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The process of streamlining formalization and standardization. The concept of "social institution"

4.2 Institutionalization

The first, most commonly used meaning of the term "social institution" is associated with the characteristics of any kind of ordering, formalization and standardization of social ties and relations. And the process of streamlining, formalization and standardization is called institutionalization.

Institutionalization - the transformation of a phenomenon or movement into an organized institution, an ordered process with a certain structure of relations, a hierarchy of power, discipline, rules of conduct.

Classical institutionalism originated in the early twentieth century in the United States. Thorstein Veblen is considered its founder. Followers of institutionalism sought to expand the scope of economic analysis, involving approaches and methods of related sciences. Representatives of institutionalism were Thorstein Veblen, John Commons, Clarence Ayres, Mitchell, Welsey Clare, John Kennett and others. They believed that the behavior of economic man is formed mainly within and under the influence of social groups and collectives. In the works of institutionalists you will not find enthusiasm for complex formulas and graphs. Their arguments are usually based on experience, logic, statistics. The focus is not on the analysis of prices, supply and demand, but on broader issues. They are concerned not with purely economic problems, but with economic problems in conjunction with social, political, ethical and legal problems. Focusing on the solution of individual, as a rule, significant and urgent problems, the institutionalists did not develop a common methodology, did not create a unified scientific school. This manifested the weakness of the institutional direction, its unwillingness to develop and adopt a general, logically coherent theory.

Behind any social institution there is a history of its institutionalization. Institutionalization can concern any public sphere: economic, political, religious, etc.

Specific examples of institutionalization can be: the transformation of popular assemblies into parliament; sayings, the creative heritage of a thinker - to a philosophical or religious school; passion for any literary genre, direction in music - into a subcultural organization.

The concept of institutionalism includes two aspects: "institutions" - norms, customs of behavior in society, and "institutions" - fixing norms and customs in the form of laws, organizations, institutions.

The meaning of the institutional approach is not to be limited to the analysis of economic categories and processes in its pure form, but to include institutions in the analysis, to take into account non-economic factors.

The process of institutionalization includes a number of points. According to the definition of the famous social researcher G. Lensky, social processes give rise to such processes of institutionalization as:

1) the need for communication (language, education, communication, transport);

2) the need for the production of products and services;

3) the need for the distribution of benefits (and privileges);

4) the need for the safety of citizens, the protection of their lives and well-being;

5) the need to maintain a system of inequality (placement of social groups according to positions, statuses depending on various criteria);

6) the need for social control over the behavior of members of society (religion, morality, law, the penitentiary system).

It follows that each social institution is characterized by the presence of a goal of its activity, specific functions that ensure the achievement of such a goal, a set of social positions and roles typical for this institution. Based on the foregoing, one more definition of a social institution can be given. Social institutions are organized associations of people who perform certain socially significant functions that ensure the joint achievement of goals based on the social roles performed by members, set by social values, norms and patterns of behavior.

4.3 Functions of a social institution

Each institution performs its own characteristic social function.

The function (from the Latin - execution, implementation) of a social institution is the benefit that it brings to society, i.e. it is a set of tasks to be solved, goals to be achieved, services to be rendered. The totality of all social functions is formed into the general social functions of social institutions as certain types of social system. These features are very versatile.

Sociologists of various directions strive to classify these functions, to present them in the form of a certain ordered system. Representatives of the institutional school in sociology (S. Lipset, D. Landberg, and others) distinguish several basic functions of social institutions.

The first and most important function of social institutions is to satisfy the most important vital needs of society, i.e. without which society cannot exist as such. It cannot exist if it is not constantly replenished by new generations of people, acquire means of subsistence, live in peace and order, acquire new knowledge and pass it on to the next generations, deal with spiritual issues.

No less important is the function of socialization of people, carried out by almost all social institutions (the assimilation of cultural norms and the development of social roles). It can be called universal. Also, the universal functions of institutions are: consolidation and reproduction of social relations; regulatory; integrative; broadcasting; communicative.

Along with the universal, there are other functions - specific. These are functions that are inherent in some institutions and are not characteristic of others. For example: establishing, restoring and maintaining order in society (the state); discovery and transfer of new knowledge (science and education); obtaining means of subsistence (production); reproduction of a new generation (the institution of the family); conducting various rituals and worship (religion), etc.

