Social Institute- a historically established or created by purposeful efforts form of organization of joint life activities of people, the existence of which is dictated by the need to satisfy the social, economic, political, cultural or other needs of society as a whole or part of it. Institutions are characterized by their ability to influence people's behavior through established rules.

It is believed that Giambattista Vico (1668–1744), an Italian philosopher and historian, the predecessor of modern sociology, was the first to use the term “institution” in the social sciences. In 1693 he wrote several works on civil institutions. In sociological literature, the concept of “institution” began to be used since the formation of sociology as a science, and the institutional approach traces its pedigree to the founders of sociology - Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer. Representing society as a social organism in social statics, O. Comte names such as family, cooperation, church, law, and state as its most important organs. The institutional approach to the study of social phenomena was continued in the works of G. Spencer. In his work “Fundamentals” (1860-1863), he especially emphasizes that “in a state, as in a living body, a regulatory system inevitably arises... With the formation of a more durable community, higher centers of regulation and subordinate centers appear.”

In modern society there are dozens social institutions, among which we can highlight key: inheritance, power, property, family.

• The need for reproduction of the family (family institution)
• Need for security and order (state)
• The need to obtain a means of subsistence (production)
• The need for the transfer of knowledge, socialization of the younger generation (institutes of public education)
• Needs for solving spiritual problems (institute of religion)

Spheres of life of society

There are a number of spheres of society, in each of which specific social institutions and social relations are formed:
− Economic- relations in the production process (production, distribution, consumption of material goods). Institutions related to economic sphere: private property, material production, market, etc.
− Social- relationships between various social and age groups; activities to ensure social security. Institutions related to the social sphere: education, family, healthcare, social security, leisure, etc.
− Political— relations between civil society and the state, between the state and political parties, as well as between states. Institutions related to political sphere: state, law, parliament, government, judicial system, political parties, army, etc.
− Spiritual- relationships that arise in the process of forming spiritual values, their preservation, distribution, consumption, and transmission to next generations. Institutions related to the spiritual sphere: religion, education, science, art, etc.

− Institute of kinship (marriage and family)- are associated with the regulation of childbirth, relations between spouses and children, and the socialization of youth.

Goals and functions of social institutions

Each social institution is characterized by the presence activity goals and specific functions, ensuring its achievement.

Functions	Key institutions	Spheres of society	Main roles	Physical Traits	Symbolic features	Other institutions in this sphere of society
Caring, raising children	Family, Inheritance	Social (family and marriage relations)	Child	Situation	Engagement Contract	Marriage, blood feud, motherhood, paternity, etc.
Getting food, clothing, shelter	Own	Economic sphere	Employer Employee Buyer Salesman		Money Trade	Money, exchange, economic relations, etc.
Maintaining laws, regulations and standards	Power State	Political sphere	Legislator Subject of law	Public buildings and places		Power, state, separation of powers, parliamentarism, local government, etc.
Promoting conciliar relations and attitudes, deepening faith	Religion	Spiritual realm	Priest Parishioner
Socialization of people, familiarization with basic values ​​and practices	Education	Spiritual realm	Teacher Student			Public opinion, media, etc.

Within the fundamental social institutions there are very distinct divisions into small institutions. For example, economic institutions, along with the basic institution of property, include many sustainable systems relations - financial, production, marketing, organizational and management institutions. In the system of political institutions modern society, along with the key institution of power, the institutions of political representation, presidency, separation of powers, local self-government, parliamentarism, etc. are distinguished.

Social institutions in public life perform the following functions or tasks:

• provide the opportunity for individuals, social communities and groups to satisfy their various needs;
• regulate the actions of individuals within social relations, stimulating desirable and repressing undesirable behavior;
• determine and maintain the general social order by a system of their social regulators and carry out the reproduction of impersonal social functions (that is, those functions that are always performed in the same way, regardless of the personal traits and interests of humanity);
• They integrate the aspirations, actions and relationships of individuals and ensure the internal cohesion of the community.

The totality of these social functions adds up to general social functions social institutions as certain types of social system. These functions are very diverse. Sociologists of different directions sought to somehow classify them, present them in the form of a certain ordered system. The most complete and interesting classification was presented by the so-called. "institutional school". Representatives of the institutional school in sociology (S. Lipset, D. Landberg, etc.) identified four main functions of social institutions:

• Reproduction of members of society. The main institution performing this function is the family, but other social institutions, such as the state, are also involved.
• Socialization is the transfer to individuals of patterns of behavior and methods of activity established in a given society - institutions of family, education, religion, etc.
• Production and distribution. Provided by economic and social institutions of management and control - authorities.
• Management and control functions are carried out through the system social norms and regulations that implement the corresponding types of behavior: moral and legal norms, customs, administrative decisions, etc. Social institutions control the behavior of the individual through a system of sanctions.

