The concept of "social institution" is somewhat unclear both in ordinary language and in sociological and philosophical literature. However, modern science is somewhat more consistent in its use of the term. Typically, modern scholars use the term to refer to complex forms that reproduce themselves, such as governments, the family, human languages, universities, hospitals, business corporations, and legal systems.
Definition
A social institution is a historically established organization, a community of people associated with their joint activities (social practice). It was created by people to meet social needs.
According to one of the typical definitions, social institutions are stable forms of organization, a set of positions, roles, norms and values embedded incertain types of structures and organizing relatively stable patterns of human activity in relation to fundamental problems in the production of life, such as the conservation of resources, the reproduction of people and the maintenance of viable structures in a given environment. In addition, they are one of the most enduring features of social life.
Actually, a social institution is a set of social organizations and norms. They are designed to regulate various areas of public relations.
Relationship with other shapes
Social institutions must be distinguished from less complex social forms such as rules, social norms, roles and rituals. They also need to be distinguished from more complex and complete social entities, such as societies or cultures, of which any given institution is usually the constitutive element. For example, a society is more complete than an institution, since a society (at least in the traditional sense) is more or less self-sufficient in terms of human resources, while an institution is not.
Elements such as social institutions and social organizations often correlate with each other. An example of such a coincidence would be a school. Moreover, many institutions are systems of organizations. For example, capitalism is a special kind of economic institution. Capitalism today is largely composed of certain organizational forms, including multinational corporations, organized into a system. Also applies tosimilar types of social organizations and the institution of the family. This is due to the fact that it combines the features of different social systems.
Also, some institutions are meta-institutions; these are institutions (organizations) that organize others like them (including systems). For example, these are governments. Their institutional purpose or function is largely to organize other institutions (both individually and collectively). Thus, governments regulate and coordinate economic systems, educational institutions, police and military organizations, etc. mainly through (enforceable) legislation.
However, some social institutions are not social organizations or their system. For example, the Russian language, which could exist independently of any institutions directly dealing with it. Again, one can consider an economic system in which organizations are not involved. An example of this is the barter system involving only individuals. An institution, which is not an organization or system thereof, is associated with a relatively specific type of interactive activity between agents, such as communication or economic exchange, which includes:
- differentiated activities, e.g. communication means speaking and hearing/understanding, economic exchange means buying and selling;
- execution repeatedly and by multiple agents;
- functioning according toa structured unitary system of conventions, such as linguistic, monetary, and social norms.
Agents and structure
For convenience, social institutions can be thought of as having three dimensions: structure, function, and culture. However, it should be remembered that there are conceptual differences between functions and purposes. In some cases function is a quasi-causal concept, in others it is teleological, though not necessarily assuming the existence of any mental states.
While the structure, functions and culture of an institution provide the framework within which individuals operate, they do not fully define their actions. This happens for a number of reasons. On the one hand, rules, norms and goals cannot cover all unforeseen circumstances that may arise; on the other hand, all these aspects must themselves be interpreted and applied. Moreover, changing circumstances and unforeseen challenges make it desirable to give people the discretion to rethink and adjust old rules, norms, and goals, and sometimes develop new ones.
People who occupy institutional roles have varying degrees of discretionary power over their actions. These discretionary powers come in many forms and operate at various levels.
Thus, certain categories of individual institutional actors have discretionary powers and a reasonable degree of autonomy in the performance of their institutional responsibilities. However, not only individual actionsinstitutional actors are not completely defined by structure, function and culture. Many cooperative actions within social institutions (and social organizations) are not defined by structure, function, or culture.
It should also be noted that legitimate individual or collective discretionary activities carried out within an institution are usually facilitated by a rational internal structure, including role structures, policies and decision-making procedures. Rational here means internally consistent, as well as justified in light of the goals of the institution.
In addition to internal aspects, there are external relations, including its relations with other similar systems.
All these factors are due to the fact that social institutions (social organizations) are communities of people who interact with each other.
According to Giddens, the structure of a social institution consists of both the human factor and the environment in which human action takes place. Apparently, this means that, firstly, it is nothing more than a repetition in time of the corresponding actions of many institutional actors. Thus, the structure is:
- of the habitual actions of every institutional agent;
- a set of such agents;
- relationships and interdependencies between the actions of one agent and the actions of other agents.
At the same time, any organization in the system of social institutionsoccupies a certain place.
