Basic social institutions

BASIC SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS

BoliaCalago

GallardoGarcia

A. SOCIAL STRUCTURES

is the organized pattern of social relationships and social institutions that together compose society. It affects all dimensions of human experience in society.

1) Religion and Society

Religion can be the conservative force portrayed by Karl Marx. But some points in history, as Max Weber explained, religion has promoted dramatic social change.

• BASIC NEEDS: Concerns About life after death, the meaning of suffering and loss; desire to connect with the Creator.• ORGANIZATIONS: Congregation, clergy associations, synagogue.• STATUSES: Priest, sister, minister

• VALUES: Reading and adhering to holy texts such as the Bible, the Torah, Koran; honoring God.• NORMS:Attend worship services, contribute money, follow the teachings.

2) GOVERNMENT AND LAW

Government is a formal organization that has the authority to make and enforce laws. It directs the political life of a society.

• FUNCTIONS: Allocate power, determine authority, prevent chaos, maintain social order, enforce norms.• ORGANIZATIONS: Officials, Parliaments, Monarchy, Courts, Prisons.• STATUSES: President, Senator, Police, Voters, Lawyer, Judges.

• VALUES: Sacred trust, right to vote as a privilege.• NORMS:Follow the rules, Give true testimony, be informed about candidates.

3) ECONOMY

Social Institution that organizes a society’s production, and consumption of goods and services. The economy operates, for better or worse, in generally predictable manner. We value goods and services because they ensure survival or because they make life easier or more interesting.

• FUNCTIONS: Produce and distribute goods and services.• ORGANIZATIONS: Credit unions, banks, companies.• STATUSES: Worker, boss, buyer, seller, creditor, debtor, advertiser

• VALUES: Making money, paying bills on time, producing efficiently.• NORMS: Maximize profits, “the customer is always right,” work hard.

4) EDUCATION

Education serves in fulfilling a society’s various needs. Perhaps the most important function of education is socialization. If children need to learn the norms, values, and skills they need to function in society, then education is a primary vehicle for such learning.

• FUNCTIONS: Transmit knowledge and skills across generations• ORGANIZATIONS: School , College, Universities.• STATUSES: Teacher, Students, dean , principal.

• VALUES: Academic, honesty, responsible, good grades.• NORMS: Do homework, prepare lectures, don’t snitch on classmates.

5) MEDIA

Mass media is communication—whether written, broadcast, or spoken—that reaches a large audience. This includes television, radio, advertising, the Internet, newspapers, and so forth. these technologies use to communicate with large numbers of people.

• FUNCTIONS: Disseminate information, report events, molds public opinions.• ORGANIZATION TV networks, radio station, publishers, association of bloggers.• STATUSES Journalist, newscaster, author, editor, publisher, bloggers.

• VALUES: Timeliness, accuracy, freedom of the press.• NORMS: Be fair and profitable.

6. MARRIAGE AND FAMILY

Family plays a vital role in maintaining the social system as a whole. It's the primary unit for socializing children. No society is possible without adequate socialization of its young. In most societies, the family is the major unit in which socialization happens.

• FUNCTION: Regulate reproduction, socialize and protect children.• ORGANIZATION: Relative, Kinship groups.• STATUSES: Daughter, Son, father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Aunt, Uncle, Grandparent.

• VALUES: Sexual fidelity, providing for your family, keeping a clean house, respect for parents.• NORMS: Have only as many children as you can afford, be faithful to your spouse.

B. SOCIAL CHANGE

1. DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS

Social change demographic factors have been viewed from two different angles. Qualitatively refers to physical potentialities, mental abilities. That are determined by genetic order, it cannot be ascribed the place of a deterministic cause of social change. But, Quantitative aspect has been playing the most decisive role in causing social change.

2.Technological Factors

According to Ogburn, “Technology changes society by changing our environments to which we in turn adopt. This change is usually in the material environment and the adjustment that we make with these changes often modifies customs and social institution initiates a corresponding social change.

3.Cultural Factors

According to White, “Culture is a symbolic, continuous, cumulative and progressive process.” It includes all that man has acquired in the mental and intellectual sphere of his individual and social life. It is the expression of our nature, in our modes of living and thinking, in art, in literature, in recreation and enjoyment.

4. Biological Factors

Plays an important role in the causation of social change. An ordinarily biological factor refers to those which are concerned with the genetic constitution of the human beings.

  Includes both non-human beings such as animals, birds, herbs, insects. Human beings use animals, birds, plants and herbs according to the direction of his own culture. And human beings protect themselves from different harmful elements.

5. Natural Factors

A storm, earthquake, flood, drought, disease and similar natural events even today can disrupt the social system. Natural calamities like floods, earthquakes, draughts, famines and other natural disasters always force changes in the social conditions and life of the affected people.

6. Geographical Factors

The geographical conditions always affect the social system and act as factors of social change. The cultural life of the people depends upon the physical environment. Progress also depends upon the availability of natural resources, their exploitation and how are these being recouped and preserved.

7. Socio-economic Factors

The economic factors constitute an important factor of social change. Marx said that the entire social structure of a country is determined by economic factors i.e the means of production and distribution of material means of production and distribution.

When there are changes in the means of production i.e the material productive forces of society, it is always changes the social organization.

REFERENCES:Henslin, J. (2010). Sociology: Core Concepts. Singapore: Pearson Education. Macionis, J. (2010). Sociology—10th Edition. Jurong, Singapore: Pearson Education. Newman, D. (2011). Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life. United States of America: Pine Forge Press.http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20111128201009669http://www.shareyouressays.com/112456/7-main-factors-which-affect-the-social-change-in-every-societyhttps://quizlet.com/7694031/chapter-11-government-and-politics-sociology-flash-cards/