In addition to solving its specific problems, each social institution performs universal functions inherent to all of them. The functions common to all social institutions include the following:

1. The function of consolidating and reproducing social relations. Each institution has a set of norms and rules of behavior, fixed, standardizing the behavior of its participants and making this behavior predictable. Social control provides the order and framework within which the activities of each member of the institution should take place. Thus, the institution ensures the stability of the structure of society. The Code of the Family Institute assumes that members of society are divided into stable small groups - families. Social control ensures a state of stability for each family and limits the possibility of its disintegration.
2. Regulatory function. It ensures the regulation of relationships between members of society through the development of patterns and patterns of behavior. A person’s entire life takes place with the participation of various social institutions, but each social institution regulates activities. Consequently, a person, with the help of social institutions, demonstrates predictability and standard behavior, fulfills role requirements and expectations.
3. Integrative function. This function ensures cohesion, interdependence and mutual responsibility of members. This occurs under the influence of institutionalized norms, values, rules, a system of roles and sanctions. It streamlines the system of interactions, which leads to increased stability and integrity of the elements of the social structure.
4. Broadcasting function. Society cannot develop without the transfer of social experience. Each institution for its normal functioning needs the arrival of new people who have mastered its rules. This happens by changing the social boundaries of the institution and changing generations. Consequently, each institution provides a mechanism for socialization to its values, norms, and roles.
5. Communication functions. Information produced by an institution should be disseminated both within the institution (for the purpose of managing and monitoring compliance with social norms) and in interaction between institutions. This function has its own specifics - formal connections. This is the main function of the media institute. Scientific institutions actively absorb information. The commutative capabilities of institutions are not the same: some have them to a greater extent, others to a lesser extent.

Society is complex social education, and the forces acting within it are so interconnected that it is impossible to foresee the consequences of each individual action. In this regard, institutions have manifest functions, which are easily recognized as part of the institution's recognized goals, and latent functions, which are carried out unintentionally and may be unrecognized or, if recognized, considered a by-product.

People with significant and high institutional roles often do not sufficiently realize latent effects that can affect their activities and the activities of people associated with them. As positive example The use of latent functions in American textbooks most often cites the activities of Henry Ford, the founder of the campaign that bears his name. He sincerely hated trade unions, big cities, big loans and installment purchases, but as he advanced in society, he more than anyone else stimulated their development, realizing that the latent, hidden, side functions of these institutions worked for him, for his business. However, the latent functions of institutions can either support recognized goals or render them irrelevant. They may even lead to significant damage to the norms of the institution.

How does a social institution function? What is its role in the processes taking place in society? Let's consider these questions.

Explicit functions of social institutions. If we look at it at its core general view activity of any social institution, then we can assume that its main function is to satisfy social needs, for which it was created and exists. However, to carry out this function, each institution performs functions in relation to its participants that ensure the joint activities of people seeking to satisfy needs. These are primarily the following functions.
1. The function of consolidating and reproducing social relations. Each institution has a system of rules and norms of behavior that reinforce and standardize the behavior of its members and make this behavior predictable. Appropriate social control provides order and framework within which the activities of each member of the institution should take place. Thus, the institution ensures the stability of the social structure of society. Indeed, the code of the family institution, for example, implies that members of society should be divided into fairly stable small groups - families. With the help of social control, the institution of family strives to ensure the state of stability of each individual family and limits the possibilities of its disintegration. The destruction of the family institution is, first of all, the emergence of chaos and uncertainty, the collapse of many groups, the violation of traditions, the impossibility of ensuring a normal sexual life and quality education of the younger generation.
2. The regulatory function is that the functioning of social institutions ensures the regulation of relationships between members of society by developing patterns of behavior. All cultural life human development occurs with his participation in various institutions. Whatever type of activity an individual is engaged in, he always encounters an institution that regulates his behavior in this area. Even if an activity is not ordered or regulated, people immediately begin to institutionalize it. Thus, with the help of institutions, a person manifests his social life predictable and standardized behavior. He fulfills role requirements and expectations and knows what to expect from the people around him. Such regulation is necessary for joint activities.
3. Integrative function. This function includes the processes of cohesion, interdependence and mutual responsibility of members social groups, occurring under the influence of institutional norms, rules, sanctions and role systems. The integration of people at the institute is accompanied by streamlining of the system of interactions, an increase in the volume and frequency of contacts. All this leads to increased stability and integrity of the elements of the social structure, especially social organizations.
Any integration in an institute consists of three main elements or necessary requirements: 1) consolidation or combination of efforts; 2) mobilization, when each group member invests his resources in achieving goals; 3) conformity of the personal goals of individuals with the goals of others or the goals of the group. Integrative processes carried out with the help of institutions are necessary for the coordinated activity of people, the exercise of power, and the creation of complex organizations. Integration is one of the conditions for the survival of organizations, as well as one of the ways to correlate the goals of its participants.
4. Broadcasting function. Society could not develop if it were not for the possibility of transmitting social experience. Every institution needs new people to function properly. This can happen through both expanding the social boundaries of the institution and changing generations. In this regard, every institution has a mechanism that allows individuals to be socialized into its values, norms and roles. For example, a family, while raising a child, strives to orient him towards the values ​​of family life that his parents adhere to. Government agencies they strive to influence citizens in order to instill in them norms of obedience and loyalty, and the church tries to attract as many members of society as possible to the faith.
5. Communication function. Information produced within an institution must be disseminated both within the institution for the purpose of managing and monitoring compliance with regulations, and in interactions between institutions. Moreover, the nature of the communicative connections of the institution has its own specifics - these are formal connections carried out in a system of institutionalized roles. As researchers note, the communicative capabilities of institutions are not the same: some are specifically designed to transmit information (mass media), others have very limited capabilities for this; some actively perceive information (scientific institutes), others passively (publishing houses).

The explicit functions of institutions are expected and necessary. They are formed and declared in codes and enshrined in a system of statuses and roles. When an institution fails to fulfill its obvious functions, disorganization and change will certainly await it: these obvious, necessary functions can be appropriated by other institutions.

