SOCIAL INSTITUTONS

Definition: the organized means that each society develops to meet its basic needs.

1. Family-regulate reproduction, socialize and protect children

2. Religion-concerns about life after death, the meaning of suffering and loss; desire
to connect with the creator
3. Law- maintain social order
4. Politics- establish hierarchy of power and authority
5. Economics-produce and distribute gods and services
6. Education-transmit knowledge and education
7. Science-to measure, explain and predict and transform nature.
8. Medicine-heal the sick and injured and, care for the dying
9. Military-protection from enemies, support of national interests
10. Mass Media (an emerging social institution)-Disseminate information, mold public
opinion, report events and entertain.

Comparing Structural Functionalist and Conflict perspectives on Social Institutions

The Functionalist Perspectives stress that social institutions exist because they perform
vital functions for society. Every society must meet it basic needs (functional requisites)
to survive.

Functionalist identified five (5) basic functional requisites that each society must fulfil if it
is to survive.

1. Replacing Members- if a society does not replace its members, it cannot

continue to exist. Reproduction is so fundamental to a societys existence, thus
there is such a vital need to protect infants and children. Family gives a new
comer to a society a sense of belonging, controls peoples sex drive and to
maintain orderly reproduction.
2. Socializing New Members- People who are born in a human group must be
taught what it means to be a full-pledge member.
3. Producing and Distributing Goods and Services-every society must produce and
distribute basic services: food, clothing, shelter, education. Consequently, every
society establishes an economic institution- a means of producing such
resources along with the routine ways to distribute tem.
4. Preserving Order- Societies face two threats of disorder: internal-potential chaos;
external-the possibility of being conquered. To defend themselves from external
conquest, they develop some means of defence- some form of military. To protect
themselves from internal threat, they develop some form of policing themselves,
ranging from formal organization of armed groups to the informal system of
gossip.
5. Providing a sense of purpose-For people to cooperate with one another, and
willing to give up self-centered, short term gains, in favour of working with and for
others, they need a sense of purpose. They need to be convinced that it is worth
sacrificing for the common good.
Conflict Perspective: Social institutions are controlled by an elite group that manipulate
them in order to maintain its own privilege position of wealth and power.