Some institutions perform the function of stabilizing the social order, while others support and develop the culture of society. All universal and specific functions can be represented in the following combination of functions:

1) Reproduction - Reproduction of members of society. The main institution that performs this function is the family, but other social institutions are also involved in it, such as the state, education, and culture.

2) Production and distribution. Provided by economic - social institutions of management and control - authorities.

3) Socialization - the transfer to individuals of the patterns of behavior and methods of activity established in a given society - the institutions of the family, education, religion, etc.

4) Management and control functions are carried out through a system of social norms and regulations that implement the appropriate types of behavior: moral and legal norms, customs, administrative decisions, etc. Social institutions control the individual's behavior through a system of rewards and sanctions.

5) Regulation of the use of and access to power - political institutions

6) Communication between members of society - cultural, educational.

7) Protection of members of society from physical danger - military, legal, medical institutions.

Each social institution can have a number of sub-functions that this institution performs and other institutions cannot have. For example: the institution of the family has the following subfunctions: reproductive, status, economic satisfaction, protective, etc.

In addition, each institution can perform several functions at the same time, or several social institutions specialize in performing one function. For example: the function of raising children is performed by such institutions as the family, the state, the school, etc. At the same time, the institution of the family performs several functions at once, as noted earlier.

Functions performed by one institution change over time and can be transferred to other institutions or distributed among several. So, for example, the function of education, together with the family, was previously carried out by the church, and now schools, the state and other social institutions. In addition, in the days of gatherers and hunters, the family was still engaged in the function of obtaining means of subsistence, but at present this function is performed by the institution of production and industry.

In addition to the above functions, there are explicit and latent functions of social institutions. These functions are not only characteristics of the social structure of society, but also indicators of its overall stability.

The explicit functions of social institutions are written down in statutes, formally declared, accepted by the community of people involved, declared. Since the explicit functions are always announced and in every society this is accompanied by a rather strict tradition or procedure (from anointing to the king or the presidential oath to constitutional records and the adoption of special sets of rules or laws: on education, health care, prosecutors, social security, etc.) , they turn out to be necessary, more formalized and controlled by society.

The latent functions of institutions are those that are hidden, not announced. Sometimes they are quite identical to the application functions, but usually there is a discrepancy between the formal and real activities of institutions.

From this we can conclude that the explicit functions testify to what people wanted to achieve within the framework of this or that institution, and the latent ones indicate what came of it.

The activity of an institution is considered functional if it contributes to the preservation of society. If any institution causes harm to society by its activities, there is a dysfunction of the institution.

Need. Functions and dysfunctions of social institutions The function of a social institution can be defined as a set of tasks it solves, goals achieved, services provided. The first and most important function of social institutions is to satisfy the most important vital needs of society, that is, without which society cannot exist as such. It cannot exist unless...

1994 social institutions. Another type of social systems is formed on the basis of communities, the social ties of which are determined by associations of organizations. Such social ties are called institutional, and social systems are called social institutions. The latter act on behalf of society as a whole. Institutional ties can also be called normative, since their nature and ...

... "[v]. However, the separation of information law from the general system of law is not associated only with the satisfaction of a social and state task or need. The process of formation of information law is also associated with the presence of the following constructions in this industry: 1. an independent subject of legal regulation; 2. methods of information law; 3. a conceptual apparatus inherent only in this ...

It is not public at all, but only the desires of the “powerful ones of this world”. But this problem deserves more serious study. (See Ch. II. P 2.5.) Chapter II. Sociology of public opinion. 2.1. Public opinion as a social institution. Before proceeding to the study of public opinion as a social institution, it is necessary to define ...

the emergence of a need, the satisfaction of which requires joint organized actions;

formation of common goals;

the emergence of social norms and rules in the course of spontaneous social interaction, carried out by trial and error;

the emergence of procedures related to norms and rules;

· institutionalization of norms and rules, procedures, i.e. their adoption, practical application;

Establishment of a system of sanctions to maintain norms and rules, differentiation of their application in individual cases;

· creation of a system of statuses and roles covering all members of the institute without exception;

· So, the end of the process of institutionalization can be considered the creation in accordance with the norms and rules of a clear status-role structure, socially approved by the majority of participants in this social process.