Latent functions. Along with the direct results of the actions of social institutions, there are other results that are outside the immediate goals of a person and are not planned in advance. These results may have great importance for society. Thus, the church strives to consolidate its influence to the greatest extent through ideology, the introduction of faith, and often achieves success in this. However, regardless of the goals of the church, there are people who leave production activities for the sake of religion. Fanatics begin persecuting non-believers, and the possibility of major social conflicts on religious grounds. The family strives to socialize the child to accepted standards family life, however, it often happens that family upbringing leads to a conflict between the individual and a cultural group and serves to protect the interests of certain social strata.

The existence of latent functions of institutions is most clearly shown by T. Veblen, who wrote that it would be naive to say that people eat black caviar because they want to satisfy their hunger, and buy a luxurious Cadillac because they want to buy a good car. Obviously, these things are not acquired to satisfy obvious immediate needs. T. Veblen concludes from this that the production of consumer goods performs a hidden, latent function - it satisfies the needs of people to increase their own prestige. Such an understanding of the actions of the institution for the production of consumer goods radically changes the opinion about its activities, tasks and operating conditions.

Thus, it is obvious that only by studying the latent functions of institutions can we determine the true picture of social life. For example, very often sociologists are faced with a phenomenon that is incomprehensible at first glance, when an institution continues to exist successfully, even if it not only does not fulfill its functions, but also interferes with their implementation. Such an institution obviously has hidden functions with which it satisfies the needs of certain social groups. A similar phenomenon can be observed especially often among political institutions in which latent functions are most developed.

Latent functions are, therefore, the subject which should primarily interest the student of social structures. The difficulty in recognizing them is compensated by creating a reliable picture of social connections and characteristics of social objects, as well as the ability to control their development and manage the social processes occurring in them.

Relationships between institutions. There is no such social institution that would operate in a vacuum, in isolation from other social institutions. The action of any social institution cannot be understood until all its interrelations and relationships are explained from the standpoint of the general culture and subcultures of groups. Religion, government, education, production and consumption, trade, family - all these institutions are in multiple interactions. Thus, production conditions must take into account the formation of new families in order to meet their needs for new apartments, household items, child care facilities, etc. At the same time, the education system largely depends on the activities of government institutions that maintain the prestige and possible prospects for the development of educational institutions. Religion can also influence the development of education or government institutions. A teacher, a father of a family, a priest or a functionary of a voluntary organization are all subject to influence from the government, since the actions of the latter (for example, the issuance of regulations) can lead to either success or failure in achieving vital goals.

An analysis of the many interrelations of institutions can explain why institutions are rarely able to completely control the behavior of their members, to combine their actions and attitudes with institutional ideas and norms. Thus, schools can apply standard educational plans for all students, but students' reactions to them depend on many factors beyond the teacher's control. Children in whose families interesting conversations are encouraged and carried out and who are introduced to reading books that develop them, acquire intellectual interests more easily and to a greater extent than those children in whose families preference is given to watching TV and reading entertaining literature. Churches preach high ethical ideals, but parishioners often feel the need to neglect them due to the influence of business ideas, political leanings, or desires to leave the family. Patriotism glorifies self-sacrifice for the good of the state, but it is often inconsistent with many of the individual desires of those raised in families, business institutions, or some political institutions.

The need to harmonize the system of roles assigned to individuals can often be satisfied through agreement between individual institutions. Industry and trade in any civilized country depend on the support of the government, which regulates taxes and establishes exchange between individual institutions of industry and trade. In turn, the government depends on industry and trade, which economically support regulations and other government actions.

In addition, given the importance of some social institutions in public life, other institutions try to seize control over their activities. Since, for example, education plays a very significant role in society, attempts to fight for influence on the institution of education are observed among political organizations, industrial organizations, churches, etc. Politicians, for example, contribute to the development of schools, confident that by doing so they support attitudes towards patriotism and national identity. Church institutions try, through the educational system, to instill in students loyalty to church doctrines and deep faith in God. Production organizations are trying to guide students from childhood to master production professions, and the military is trying to raise people who can successfully serve in the army.

The same can be said about the influence of other institutions on the institution of the family. The state is trying to regulate the number of marriages and divorces, as well as the birth rate. It also sets minimum standards for the care of children. Schools are looking for cooperation with families, creating teacher councils with the participation of parents and parent committees. Churches create ideals for family life and try to hold family ceremonies within a religious framework.

Many institutional roles begin to conflict due to the affiliation of the individual performing them with several institutions. An example is the well-known conflict between career and family orientations. In this case, we are dealing with clashes of norms and rules of several institutions. Research by sociologists shows that each institution strives to the greatest extent to “disconnect” its members from playing roles in other institutions. Enterprises try to include the activities of their employees’ wives in their sphere of influence (system of benefits, orders, family vacation etc.). Army institutional rules can also have a negative impact on family life. And here they find ways to include wives in army life, so that husband and wife are related to common institutional norms. The problem of a person fulfilling exclusively the role of a given institution is most definitely solved in some institutions of the Christian Church, where the clergy is freed from family responsibilities by taking a vow of celibacy.

The appearance of institutions is constantly adapting to changes in society. Changes in one institution usually lead to changes in others. After changing family customs, traditions and rules of behavior, a new system social provision of such changes involving many institutions. When peasants come from the village to the city and create their own subculture there, the actions of political institutions, legal organizations, etc. must change. We are accustomed to the fact that any change in political organization affects all aspects of our Everyday life. There are no institutions that would be transformed without change into other institutions or would exist separately from them.

