Social Institutions

What is a Social Institution?

-a group of social positions, connected by social relations, performing a social

role, e.g. universities, government, families.

Characteristics of an Institution?

• Institutions are purposive.• They are relatively permanent in their

content.• Institutions are structured.• Institutions are a unified structure.• Institutions are necessarily value-laden.

Functions of an Institution?

• Institutions are purposive.• They are relatively permanent in their

content.• Institutions are structured.• Institutions are a unified structure.• Institutions are necessarily value-laden.

The family is the smallestsocial institution with the uniquefunction or producing and rearingthe young. It is the basic unit ofPhilippine society and theeducational system.

Characteristics of the Filipino Family

closely knit and has strong family ties

has a strong loyalty among members

individual interests are sacrificed over the welfare of the group

kinship ties are extended to “compadre” or sponsors

Functions of the Family

Reproduction of the race and rearing the young

Cultural transmission or enculturation Socialization of the child Providing affection and a sense of security Providing the environment for personality

development and the growth of self concept

Providing social status

According to Membership

Conjugal or Nuclear Family Husband, wife and children

Consanguine or extended FamilyMarried couple, their parents, siblings,

grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins

Kinds of Family Patterns

According to Terms of Marriage

Polyandry One woman married to two or more men

Polygamy One man married to two or more women

CenogamyTwo or more men mate with two or more

women in group marriage


According to Line of Descent

PatrilinealDescent is recognized through the father’s

line

MatrilinealDescent is recognized through the

mother’s line

BilinealDescent is recognized through both the

father’s and mother’s line



According to Place of Residence

PatrilocalMarried couple lives with the parents of

the husband

MatrilocalMarried couple lives with the parents of

the wife

NeolocalMarried couple maintains a separate

household and live by themselves


According to Authority

PatriarchalFather is considered the head and plays a

dominant role

MatriarchalMother is considered the head and makes

the major decisions

EqualitarianBoth the mother and father share in

making decisions and are equal in authority

Super Yano

Multiple Functions of Schools

Technical/economic - refers to thecontributions of the school to thetechnical or economic developmentand needs of the individual, theinstitution, the local community, thesociety and the internationalcommunity.


Human/social - refers to thecontributions of the school to humandevelopment and social relationships atdifferent levels of society.


Political - refers to the contributions ofthe school to the political developmentat different levels of society.


Cultural - refers to the contributions ofthe school to the cultural transmissionand development at different levels ofsociety.


Education - refers to the contributionsof the school to the development andmaintenance of education at thedifferent levels of society.

Manifest and Latent Functions of Education

Manifest functions of education are defined as the open and intended goals or consequences of activities within an organization or institution.SocializationSocial controlSocial placement


Transmitting culturePromoting social and political

integrationAgent of change


Latent functions of education are the hidden, unstated and sometimes unintended consequences of activities within an organization or institution.Restricting some activitiesMatchmaking and production of social

networksCreation of generation gap

Functions of Schools by Calderon (1998)

Conservation function Instructional function Research function Social service function

Super Yano

Religion is the sociallydefined patterns of beliefsconcerning ultimatemeaning of life’ it assumesthe existence of thesupernatural.

-StarkSuper Yano

Characteristics of Religion

Belief in a deity or in a power beyond the individual

A doctrine (accepted teaching) of salvation

A code of conductThe use of sacred storiesReligious rituals (acts and ceremonies)

Functions of Religion

Religion serves as a means of social control.It exerts a great influence upon personality

development.Religion always fear the unknown.Religion explains events or situations which

are beyond the comprehension of man.It gives man comfort, strength and hope in

times of crisis and despair.

Functions of Religion

It preserves and transmits knowledge, skills, spiritual and cultural values and practices

It serves as an instrument of change.It promotes closeness, love, cooperation,

friendliness and helpfulness.Religion alleviates sufferings from major

calamities.It provides hope for a blissful life after death.

Churches, sects and cults

Church – tends to be large, withinclusive membership, in low tensionwith surrounding society and tendstoward greater intellectualexamination and interpretation of thetenants of religion.


Sect – has a small, exclusivemembership, high tension withsociety. It tends toward the emotional,mystic, stress faith, feeling, conversionexperience, to be “born again”.


Cult – the more innovative institutionsand are formed when people createnew religious beliefs and practices.There are three types: audience cults,client cults and cult movements.

Elements of Religion

Sacred - refers to phenomena thatare regarded as extraordinary,transcendent, and outside theeveryday course of events - that is,supernatural.


Legitimation of norms – Religioussanctions and beliefs reinforce thelegitimacy of many rules and normsin the community.


Rituals – are formal patterns ofactivity that express symbolically aset of shared meanings.


Religious Community – Religionsestablishes a code of behavior forthe members, who belong and whodoes not.

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Microeonomics vs. Macroeconomics

Microeconomics - concerned withthe specific economic units of partsthat makes an economic systemand the relationship between thoseparts.

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Microeonomics vs. Macroeconomics

Macroeconomics - concerned withthe economy as a whole, or largesegments of it.

Basic Economic Problems

What goods and services toproduce and how much? How to produce goods and

services? For whom are the goods and

services?

Super Yano

Super Yano

The institution which resolvesconflicts that are public in nature andinvolve more than a few people iscalled a government. It can be city,provincial, national or eveninternational.

Three Branches of the Government

Executive Enforces rules and laws

Legislative Makes rules and laws

Judicial Interprets rules and laws

Politics - a pattern of humaninteraction that serves toresolve conflicts betweenpeople, institutions, andnations

Politics and Administration

Administration - refers tothe aggregate of persons inwhose hands the reigns ofgovernment are for thetime being.

Politics and Administration

Constituent - contribute to thevery bonds of society and aretherefore compulsary.

Constituent and Ministrant Functions of the Government

Examples of constituent functions• The keeping of order and providing

for protection of persons andproperty from violence and robbery.

• The definition and punishment forcrimes

• The administration of justice in civilcases.


Ministrant - those undertakento advance the general interestof society such as public works,charity and are merely optional.
