Ch-6 Social Institutions
A social institution is a complex,
integrated set of social norms organized around the preservation of a basic
societal value. Obviously, the sociologist does not define institutions in the
same way as does the person on the street. Lay persons are likely to use the
term "institution" very loosely, for churches, hospitals, jails, and
many other things as institutions.
Functions of Social Institutions
i. Emotional Needs:
For satisfaction of needs
like love, affection, hunger, fear, self-preservation, self-gratification, and
fear of the supernatural.
ii. Economic Needs:
Satisfies the material
needs of people and for satisfaction of basic necessities of food, clothing and
shelter.
iii. Familial Needs:
Establishes the institution
of marriage and family for the continuation of human species through structured
means.
iv. Religious Needs:
Deals with man’s inherent
fear of the supernatural. It deals with this fear through religious prayers and
offerings.
v. Political Needs:
Deals with the basic
necessity of governing large groups of people through formalized means of
government and laws.
1. Institutions are
important means, by which social behaviour can be regulated and controlled.
2. Institutions are
instrumental in transmitting culture from one generation to another.
3. Institutions unite
people and groups. They maintain unity and harmony in society by providing
unified patterns of behaviour that is followed by all members despite
diversities.
4. Institutions provide
status to every individual. For instance, the status of married/unmarried,
status of son/daughter or sibling, economic status and so on can come under
this.
5. Not all the functions of
institutions are positive. Certain aspects of institutions have a negative
impact on the functioning of society. For example, the institution of religion
has led to religious fundamentalism, besides reinforcing religious identities,
that has resulted in conflicts and communalism.
In India, the caste system,
which is a part of the Hindu religion, resulted in the emergence of
untouchability. Similarly, marriage has resulted in the birth of social evil of
dowry. Thus, institutions also have certain negative repercussions on society.