Distinguishing Features
A characteristic feature of social institutions is their reproductive capacity. They reproduce themselves, or at least they are conducive to it. This is largely due to the fact that their members strongly identify with the institutional goals and social norms that define these institutions, and therefore make relatively long-term commitments to them and bring in others as their members.
Moreover, some of them, such as schools and churches, as well as decision makers, such as governments, are directly involved in the process of reproducing various social institutions besides themselves. They promote their reproduction by promoting the "ideology" of these institutions and, in the case of the government, by implementing specific policies to ensure their reproduction.
Classification
There are several categories of social institutions:
- Community: A group of people living in the same area and reporting to the same governing body, or a group or class with a common interest.
- Community Organizations: Non-profit charitable organizations dedicated to helping others meet basic needs, solve personal or family problems, or improve their community.
- Educational institutions: public organizations dedicated to teaching people skills and knowledge.
- Ethnic or cultural groups: public organization,consisting of many extended family groups united by a common lineage.
- Extended Family: A social organization made up of several groups of nuclear families linked by a common origin.
- Families and households: a fundamental social group consisting mainly of men, women and their descendants; home institution, including family members and others who live under the same roof.
- Governments and legal institutions: The office, function, body or organization that establishes and governs public policy and affairs. The government consists of the legislative branch, which writes law and policy, the executive branch, which implements law and policy, and the judicial branch, which enforces law and policy. This includes local, state and national governments.
- Medical institutions: social organizations that specialize in monitoring public he alth, providing medical care and treating diseases and injuries.
- Intellectual and cultural organizations: public organizations engaged in the search for new knowledge or the development and preservation of art.
- Market Institutions: public organizations engaged in barter and trade, which includes all corporations and businesses.
- Political and non-governmental structures: public organizations involved in influencing management processes; political parties. This includes non-governmental organizations and groups of people withcommon goals, interests, or ideals formally bound by a common set of rules or by-laws that influence public policy.
- Religious structures: groups of people who share and revere a common codified belief in supernatural power.
Defining social organization
This concept means the interdependence of parts, which is an essential characteristic of all stable collective formations, groups, communities and societies.
Social organization refers to social relations between groups. In fact, social organization is the interaction between its members based on roles and status. Individuals and groups interconnected together create a social organization, which is the result of the social interaction of people. It is a network of social relationships in which individuals and groups participate. All these systems are to some extent based on social organizations and institutions of society.
This form is actually an artificial association of an institutional nature, which occupies a certain place in society and performs certain functions.
Interaction as the basis
Relationships in a social organization have a certain character. It is, in fact, a product of social interaction. It is this process between individuals, groups, institutions, classes, family members that creates such an organization. The relationship between members or parts is an interaction.
Relations with the social system
Social organization is not isolated. It is interconnected with the social system, which is an integral structure due to the interdependence of its elements. The system defines the various functions of its elements. These elements are interconnected and support each other. These various functions performed by different parts make up the whole system, and this relationship between its parts is called organization.
Commonness of concepts
Social institutions and social organizations act as an element of the social structure of society. In addition, they are a form of social interaction. Its subject (content) is the association of people, due to the need to satisfy a particular need (or achieve a goal), which are specific and relevant. At the same time, they can be both personal and social in nature.
However, it should be taken into account that there are a number of differences between such key concepts as a social institution, organizations and groups. They differ in structure, essence and function.
Unlike some forms of such a form as a social institution, social organization is seen as a higher form of social connection. This is due to its conscious, and not spontaneous formation, the presence of a goal and material resources.
In fact, social organizations and social institutions are communities of people or actors.
Can be distinguishedsome common features of these two phenomena:
1. Both of these structures support routines by rigidly defining roles and membership requirements.
2. Social organizations and institutions act as a mechanism that ensures order, fixed norms and rules.
In general, this determines the functioning of various systems of society. However, it should be taken into account that there are a number of differences between such key concepts as a social institution, organizations and groups. They differ in structure, essence and function.
Role
The importance of both structures under consideration is due to the fact that:
1. The development of society is associated with the development of sustainable and regulated public relations.
2. Social organizations and institutions, being an interacting system, essentially constitute a society.
It should be noted that there are differences between social institutions and social organizations. They are easily found in their definitions.
The social institution plays an important role in the organization of public life, since, in fact, it is its tool. At the same time, its functioning is based on the social values of culture, as well as specially established norms and principles (legal or administrative), which are called institutional.
A big role in the life of society is played by political institutions - social organizations, which include authorities and administrations, politicalparties, social movements. Their main task is to regulate the political behavior of people, using the accepted norms, laws and rules for this.
