Social

Institutions
 Different Perspective on Social
Institutions/Structures

1. Agency and Structure as a duality

- sees structure as both constraining &
enabling. (Giddens in Ritzer: 84)

2. Agency and Structure as dualism

- agency and structure can and should be
separated (Archer in Ritzer: 84)
3. Bourdieus Habitus and Field
Habitus is an internalized mental, or
cognitive, structure, through which people
deal with the social world. The habitus both
produces and is produced by the society.

Field is a network of relations among

objective positions. The structure of the
field serves to constraint agents, be they
individual or collectivities.
4. Habermas the colonization of the life
world

Life-world is a micro world where people

interact and communicate. The system has
its roots in the life-world, but it ultimately
comes to develop its own structural
characteristics. As these structures grow in
independence and power, they come to
exert more and more control over the life-
world. In the modern world, the system has
come to colonize the life world
Institution = is a combination of behavior patterns shared by a plurality & focused
upon the satisfaction of some basic group need.
= it is part of the culture.
= it is a patterned segment of the way of life of a people

1. Institutions are purposive

= each has its own goal as the satisfaction of social needs.
2. Relatively permanent in their content
= patterns, roles, & relations that people do in a culture become traditional & enduring.
3. It is structured
= components tend to band together & reinforce one another.
4. It is a unified structure
= functions as a UNIT.
5. It is necessarily value-laden
= its repeated uniformities, patterns, & trends become codes of conduct.
1. It simplify social behavior for the individual person.
2. It provides ready made forms of social relations & social roles for the individual.
3. Acts as agencies of coordination & stability for the total culture.
4. It tend to control behavior. They contain the systemic expectations of the society.

1. They tend to obstruct social progress. This conservations function is two-fold:

a. institution sometimes conserve patterns of behavior even when the values
have become outmoded
b. they sometimes conserve social values that are quite inconsistent w/ the
external behavior of the people.
2. It sometimes serve to frustrate the social personality of individuals.
3. Diffusion of outmoded social responsibility.
 1. Major Institution= are those w/c the largest number of people participate in.
= are essential to the society.
= considered most important for the individual & for the economic,
religious, & recreational institutions.

2. Subsidiary Institution= are numerous, minor, & variable institutions contains w/in the
major institution.

1. Familial Institution= is the system that regulates, stabilizes, & standardizes sexual
relations & reproduction of children.
2. Educational Institution= is the systemized process of socialization occurring informally
in the home & in the general cultural environment & in the
complex educational arrangement of the society.
3. Economic Institution= is the configuration of patterned social behaviors through w/c
material goods & services are provided for the society.
4. Political Institution= satisfies the need for general administration & public order in the
society.
5. Religious Institution= satisfies the basic social need for a relationship with God.
6. Recreational Institution= fulfills the social need for physical & mental relaxation.

= no institution can exist by itself.

= there are always interrelationship among institutions.
= the combination of major & subsidiary institutions is articulated through the
social relations & roles done by the people.
1. Education
a. Attitudes & behavioral patterns= love of knowledge, studying, class attendance
b. Symbolic culture traits= mascots, school hymns & color.
c. Utilitarian traits= classrooms, library, laboratories
d. Code of oral= rules, curriculum, accreditations
e. Ideologies= academic freedom, 3 Rs
2. Government
a. Attitudes & behavioral patterns= cooperation, loyalty, & obedience
b. Symbolic culture traits= flag, seal, anthem
c. Utilitarian traits= public buildings, public work, monuments
d. Code of oral= constitution, laws, order
e. Ideologies= nationalism, centralization, democracy

3. Business
a. Attitudes & behavioral patterns= cooperation, shrewdness, efficiency
b. Symbolic culture traits= slogans, trademarks, singing commercials
c. Utilitarian traits= shops, stores, factory, offices
d. Code of oral= contracts, license, franchises
e. Ideologies= managerial responsibility, rights of labor, laissez faire
4. Family
a. Attitudes & behavioral patterns= love, loyalty, affection, respect
b. Symbolic culture traits= marriage ring, crest, coat-of-arms
c. Utilitarian traits= home furniture
d. Code of oral= marriage license, will, laws
e. Ideologies= romantic love, togetherness, familism

5. Religion
a. Attitudes & behavioral patterns= reverence, loyalty, devotion, generosity
b. Symbolic culture traits= cross, candle, shrine
c. Utilitarian traits= monuments, artistic works, church edifices
d. Code of oral= creed, church law, sacred books
e. Ideologies=Thomism, Liberalism, Fundamentalism, Liberation theology

= the most important and influential among the numerous social roles and
social relations which the social person interacts

= an institution that plays a key role to the individual

 Culture of Society= is the functioning system of an institution.

Functions:
1. Once the pivotal institution is recognized, the position of the remaining major
institutions can be conceptualized as clustering around it.
2. The power position of a major institution can be judged by the degree of control
& dominance it exerts over other institutions.
3. The position & importance of any given institution can be evaluated according to the
degree of the interest & the amount of time & energy people employ in it.
4. Social values are involved in all institutions, & one may say that the position of any
institution depends largely upon these values.
Institutional System
=operates for and through people.
= institutions do not exist unless they are used by associations of people, & the fact
is that institutions NEED people as much as people NEED institutions.