Institutional autonomy. The fact that institutions are interdependent in their activities does not mean that they are willing to give up internal ideological and structural control. One of their main goals is to exclude the influence of leaders of other institutions and keep their institutional norms, rules, codes and ideologies intact. All major institutions develop patterns of behavior that help maintain a degree of independence and prevent the domination of people grouped into other institutions. Enterprises and businesses strive for independence from the state; educational institutions also try to achieve the greatest independence and prevent the penetration of norms and rules of foreign institutions. Even the institution of courtship achieves independence in relation to the institution of the family, which leads to some mystery and secrecy of its rituals. Each institution tries to carefully sort out the guidelines and rules brought in from other institutions in order to select those guidelines and rules that are least likely to affect the independence of the institution. Social order is good combination interaction of institutions and their respect for independence in relation to each other. This combination allows one to avoid serious and destructive institutional conflicts.

The dual function of intellectuals in relation to institutions. In all complex societies, institutions require constant ideological and organizational support and strengthening of the ideology, system of norms and rules on which the institution is based. This is carried out by two role groups of members of the institution: 1) bureaucrats who monitor institutional behavior; 2) intellectuals who explain and comment on the ideology, norms and rules of behavior of social institutions. In our case, intellectuals are those who, regardless of education or occupation, devote themselves to the serious analysis of ideas. The importance of ideology lies in maintaining loyalty to institutional norms through which the heterogeneous attitudes of those people who are able to manipulate ideas develop. Intellectuals are called upon to satisfy the urgent need for explanation social development, and to do so in terms consistent with institutional norms.

For example, intellectuals associated with political communist institutions set out to show that modern history is really developing in accordance with the predictions of K. Marx and V. Lenin. At the same time, intellectuals who study US political institutions argue that real history is built on the development of the ideas of free enterprise and democracy. At the same time, institutional leaders understand that intellectuals cannot be completely trusted, since while studying the basic foundations of the ideology they support, they also analyze its imperfections. In this regard, intellectuals can begin to develop a competitive ideology that better suits the requirements of the time. Such intellectuals become revolutionary and attack traditional institutions. That is why, during the formation of totalitarian institutions, they first of all strive to protect ideology from the actions of intellectuals.

The 1966 campaign in China, which destroyed the influence of intellectuals, confirmed Mao Zedong's fear that intellectuals would refuse to support the revolutionary regime. Something similar happened in our country in the pre-war years. If we turn to history, we will undoubtedly see that any power based on faith in the abilities of leaders (charismatic power), as well as power that uses violence and undemocratic methods, seeks to protect the actions of the institution of power from the participation of intellectuals or completely subordinate them to its influence . Exceptions only emphasize this rule.

So, it is often difficult to use the activities of intellectuals, because if today they can support institutional norms, then tomorrow they become their critics. However, there are no institutions in modern world which have escaped the constant influence of intellectual criticism, and there are no properties of institutions that can continue to exist for a long time without intellectual protection. It becomes clear why some totalitarian political regimes vacillate between a certain amount of freedom and repression of intellectuals. The intellectual best able to defend fundamental institutions is the person who does so out of a desire for truth, regardless of obligations to institutions. Such a person is both useful and dangerous for the well-being of the institution - useful because he talentedly seeks to protect institutional values ​​and respect for the institution, and dangerous because in the search for truth he is capable of becoming an opponent of this institution. This dual role forces fundamental institutions to deal with the problem of ensuring discipline in society and the problem of conflict and loyalty for intellectuals.

Social science. A complete course of preparation for the Unified State Exam Shemakhanova Irina Albertovna

1.9. Basic institutions of society

Social Institute – historically established, stable forms of organizing joint activities of people; an organized system of social connections and norms designed to satisfy the basic needs of society, social groups and individuals.

Conditions for the emergence of a system of social institutions:

a) a social need for a given institution must exist in society and be recognized by the majority of individuals;

b) society must have necessary means satisfying this need - with resources (material, labor, organizational), a system of functions, actions, individual goal-setting, symbols and norms that form the cultural environment on the basis of which a new institution will be formed.

Social institutions– 1) elements of society, representing stable forms of organization and regulation of social life; 2) value-normative complexes (values, rules, norms, attitudes, patterns, standards of behavior in certain situations), as well as bodies and organizations that ensure their implementation and approval in the life of society; 3) a specific organization social activities and social relations, carried out through standards of behavior, the emergence and grouping of which into a system are determined by the content of a specific task solved by this institution.

Main features (signs) of a social institution:

1. Each institute has its own goal of activity, mission, ideology.

2. Has an organized system of formal and informal structures.

3. Defines a system of cultural patterns, customs, traditions, values, symbols, rules of human behavior and a stable set of social actions (behavior) in accordance with these norms and patterns.

4. Clearly defines the functions, rights and responsibilities of interaction participants to achieve the goal.

5. Has certain means (material and human resources) and institutions to achieve the goal. They can be both material and ideal, symbolic.

6. Has a certain system of sanctions that encourage desired behavior and suppress deviant behavior.

The structure of a social institution includes: social groups and organizations designed to satisfy the needs of groups and individuals; a set of norms, social values ​​and patterns of behavior that ensure the satisfaction of needs; a system of symbols regulating relations in a certain field of activity ( trademark, flag, brand, etc.); ideological justifications for the activities of a social institution; social resources used in the activities of the institute.

primary goal social institutions - achieving stability in the development of society.

Types of social institutions are classified:

1. By spheres of society: a) economic(division of labor, property, market, trade, wages, banking system, stock exchange, management, marketing, etc.); b) political(state, army, police, parliamentarism, presidency, monarchy, court, parties, civil society); V) stratification and kinship(class, estate, caste, gender discrimination, racial segregation, nobility, social security, family, marriage, paternity, maternity, adoption, twinning); G) culture(school, higher school, secondary vocational education, theaters, museums, clubs, libraries, church, monasticism, confession).

