Social institutions are phenomena that account for enduring and repetitive social structures. They develop gradually and unplanned over time to meet important societal needs like providing new members, socializing children, addressing health issues, assigning jobs, creating knowledge, and promoting social unity. Social institutions tend to be conservative and change slowly due to being legitimized as logical and natural. A change in one institution can impact others due to their interdependence. While fulfilling core functions, the specific form of institutions differs between societies.

1. Social Institutions

2. Social InstitutionsStatuses and roles are enduring and repetitiveSocial life is therefore enduring and repetitiveSocial institutionsPhenomena that account for much of the fact that social structures tend to be enduring and repetitive

3. Social InstitutionsThe Family as an Institution

4. Social InstitutionsDefining characteristic of society is self-sufficiencySeparates society from any smaller groupMust provide the resources to answer all of its members basic needsSelf-sufficiency also applies to having the resources to meet the society’s own survival needs (such as continuity and new members)

5. Social InstitutionsSocietal needsContinuing supply of new membersSocializing new membersDealing with members’ health issuesSelecting members for certain jobs and tasksCreating knowledgeControlling members and defending against enemiesProducing and exchanging goods and servicesPromoting social unity and searching for higher meaning

6. Social InstitutionsFamilyFamily, education, religionMedicineEducation, labor marketScience, religionLaw, judicial, religionGovernment, militaryEconomic systemEducation, religion, politicsNew membersSocializeHealth issuesJobs and tasksKnowledgeControlDefenseGoods and servicesUnity and higher meaning

7. Social InstitutionsInstitutionAn accepted and persistent constellation of statuses, roles, values, and norms that respond to important societal needsIdeal typeA model of a hypothetical pure form of an existing entitySanctions against not fitting the ideal type

10. Social InstitutionsSocial institutions are…Generally unplanned, develop graduallyInherently conservative, change, but slowlyInterdependent, change in one brings change in anotherBear little resemblance from one society to the next

11. Social InstitutionsGenerally unplanned, develop graduallyHow do institutions come into being?Faced with a particular problem, people try a variety of things to solve their needs and the “best” way becomes a pattern for subsequent generations to follow

12. Social InstitutionsGenerally unplanned, develop graduallyOver time, behavior becomes habitualizedRoutines free up mental space for thinking about more important thingsNot all routines are institutionsRoutine behavior is the way we do it, institutions are the way it must be done

13. Social InstitutionsGenerally unplanned, develop graduallyWhy do we do it this way?“Rightness” or “logic”Institutions only survive as long as their rightness can be explained as reasonable, logical and natural

14. Social InstitutionsConservative, change but slowlyBecause they are legitimized by logic and appeals to the nature of things, institutions are difficult to changeChange is seen as an attack on nature or logicGay marriage

15. Social InstitutionsInterdependentThings happen that cause people to need to alter their routinesTechnological and economic changeWarsWomen in WWII  Changes in marriage

16. Social InstitutionsDiffer from society to society

17. Social InstitutionsDiffer from society to societyAs societies get larger and more complex, institutions become more specializedFamilyChurch