The process of institutionalization thus involves a number of points.

One of the necessary conditions for the emergence of social institutions is the corresponding social need. Institutions are designed to organize the joint activities of people in order to meet certain social needs. Thus, the institution of the family satisfies the need for the reproduction of the human race and the upbringing of children, implements relations between the sexes, generations, etc. The institution of higher education provides training for the workforce, enables a person to develop his abilities in order to realize them in subsequent activities and ensure his own existence, etc. The emergence of certain social needs, as well as the conditions for their satisfaction, are the first necessary moments of institutionalization.

A social institution is formed on the basis of social ties, interactions and relationships of specific individuals, social groups and communities. But it, like other social systems, cannot be reduced to the sum of these individuals and their interactions. Social institutions are supra-individual in nature, have their own systemic quality. Consequently, a social institution is an independent public entity that has its own logic of development. From this point of view, social institutions can be considered as organized social systems characterized by the stability of the structure, the integration of their elements and a certain variability of their functions.

First of all, we are talking about a system of values, norms, ideals, as well as patterns of activity and behavior of people and other elements of the sociocultural process. This system guarantees similar behavior of people, coordinates and directs their certain aspirations, establishes ways to satisfy their needs, resolves conflicts that arise in the process of everyday life, provides a state of balance and stability within a particular social community and society as a whole.

In itself, the presence of these socio-cultural elements does not yet ensure the functioning of a social institution. In order for it to work, it is necessary that they become the property of the inner world of the individual, be internalized by them in the process of socialization, embodied in the form of social roles and statuses. The internalization by individuals of all sociocultural elements, the formation on their basis of a system of personality needs, value orientations and expectations is the second most important element of institutionalization.

The third most important element of institutionalization is the organizational design of a social institution. Outwardly, a social institution is a set of organizations, institutions, individuals equipped with certain material resources and performing a certain social function. Thus, the institute of higher education is put into action by the social corps of teachers, service personnel, officials who operate within the framework of such institutions as universities, the ministry or the State Committee for Higher Education, etc., who for their activities have certain material values (buildings, finance, etc.).

Thus, social institutions are social mechanisms, stable value-normative complexes that regulate various areas of social life (marriage, family, property, religion), which are not very susceptible to changes in people's personal characteristics. But they are set in motion by people who carry out their activities, "play" by their rules. Thus, the concept of "the institution of a monogamous family" does not mean a separate family, but a set of norms that is realized in countless families of a certain kind.

Institutionalization, as shown by P. Berger and T. Lukman, is preceded by the process of habitualization, or “accustoming” of everyday actions, leading to the formation of patterns of activity that are later perceived as natural and normal for a given occupation or solving typical problems in these situations. Action patterns, in turn, serve as the basis for the formation of social institutions, which are described in the form of objective social facts and are perceived by the observer as a "social reality" (or social structure). These trends are accompanied by signification procedures (the process of creating, using signs and fixing meanings and meanings in them) and form a system of social meanings, which, forming into semantic connections, are fixed in natural language. Signification serves the purposes of legitimation (recognition as legitimate, socially recognized, legal) of the social order, that is, justification and substantiation of the usual ways to overcome the chaos of destructive forces that threaten to undermine the stable idealizations of everyday life.

The emergence and existence of social institutions is associated with the formation in each individual of a special set of sociocultural dispositions (habitus), practical schemes of action that have become for the individual his internal “natural” need. Thanks to habitus, individuals are included in the activities of social institutions. Therefore, social institutions are not just mechanisms, but "a kind of" factory of meanings "that set not only patterns of human interactions, but also ways of comprehending, understanding social reality and the people themselves."