2. Depending on their field of activity: a) relational institutions(for example, insurance, labor, production) determine the role structure of society based on a certain set of characteristics; b) regulatory institutions determine the boundaries of an individual’s independence and his actions to achieve his own goals. This group includes institutions of the state, government, social protection, business, and healthcare.

3. According to functional qualities.

4. By lifetime, etc.

Social institutions are distinguished by the diversity and dynamism of their functions.

Types of functions of social institutions

A) General features: 1. The function of consolidating and reproducing social relations is a system of rules and norms of behavior that consolidate, standardize the behavior of each member of the institution and make this behavior predictable; 2. Regulatory function – a pattern of behavior, norms and control developed by a social institution that regulates relationships between members of society (i.e. a social institution as an element of social control); 3. Integrative function – processes of cohesion, interdependence and mutual responsibility of members of social groups; 4. Transmitting function – transfer of social experience, allowing individuals to socialize to its values, norms and roles; 5. Communication function – dissemination of information both within the institute for the purpose of managing and monitoring compliance with standards, and its transfer in interaction with other institutions.

B) Selected functions:

– the social institution of marriage and family implements the function of reproduction of members of society together with the relevant departments of the state and private enterprises (antenatal clinics, maternity hospitals, a network of children's medical institutions, bodies for supporting and strengthening the family, etc.);

– the social health institute is responsible for maintaining the health of the population (clinics, hospitals and other medical institutions, as well as state bodies organizing the process of maintaining and strengthening health);

– the social institution of production of means of subsistence performs a creative function;

– the social institution of law performs the function of developing legal documents and is in charge of compliance with laws and legal norms, etc.

IN) R. Merton proposed to distinguish between “explicit” and “hidden (latent)” functions. Explicit - officially accepted, recognized and controlled by society; hidden - performed hidden or unintentionally. When these functions diverge, a double standard of social relations arises, which threatens the stability of society, since, along with official institutions, “shadow” institutions are formed that take on the function of regulating the most important social relations (for example, criminal structures).

Since society is a dynamic system, some institutions may disappear (the institution of slavery), while others may appear (the institution of advertising or the institution of civil society). The formation of a social institution is called a process institutionalization(the process of streamlining social relations, forming stable patterns of social interaction based on clear rules, laws, patterns and rituals).

Basic social institutions

1. Family as a social institution is characterized by a set of social norms, sanctions and patterns of behavior that regulate the relationships between spouses, parents and their children and other relatives. The family institution includes many more private institutions, such as the institution of marriage, the institution of kinship, the institution of motherhood and paternity, the institution of social protection of childhood, etc. Functions: economic, reproductive, educational, etc.

2. Social policy institutions: exercise political power. Internal functions: economic, stabilization, coordination, ensuring the protection of the population, etc.; external functions: defense, international cooperation, etc.

3. Economic institutions : institution of property, system of trade and distribution, financial system, insurance system and other types of systematized economic activity. The economy as a social institution provides people with the material conditions of existence, is a systematizing component of society, a decisive sphere of its life, determining the course of all processes occurring in society. Main function: production and distribution of goods and services.

4. Education– a social cultural institution that ensures the reproduction and development of society through the organized transfer of social experience in the form of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Education contributes to the socialization of the individual and the development of personality, promotes its self-realization. Functions: adaptation, professional, civil, general cultural, humanistic, etc.

5. Right– a social institution, a system of generally binding norms and relations protected by the state. The main functions of law: regulatory (regulates social relations) and protective (protects those relations that are useful for society as a whole).

6. Religion– how a social institution can be defined as a system of socially accepted beliefs and corresponding practices. Functions: ideological, compensatory, integrating, general cultural, etc.

Institutions are numerous and varied in their forms and manifestations. Large institutions may include institutions of a lower level (for example, a court - institutions of the legal profession, prosecutor's office, judges). Each institution can satisfy several needs (the church is able to satisfy religious, moral, cultural needs), and the same need can be satisfied by different institutions (spiritual needs can be satisfied by art, science, religion, etc.).

The activity of a social institution is determined by: a set of specific norms and regulations governing relevant types of behavior; integration of a social institution into the socio-political, ideological and value structures of society; the availability of material resources and conditions that ensure the successful implementation of regulatory requirements and the implementation of social control.

Social institutions contribute to the consolidation and reproduction of certain social relations that are especially important for society, as well as the stability of the system in all main spheres of its life. Any social transformations are carried out through changes in social institutions.

Society consists of a system of social institutions and is a complex set of economic, political, legal, spiritual relations that ensure its integrity.

Social Institute- a historically established, stable form of organizing joint activities of people.

Social institutions are unique value-normative complexes that include values, rules, norms, attitudes, patterns, standards of behavior in certain situations, as well as bodies and organizations that ensure their implementation and approval in the life of society.

All elements of society are connected to each other public relations– connections that arise between and within social groups in the process of material (economic) and spiritual (political, legal, cultural) activities.

In the process of development of society, some connections die out, others appear. Connections that have proven their benefits to society are streamlined, become generally significant patterns and are subsequently repeated from generation to generation. The more stable these connections that are useful for society are, the more stable the society itself is.

Social institutions are elements of society that represent stable forms of regulation and organization of social life. The institutions of society - the state, education, family, etc. - organize social relations, regulate the activities of people and their behavior in society.

The main purpose of social institutions– achieving stability in the process of social development.

