutions have replaced the family in providing key functions, as family sizes have shrunk and provided more distant ties.
For example, modern schools have, in part, taken on the role of socializing children, and workplaces can provide shared meaning.
Education
E. Durkheim – “Education can be conceived as the socialization of the younger generation. It is a continuous effort to impose on the child ways of seeing, feeling and acting which he could not arrived at spontaneously.”
John J. Macionis – “Education is the social institution through which society provides its members with important knowledge, including basic facts, jobs, skills & cultural norms & values.”
As a social institution, education helps to socialize children and young adults by teaching them the norms, values, and beliefs of their culture. It also transmits cultural heritage from one generation to the next. Education also provides people with the skills and knowledge they need to function in society.
Education may also help to reduce crime rates by providing people with alternatives to criminal activity. These are the “manifest” or openly stated functions and intended goals of education as a social institution (Meyer, 1977).
Education, sociologists have argued, also has a number of latent, or hidden and unstated functions. This can include courtship, the development of social networks, improving the ability for students to work in groups, the creation of a generation gap, and political and social integration (Little & McGivern, 2020).
Although every country in the world is equipped with some form of education system, these systems, as well as the values and teaching philosophies of those who run the systems, vary greatly.
Generally, a country”s wealth is directly proportional to the quality of its educational system.
For example, in poor countries, education may be seen as a luxury that only the wealthy can afford, while in rich countries, education is more accessible to a wider range of people.
This is because, in poorer countries, money is often spent on more pressing needs such as food and shelter, diminishing financial and time investments in education (Little & McGivern, 2016).
Religion
Religion is another social institution that plays a significant role in society. It is an organized system of beliefs and practices designed to fill the human need for meaning and purpose (Durkheim, 1915).
According to Durkheim, “Religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden.”
According to Ogburn, “Religion is an attitude towards superhuman powers.”
Religion can be used to instill moral values and socialize individuals into a community. Religion plays a significant role in shaping the way people view themselves and the world around them.
It can provide comfort and security to those in need. Large religions may also provide a basis for community support, establishing institutions of their own, such as hospitals and schools.
Additionally, it can be used as a form of political control or as a source of conflict.
Different sociologists have commented on the broad-scale societal effects of religion.
Max Weber, for example, believed that religion could be a force for social change, while Karl Marx viewed religion as a tool used by capitalist societies to perpetuate inequality (Little & McGivern, 2016).
Government
The government is another social institution that plays a vital role in society. It is responsible for maintaining order, protecting citizens from harm, and providing for the common good.
The government does this through various sub-institutions and agencies, such as the police, the military, and the courts. These legal institutions regulate society and prevent crime by enforcing laws and policies.
The government also provides social services, such as education and healthcare, ensuring the general welfare of a country or region”s citizens (Little & McGivern, 2016).
Economy
The economy is a social institution that is responsible for the production and distribution of goods and services. It is also responsible for the exchange of money and other resources.
The economy is often divided into three sectors: the primary sector, the secondary sector, and the tertiary sector (Little & McGivern, 2016).
The primary sector includes all industries that are concerned with the extraction and production of natural resources, such as agriculture, forestry, fishing, and mining.
The secondary sector includes all industries that are concerned with the processing of raw materials into finished products, such as manufacturing and construction.
The tertiary sector includes all industries that provide services to individuals and businesses, such as education, healthcare, and tourism (Little & McGivern, 2016).
References
Barnes, H. E. (1942). Social institutions. New York, 29.
Bogardus, E. S. (1922). A history of social thought. University of Southern California Press.
Bogardus, E. S. (1960). development of social thought.
Durkheim, E. (2006). Durkheim: Essays on morals and education (Vol. 1). Taylor & Francis.
Durkheim, E. (2016). The elementary forms of religious life. In Social Theory Re-Wired (pp. 52-67). Routledge.
Little, W., McGivern, R., & Kerins, N. (2016). Introduction to sociology-2nd Canadian edition. BC Campus.
Macionis, J. J., & Plummer, K. (2005). Sociology: A global introduction . Pearson Education.
Meyer, J. W. (1977). The effects of education as an institution. American Journal of Sociology, 83 (1), 55-77.
Ogburn, W. F. (1937). The influence of inventions on American social institutions in the future. American Journal of Sociology, 43 (3), 365-376.
Miller, S. (2007). Social institutions In The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Schotter, A. (2008). The economic theory of social institutions. Cambridge Books.
Weber, M. (1936). Social actions.
FAQs
What are Social Institutions in Sociology?
In sociology, social institutions are established norms and subsystems that support each society’s survival. These institutions are a key part of the structure of society. They include the family, education, religion, and economic and political institutions.
These institutions are not just physical structures or organizations but also the norms and rules that govern our behavior and attitudes, shaping our social interactions and society at large.
What is the role of a social institution?
Each social institution serves a specific role and function in society, and they work together to maintain the overall stability and survival of society.
For instance, the family institution is responsible for societal roles related to birth, upbringing, and socialization. The educational institution imparts knowledge and skills to individuals so they can contribute productively to society.