Social institutions (from lat. tzShisht - establishment, institution) are historically established stable forms of organizing the joint activities of people. The term "social institution" is used in a wide variety of meanings. They talk about the institution of the family, the institution of education, health care, the institution of the state, etc. The first, most often used meaning of the term “social institution” is associated with the characteristics of any kind of ordering, formalization and standardization of social ties and relations. And the process of streamlining, formalization and standardization is called institutionalization.
The process of institutionalization includes a number of points. One of the necessary conditions for the emergence of social institutions is the corresponding social need. Institutions are designed to organize the joint activities of people in order to meet certain social needs. Thus, the institution of the family satisfies the need for the reproduction of the human race and the upbringing of children, implements relations between the sexes, generations, etc. The institution of higher education provides training for the workforce, enables a person to develop his abilities in order to realize them in subsequent activities and provide its existence, etc. The emergence of certain social needs, as well as the conditions for their satisfaction, are the first necessary moments of institutionalization. A social institution is formed on the basis of social ties, interactions and relationships of specific individuals, individuals, social groups and other communities. But it, like other social systems, cannot be reduced to the sum of these individuals and their interactions. Social institutions are supra-individual in nature, have their own systemic quality. Consequently, a social institution is an independent public entity that has its own logic of development. From this point of view, social institutions can be considered as organized social systems characterized by the stability of the structure, the integration of their elements and a certain variability of their functions.
What are these systems? What are their main elements? First of all, it is a system of values, norms, ideals, as well as patterns of activity and behavior of people and other elements of the sociocultural process. This system guarantees similar behavior of people, coordinates and directs their certain aspirations, establishes ways to satisfy their needs, resolves conflicts that arise in the course of everyday life, provides a state of balance and stability within a particular social community and society as a whole. In itself, the presence of these socio-cultural elements does not yet ensure the functioning of a social institution. In order for it to work, it is necessary that they become the property of the inner world of the individual, be internalized by them in the process of socialization, embodied in the form of social roles and statuses. The internalization by individuals of all socio-cultural elements, the formation on their basis of a system of personality needs, value orientations and expectations is the second most important element of institutionalization. The third most important element of institutionalization is the organizational design of a social institution. Outwardly, a social institution is a collection of individuals, institutions, equipped with certain material resources and performing a certain social function. Thus, an institution of higher education consists of a certain set of persons: teachers, attendants, officials who operate within the framework of institutions such as universities, the ministry or the State Committee for Higher Education, etc., who for their activities have certain material assets (buildings , finance, etc.).
So, each social institution is characterized by the presence of a goal of its activity, specific functions that ensure the achievement of such a goal, a set of social positions and roles typical for this institution. Based on all of the above, we can give the following definition of a social institution. Social institutions are organized associations of people performing certain socially significant functions, ensuring the joint achievement of goals based on the social roles performed by members, set by social values, norms and patterns of behavior.
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More on the topic The concept of "social institution". Institutionalization of public life:

The concepts of society and system, social ties, social interaction, social relations. System analysis of social life

Social institutions (from the Latin institutum - establishment, institution) are historically established stable forms of organizing the joint activities of people. The term "social institution" is used in a wide variety of meanings. They talk about the institution of the family, the institution of education, health care, the institution of the state, etc. The first, most often used meaning of the term "social institution" is associated with the characteristics of any kind of ordering, formalization and standardization of social relations and relations. And the process of streamlining, formalization and standardization is called institutionalization.

The process of institutionalization includes a number of points: 1) One of the necessary conditions for the emergence of social institutions is the corresponding social need. Institutions are designed to organize the joint activities of people in order to meet certain social needs. Thus, the institution of the family satisfies the need for the reproduction of the human race and the upbringing of children, implements relations between the sexes, generations, etc. The institution of higher education provides training for the workforce, enables a person to develop his abilities in order to realize them in subsequent activities and ensure his own existence, etc. The emergence of certain social needs, as well as the conditions for their satisfaction, are the first necessary moments of institutionalization. 2) A social institution is formed on the basis of social ties, interactions and relationships of specific individuals, individuals, social groups and other communities. But it, like other social systems, cannot be reduced to the sum of these individuals and their interactions. Social institutions are supra-individual in nature, have their own systemic quality. Consequently, a social institution is an independent public entity that has its own logic of development. From this point of view, social institutions can be considered as organized social systems characterized by the stability of the structure, the integration of their elements and a certain variability of their functions.