Functions of institutions:

Meeting the needs of society;

Regulation of social processes during which these needs are usually satisfied.

The needs satisfied by social institutions are extremely diverse. Each institute can satisfy several needs at once.

The process of satisfying needs can be regulated. For example, there are legal restrictions on the purchase of a number of goods (weapons, alcohol, tobacco). The process of meeting society's needs for education is regulated by institutions of primary, secondary, and higher education.

Institutionalization– the process of streamlining social relations, forming stable patterns of social coexistence, which is based on clear rules, laws, patterns and rituals. Thus, the process of institutionalization of science is the transformation of science from the activity of individuals into a clear system of relations, including a system of academic degrees, titles, scientific institutes, academies, etc.

The main social institutions include culture, science, education, religion, family, state, and law.

Family- the most important social institution of kinship, which binds individuals through common life and mutual moral responsibility. The family performs a number of basic functions: economic (housekeeping), reproductive (having children), educational (transferring values, norms, models), etc.

State- the main political institution that governs society and ensures its security. The state performs internal functions - economic (regulating the economy), stabilization (maintaining stability in society), coordination (ensuring public harmony), ensuring the protection of the population (protecting rights, legality, social security), etc. In addition, there are external functions: defense (in case of war), integration and cooperation (in order to protect the interests of the country in the international arena).

Right– a social institution, or a system of generally binding norms and relations that are protected by the state. The state, with the help of law, regulates the behavior of people and social groups and establishes certain relationships as mandatory. The main functions of law: provides norms of behavior in society and protects those relationships that are useful for society as a whole.

Culture– a social cultural institution that ensures the reproduction and development of society through the organized transfer of social experience in the form of knowledge, skills, and abilities. The main functions of education include adaptation, professional, civic, general cultural, humanistic, etc.

The science- an area of ​​human activity that is aimed at developing and systematizing objective knowledge about reality. The basis of this activity is the collection of facts, their constant updating and systematization, critical analysis, and subsequently the synthesis of new knowledge or generalizations that not only describe observed natural or social phenomena, but also make it possible to build cause-and-effect relationships with the ultimate goal of forecasting.

Education- the process of assimilation of knowledge, learning, the process by which society, through schools, colleges, universities and other institutions, purposefully transfers cultural heritage - accumulated knowledge, values ​​and skills - from one generation to another.

Religion- this is a worldview, attitude and the behavior of people determined by them based on belief in the existence of a supernatural sphere.

All the elements of social institutions presented above are illuminated from the point of view of social institutions, but other approaches to them are also possible. For example, science can be considered not only as a social institution, but also as a special form cognitive activity or as a system of knowledge; The family is not only an institution, but also a small social group.

Social institutions contribute to the consolidation and reproduction of specific social relations that are especially important for society, and in addition to the stability of the system in all main spheres of its life - economic, political, spiritual and social.

The essence of social institutions is to satisfy the most important needs and interests of society. In the course of its activities social institutions perform a number of functions:

function of consolidation and reproduction public relations. Each institution consolidates and standardizes the behavior of members of society through its own rules and norms of behavior;

regulatory function ensures the regulation of relations between individual members of society by developing patterns of behavior and regulating their actions;

integrative function consists in the process of interdependence and mutual responsibility of members of social groups;

broadcast function is responsible for the transfer of social experience from one generation to another and familiarization with the norms, values, and roles of each specific society.

Social institutions can be called the main components of the structure of society, which integrate and coordinate the entire mass of individual actions of people. The structure of social institutions and the relationships between them represent the framework that serves as the basis for the formation of society with all the ensuing consequences. How reliable the structure, the foundation, and the supporting components of society are, so great is its strength, solidity, stability, and fundamental nature.

Plan

Introduction

1. Social institution: concept, types, functions

2. Essence and features of the institutionalization process

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

Social institutions are necessary for organizing the joint activities of people in order to satisfy their social needs, reasonable distribution of resources available to society:

The state carries out its purpose through the coordination of heterogeneous interests, through the formation on their basis of general interest and its implementation with the help of state power;

- Right- this is a set of rules of behavior that regulate relationships between people in accordance with generally accepted values ​​and ideals;

- Religion- This public institution, realizing the need of people to search for the meaning of life, truth and ideals.

For society, a stable set of formal and informal rules, principles, norms, and guidelines that govern various areas human activities and organize them into a system of roles and statuses.

Any social institution, in order to become a sustainable form of organizing the joint activities of people, developed historically, throughout the development of human society. Society is a system of social institutions as a complex set of economic, political, legal, moral and other relations.

Also historically there was a process of institutionalization, i.e. transformation of any social, political phenomena or movements into organized institutions, formalized, ordered processes with a certain structure of relations, hierarchy of power different levels and other signs of the organization, such as discipline, rules of conduct, etc. The initial forms of institutionalization arose at the level of public self-government and spontaneous processes: mass or group movements, unrest, etc., when orderly, directed actions arose in them, leaders capable of leading and organizing them, and then permanent leadership groups. More developed forms of institutionalization are represented by the existing political system societies with formed social and political institutions and an institutional structure of power.

Let us consider in more detail such categories of sociology as social institutions and institutionalization.

Social institution: concept, types, functions

Social institutions are the most important factor public life. They are the foundation of society on which the building itself rises. They are the “pillars on which the entire society rests.” Sociology. Edited by Professor V. N. Lavrinenko. M.: UNITY, 2009, p. 217. It is thanks to social institutions that “society survives, functions and evolves.” There, p. 217.

