The concept of a social institution implies a certain historically established form of organization of human joint life activity, which arises as a result of the need to satisfy the needs of society. Institutions are aimed at the implementation of various communicative functions and are characterized by their ability to determine people's behavior using established
rules (public opinion), taboos (prohibitions) and so on. Actually, this term in various contexts can appear in four main meanings:
- a group of persons representing the institution;
- an organization designed to perform certain functions;
- certain social roles through which the meaning of relations in society is given;
- set of institutions;
- groups of people concentrated in one area of life.
The structure of social institutions contains the following elements:
- Social statuses and corresponding behavioral patterns (prescribed for execution).
- Justification of the hierarchy. It may have a character descriptiondivine origin, ideological construction, historically established state of affairs.
- Means and methods of relaying social experience. That is, the transmission of a value system from generation to generation.
- Taboo society. This category is a system of strict prohibitions on certain actions not accepted in the environment of a particular people. Violation of a taboo (literally obscene behavior) entails repression on the part of society: from tacit conviction to physical coercion or punishment.
- Social position. These are the institutions themselves.
Modern sociologists, as a rule, distinguish four main specific areas of social life. It is in them that relations and institutions are formed.
Economic social institutions: examples and essence
They include all the processes and relations that arise in the sphere of economic production (production itself, as well as distribution, consumption, exchange of material goods). Examples of economic institutions are private property, a market mechanism, and so on.
Public social institutions: examples and essence
This refers directly to relationships within society between different age, gender, national and other types of
in groups. This also includes categories related to public regulations and taboos. For example, family, parenting, friendship, social movements and so on.
Political Social Institutions: Examples and Essence
Actually, this is all that covers the corresponding sphere of life. That is, relations in the state system - civil society. The institutions represented here are the legal and judicial systems, the government and parliament, civil rights and political parties, the army and legal institutions.
Spiritual social institutions: examples and essence
This is the patrimony of human culture and intangible needs: science, education, religion, art and so on.