First of all, it is a system of values, norms, ideals, as well as patterns of activity and behavior of people and other elements of the sociocultural process. This system guarantees similar behavior of people, coordinates and directs certain aspirations into the mainstream, establishes ways to satisfy their needs, resolves conflicts,

arising in the process of everyday life, provides a state of balance and stability within a particular social community and society as a whole. In itself, the presence of these socio-cultural elements does not yet ensure the functioning of a social institution. In order for it to work, it is necessary that they become the property of the inner world of the individual, be internalized by them in the process of socialization, embodied in the form of social roles and statuses. The internalization by individuals of all sociocultural elements, the formation on their basis of a system of personality needs, value orientations and expectations is the second most important element of institutionalization. 3) The third most important element of institutionalization is the organizational design of a social institution. Outwardly, a social institution is a collection of individuals, institutions, equipped with certain material resources and performing a certain social function. Thus, an institution of higher education consists of a certain set of persons: teachers, attendants, officials who operate within the framework of institutions such as universities, the ministry or the State Committee for Higher Education, etc., who for their activities have certain material assets (buildings , finance, etc.).

So, each social institution is characterized by the presence of a goal of its activity, specific functions that ensure the achievement of such a goal, a set of social positions and roles typical for this institution. Based on the foregoing, we can give the following definition of a social institution. Social institutions are organized associations of people performing certain socially significant functions, ensuring the joint achievement of goals based on the social roles performed by members, set by social values, norms and patterns of behavior.

27. Social institutions as elements of the social structure of society.

The concept of a social institution is one of the main ones in sociology. There are even attempts to define sociology as the science of social institutions. Thanks to the interpretation of this concept in sociology, a special institutional approach has been developed.

The Concise Dictionary of Sociology states that the term "institution" is of Latin origin and in literal translation in relation to the ancient era means establishment, institution. Today, a social institution means historically established, stable forms of organizing joint activities of people and is used in a wide variety of meanings. The social institution is the main component of the social structure, integrating and coordinating many individual actions of people, streamlining social relations in the most important areas of public life.

A social institution is an organized system of connections and social norms that combines significant social values and procedures that satisfy the basic needs of society.

A social institution is a role-playing 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 that regulate a certain area of social relations; separate set of social activities.

Thus, the totality of relationships and systems of behavior that is useful to society finds the most complete expression in social institutions. It is known that the most important condition for the existence of mankind is the constant reproduction of material goods. It is social institutions that help to implement it purposefully and effectively. Here is the socialization of the younger generation, and the modernization of society, and its protection from external and internal enemies. Therefore, the importance of social institutions can hardly be overestimated. One thing, and perhaps the most important thing, can be unambiguously said - without them, humanity simply cannot exist in a civilized way. Moreover, the presence of social institutions, the degree of their development and efficiency of functioning is an indicator of the level of civilization of the era. Therefore, the concept of "social institution" in sociology occupies one of the central and extremely significant places.

The process of institutionalization includes a number of points.

§ One of the necessary conditions for the emergence of social institutions is the corresponding social need. Institutions are designed to organize the joint activities of people in order to meet certain social needs. Thus, the institution of the family satisfies the need for the reproduction of the human race and the upbringing of children, implements relations between the sexes, generations, etc. The institution of higher education provides training for the workforce, enables a person to develop his abilities in order to realize them in subsequent activities and ensure his own existence, etc. The emergence of certain social needs, as well as the conditions for their satisfaction, are the first necessary moments of institutionalization.

§ A social institution is formed on the basis of social ties, interactions and relationships of specific individuals, individuals, social groups and other communities. But it, like other social systems, cannot be reduced to the sum of these individuals and their interactions. Social institutions are supra-individual in nature, have their own systemic quality. Consequently, a social institution is an independent public entity that has its own logic of development. From this point of view, social institutions can be considered as organized social systems characterized by the stability of the structure, the integration of their elements and a certain variability of their functions.

§ The third most important element of institutionalization is the organizational design of a social institution. Outwardly, a social institution is a collection of persons, institutions, equipped with certain material resources and performing a certain social function. Thus, an institution of higher education consists of a certain set of persons: teachers, attendants, officials who operate within institutions such as universities, the ministry or the State Committee for Higher Education, etc., who for their activities have certain material assets (buildings , finance, etc.).

Thus, each social institution is characterized by the presence of a goal of its activity, specific functions that ensure the achievement of such a goal, a set of social positions and roles typical for this institution. Based on the foregoing, we can give the following definition of a social institution. Social institutions are organized associations of people performing certain socially significant functions, ensuring the joint achievement of goals based on the social roles performed by members, set by social values, norms and patterns of behavior.

The process of streamlining formalization and standardization. The concept of "social institution"

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