The determining condition for the emergence of a social institution is the emergence of social needs.

Social needs are characterized by the following features:

Mass manifestation;

Stability in time and space;

Invariance in relation to the conditions of existence of a social group;

Conjugation (the emergence and satisfaction of one need entails a whole complex of other needs).

The main purpose of social institutions is to ensure the satisfaction of important life needs. Social institutions (from the Latin Institutum - establishment, establishment, arrangement) are “historically established stable forms of organizing joint activities and relationships of people that carry out social significant functions" Radugin A.A., Radugin K.A. Sociology. M.: Publishing house "Biblioteka", 2004, p. 150. That is a social institution is defined as an organized system of social connections and social norms that unites generally valid values ​​and procedures that satisfy certain social needs.

The following definition is given: a social institution is:

- “Role system, which also includes norms and statuses;

A set of customs, traditions and rules of conduct;

Formal and informal organization;

A set of norms and institutions regulating a certain area of ​​public relations.” Kravchenko A.I. Sociology. M.: Prospekt, 2009, p. 186.

The final definition of social institutions: these are specific entities that perform socially significant functions and ensure the achievement of goals, the relative stability of social connections and relationships within the framework of the social organization of society. Social institutions are historically established stable forms of organizing joint activities of people.

Characteristic features of social institutions:

Constant and strong interaction between participants in connections and relationships;

A clear definition of the functions, rights and responsibilities of each participant in the communication and relationship;

Regulation and control of these interactions;

Availability of specially trained personnel to ensure the functioning of social institutions.

Main social institutions(depending on the scope of action, institutions can be relational - defining the role structure of society according to various criteria, and regulatory - defining the boundaries of an individual’s independent actions to achieve personal goals):

The institution of the family, which performs the function of reproduction of society;

Institute of Health;

Institute of Social Protection;

Institute of State;

Church, business, media, etc.

An institution, moreover, means a relatively stable and integrated set of symbols that governs a specific area of ​​social life: religion, education, economics, management, power, morality, law, trade, etc. That is, if we summarize the entire list of elements of social institutions, they will appear “as a global social system that exists historically long time satisfying the urgent needs of society, possessing legitimate power and moral authority and regulated by a set of social norms and rules.” Sociology. Edited by Professor V.N. Lavrinenko. M.: UNITY, 2009, p. 220.

Social institutions have institutional characteristics, i.e. traits and properties that are inherent in everyone organically and express their inner content:

Standards and patterns of behavior (loyalty, responsibility, respect, obedience, subordination, diligence, etc.);

Symbols and signs (state emblem, flag, cross, wedding ring, icons, etc.);

Codes and statutes (prohibitions, laws, rules, habits);

Physical objects and structures (family house, public buildings for government authorities, plants and factories for production, classrooms and auditoriums, libraries for education, temples for religious services);

Values ​​and ideas (love of family, democracy in a society of freedom, Orthodoxy and Catholicism in Christianity, etc.). From: Kravchenko A.I. Sociology. M.: TK Velby, Prospekt, 2004, p. 187.

The listed properties of social institutions are internal. But they also stand out external properties social institutions that are perceived in some way by people.

These properties include the following:

Objectivity, when people perceive the institutions of the state, property, production, education and religion as certain objects that exist independently of our will and consciousness;

Coercion, since institutions impose on people (while not depending on the will and desires of people) such behavior, thoughts and actions that people would not want for themselves;

Moral authority, legitimacy of social institutions. For example, the state is the only institution that has the right to use force on its territory on the basis of adopted laws. Religion has its authority based on tradition and the moral trust of people in the church;

Historicity of social institutions. There is no need to even prove this, because behind each of the institutions lies centuries-old history: from the moment of inception (emergence) to the present.

Social institutions are characterized by a clear delineation of the functions and powers of each of the subjects of interaction; consistency, coherence of their actions; a fairly high and strict level of regulation and control over this interaction.

Social institutions help make life decisions important issues a large number of people contacting them. A person falls ill and goes to a health care institute (clinic, hospital, clinic). For procreation there is the institution of seven and marriage, etc.

At the same time, institutions act as instruments of social control, since, thanks to their normative order, they stimulate people to obey and be disciplined. Therefore, an institution is understood as a set of norms and patterns of behavior.

The role of social institutions in society is similar to the functions of biological instincts in nature. In the process of development of society, man has lost almost all his instincts. And the world is dangerous, constantly changing environment, and he must survive in these conditions. How? Social institutions that play the role of instincts in human society come to the rescue. They help a person and the whole society to survive.

If social institutions function normally in a society, then this is good for it. If not, they become a colossal evil. Institutes are constantly developing, and each of them performs its main functions. For example, the institution of family and marriage relations performs the functions of caring, nursing and raising children. Economic institutions perform the functions of obtaining food, clothing, and housing. Educational ones perform the functions of socializing people, introducing them to the basic values ​​of human society and practice real life. Etc. But there are a number of functions that are performed by all social institutions.

These functions are common to social institutions:

1. Satisfying a specific social need;

2. Functions of consolidation and reproduction of social relations. This function is realized in stabilizing social interaction by reducing them to predictable patterns of social roles.

3. Regulatory function. With her help. social institutions develop standards of behavior to create predictability in human interaction. Through social control, any institution ensures the stability of the social structure. Such regulation is necessary for joint activities and is carried out on the basis of the fulfillment by each of role requirements - expectations and rational distribution of resources available in society.

