Verified Document

What Is A Social Institution And The Types Essay

Social institutions are the most fundamental building blocks of societies. They are the structural foundations of human social life. Social institutions "order and structure the behavior of individuals in core areas of society," (Verwiebe, n.d., p. 1). Kinship, religion, and politics are all examples of the social institutions that hold sway over the lives of individuals. However, underneath the strongest of social institutions are the values and norms of that society. This is why different cultures may have similar social institutions (such as religion, politics, and family) but those institutions appear vastly different. Moreover, the role each institution plays in a society may vary. For example, religion plays a central role in some societies but not in others. Social institutions change over time, and often dramatically. Patriarchy, for example, is a social institution common to many cultures but is being increasingly challenged from within those very same societies. Likewise, the institution of marriage is being challenged particularly on the grounds that it represents patriarchal values. When social institutions as fundamental as those related to family or religion change, the results can be dramatic and occasionally violent. Changing social institutions can cause serious repercussions not only on...

Yet the ways different cultures "do" gender becomes institutionalized. Heterosexuality is, for example, a social institution in most cultures. Yet there are a few cultures in which a more open and tolerant or fluid view of sexuality exists. In this way, social institutions that are strong and apparent in one culture may not be so in another. Most societies have relatively strict gender roles and norms, with division of labor and differential social statuses conferred depending on gender.
Political structures and institutions are cornerstones of all societies. Even in small tribal or kinship-oriented cultures, there is some hierarchy that enables law and order. Power is the most critical dimension of the social institution of politics. Politics becomes the means through which people express their power. Power can be shared among all members of a society as it is in democracies, or power can be vested into the hands of a select few who govern tightly and authoritatively over the vast majority of people. Closely connected with politics are the economic…

Sources used in this document:
References

Miller, S. (2011). Social institutions. SEP. Retrieved online: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/social-institutions/

Verwiebe, R. (n.d.). Social institutions. Retrieved online: https://www.soz.univie.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/inst_soziologie/Personen/Institutsmitglieder/Verwiebe/Social_Institutions_in_Encyclopedia_of_Quality_of_Life_Research.pdf
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Social Institutions and Americans
Words: 1229 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Social institutions refer to a complex and lasting collection of interactions and behaviours whose effect can be felt in societies. Social institutions give order and organization to the behaviour of people via their normalizing qualities and they guide the conduct of people in all major sectors of the society (Verwiebe, 2015). In this paper, we will consider; a pill container, an American flag, a cap, a cross, a gown, a

Social Institutions and Religions
Words: 921 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam are a few of the "universal" or "universalizing" religions. Strayer frames the universalizing religions in terms of the spread of different cultures and ideas throughout the world. Religions are integral to social and political power and control, and thus have a transformative effect on society as well as on the individuals within that society. The nature of universalizing religion is such that they can be all-pervasive,

Evolution of Non Profits Social Institutions
Words: 1590 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

The Role of Non-Profits as Society EvolvesTurner concludes that the interchanges and interconnections between the cores of the major social institutions have become more complex. However, he goes on to add that although these interchanges have varied historically, the more fundamental relationships among institutions have remained the same. This text seeks to analyze how the role of nonprofits, including the impact, scope, and mission, have evolved historically with the evolving

Social Change and Development
Words: 1300 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Social change refers to the significant alteration of social structure and cultural patterns through time. Social structure is the routine interaction among persons or groups and cultural patterns refer to the shared way of thinking, knowledge, beliefs, etc. When a social change occurs, it affects both social structure and culture. The first kind is the change in personnel and it denotes the process of new people, with personal histories and experiences,

Social Psychology and the Beliefs
Words: 2219 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

According to Freud, human societies require people to give up many of their most natural instincts and to replace their natural desires with the need to satisfy the "false standards of measurement" such as the "power, success and wealth [that they seek] for themselves and admire & #8230; in others, and that [as a result,] they underestimate what is of true value in life." Fred suggested that the need to

Social Welfare Is the Idea
Words: 627 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

This view seeks to develop a better community instead of providing services in order to alleviate problems. The dual perspective is a structure that attempts to discuss the different social complexities which affect an individual outlook toward their community. This structure entails three main parts which centers on the individual, surrounded by their immediate family, called the nurturing system, and finally the sustaining system which surrounds all. The individual learns

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now