Social institutions: examples and structure

concept of a social institution implies a certain historical forms of organization of human ability to live together, which arises as a consequence of the need to meet the needs of society.Institutions aimed at the implementation of various communication functions and are characterized by their capabilities determine the behavior of people using the established rules (public opinion), taboos (prohibitions) and so on.Actually, the term in different contexts can act in four key values:

  • group of individuals, which embodies Institute;
  • organization designed to perform certain functions;
  • certain social roles, through which gives meaning to the relations in the society;
  • set of institutions;
  • concentrated in one area of ​​life of people.

structure of social institutions contains the following elements:

  1. social status and their corresponding behaviors (prescribed for execution).
  2. Justification hierarchy.It may have a description of the nature of divine origin, ideological structure, historically situation.
  3. relay means and methods of social experience.That is, the transmission of values ​​from generation to generation.
  4. taboo society.This category is a system of strict prohibitions on certain, missed among the people of a particular action.Violation of the taboo (literally obscene behavior) entails repression on the part of society: from tacit condemnation to physical coercion or punishment.
  5. social position.This is directly the institutions themselves.

modern sociology usually divided into four main specific areas of public life.It is in these and formed relationships and institutions.

Economic social institutions: Examples and Essence

They include all processes and the relations arising in the sphere of economic production (production itself, as well as distribution, consumption and exchange of material goods).Examples of economic institutions can serve as private property, the market mechanism and so on.

public social institutions: Examples and Essence

This refers directly to the relations within society between age, gender, nationality and other nature
groups.They also include a category related to social prescriptions and taboos.For example, the family, education, friendship, social movements, and so on.

political social institutions: Examples and Essence

Actually, it's something that covers the respective sphere of life.That is the system of relations in the state - civil society.Institutes presented here - it is the legal and judicial system, the government and parliament, civil rights and political parties, the army and legal agencies.

Spiritual social institutions: Examples and Essence

This patrimony of culture and intangible human needs: science, education, religion, the arts and so on.