4. Integrative function. It promotes cohesion, interconnection and interdependence among members of social groups through a system of rules, norms, sanctions and roles. The most important social institution in carrying out the function of integrating society is politics. It coordinates the heterogeneous interests of social groups and individuals; forms generally accepted goals on their basis and ensures their implementation by directing the necessary resources for their implementation.

5. The function of broadcasting is to transfer the accumulated experience to new generations. Each social institution strives to ensure the successful socialization of the individual, transferring to him cultural experience and values ​​for the full performance of various social roles.

6. The communication function involves the distribution of information both within an institution for the purpose of managing and monitoring compliance with norms, and for interaction between institutions. A special role in the implementation of this function is played by the media, which are called the “fourth power” after the legislative, executive and judicial.

7. The function of protecting members of society from physical danger and ensuring the personal safety of citizens is performed by legal and military institutions.

8. Function of regulating power relations. This function is performed by political institutions. They ensure the reproduction and sustainable preservation of democratic values, as well as the stabilization of the existing social structure in society.

9. The function of controlling the behavior of members of society. It is carried out by political and legal institutions. The action of social control comes down, on the one hand, to the application of sanctions against behavior that violates social norms, and on the other, to the approval of behavior that is desirable for society.

These are the functions of social institutions.

As we see, each function of a social institution lies in the benefit it brings to society. For a social institution to function means to benefit society. If a social institution causes harm to society, then these actions are called dysfunction. For example, currently in Russia there is a crisis in the institution of the family: the country has taken first place in the number of divorces. Why did this happen? One of the reasons is the incorrect distribution of roles between husband and wife. Another reason is ineffective socialization of children. There are millions of homeless children abandoned by their parents in the country. The consequences for society can easily be imagined. Here there is a dysfunction of a social institution - the institution of family and marriage.

Not everything is going smoothly with the institution of private property in Russia. The institution of property is generally new for Russia, since it was lost since 1917; generations were born and grew up who did not know what private property was. Respect for private property still needs to be instilled in people.

Social connections (statuses and roles within which people carry out their behavior), social norms and procedures (standards, patterns of behavior in group processes), social values ​​(generally recognized ideals and goals) are elements of a social institution. Society must have a system of ideas that forms the meanings, goals and standards of behavior of people united for joint activities to satisfy a certain social need - ideology. Ideology explains to each member of society the need for the existence of this institution, compliance with social norms in order to achieve its goals.

In order for social institutions to develop, society must have objectively specified conditions necessary for the development of social institutions:

Some social need must appear and spread in society, which must be recognized by many members of society. Since it is conscious, it must become main premise the formation of a new institution;

The society must have operational means to satisfy this need, i.e. an established system of procedures, operations, clear actions aimed at realizing a new need;

To actually fulfill their role, social institutions need resources - material, financial, labor, organizational, which society must constantly replenish;

To ensure the self-formation and self-development of any social institution, a special cultural environment is necessary - a certain set of rules of behavior, social actions that distinguish people belonging to a given institution (organizational, corporate, etc. culture).

If there are no such conditions, the emergence, formation and development of a specific social institution is impossible.

Thus, social institutions are characterized as organized social systems that have stable structures, integrated elements and a certain variability of their functions. Their activities are considered positively functional if they contribute to maintaining the stability of society. If not, then their activities are dysfunctional. The normal functioning of any social institution is a necessary condition development of society.

If a so-called “failure” occurs in the functioning of social institutions, this will instantly cause tension in the social system as a whole.

Each institution performs its own characteristic social function. The totality of these social functions has developed into the general social functions of social institutions, which are mentioned above. Each institute represents certain type social system. The functions are diverse, but a certain ordered system - a classification of social institutions - exists.

Social institutions differ from each other in their functional qualities:

1. Economic and social institutions. Their categories are property, exchange, money, banks, business associations various types. They provide the entire set of production and distribution of social wealth, interacting with other spheres of social life;

2. Political institutions. Here: the state, parties, trade unions and other public organizations that pursue political goals and are aimed at establishing and maintaining some kind of political power. Political institutions “ensure the reproduction and sustainable preservation of ideological values, stabilize the dominant social and class structures in society.” Radugin A.A., Radugin K.A. Sociology. M.: Biblionica, 2004, p. 152;

3. Sociocultural and educational institutions. Their goal is the development and subsequent reproduction of cultural and social values, the inclusion of a person in a certain subculture and the socialization of people through the assimilation of stable sociocultural standards of behavior, as well as the protection of values ​​and norms.

4. Normative-orienting social institutions. They are mechanisms for moral and ethical regulation of people's behavior. Their goal is to give behavior and motivation moral reasoning, an ethical basis. It is these institutions that affirm imperative universal human values, special codes and ethics of behavior in society;

5. Normative and sanctioning social institutions. They are engaged in public regulation of the behavior of members of society on the basis of norms, rules and regulations that are legally enshrined, i.e. laws or administrative acts. These norms are mandatory, they are enforced;

6. Ceremonial-symbolic and situational-conventional institutions. These institutions are based on contractual norms and their formal and informal reinforcement. These norms regulate everyday contacts and interactions of people, various acts of group and intergroup behavior, regulate methods of transmitting and exchanging information, greetings, addresses, etc. regulations of meetings, sessions, activities of any associations.

These are the types of social institutions. It is obvious that the form of social institutions is social organizations, i.e. such a way of joint activity in which it takes the form of orderly, regulated, coordinated and aimed at achieving a common goal of interaction. Social organizations are always purposeful, hierarchical and subordinated, specialized on a functional basis and have a certain organizational structure, as well as their own mechanisms, means of regulation and control over the activities of various elements.

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