SOCIAL INSTITUTION
Social Institution can be defined as organized patterns of beliefs and behaviour centered on
basic social needs. Social institutions are organized in response to specific needs such as
replacing personnel (family) and preserving order(the government).
Social Institution also described as a recognized normative pattern, a system of
required ,concerted, cooperative and reciprocal relationships and practices whereby people
concerned tend to satisfy their individual and social needs.
From the definition and explanation above, we can identity the characteristics of social
institutions as :
(1) Consisting of norms ,values, rules, roles, penalties, rewards and belief system of a
society.
(2) Address fundamental needs and survival of society.
(3) Are well established and do not inconsistently emerge or applied.
(4) Relatively enduring (long-lasting) rather than short-lived. For example ,family has
continued to procreate since immemorial time.
(5) Different organs of society(like human parts) that perform different set of functions
but all are interrelated and connected to the whole.
TYPES OF SOCIAL INSTITUTION
There are five(5) basic social institutions that can be identified in all human societies. They
are:
1. FAMILY
2. ECONOMIC
3. POLITICAL
4. EDUCATION
5. RELIGIOUS.
THE FAMILY INSTITUTION
Family may be defined as a social relationship, which is established on the ties of
marriage ,blood or adoption forming a single household and interacting with one another in
different social status that may include husband ,wife, mother, father ,children, sister and
brother. Certainly, it is a very important institution as it ensures the continuous existence of a
society and transmission of culture to new members.
FUNCTIONS OF FAMILY
1. REGULATION OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR : Society regulates sexual behaviour
through family unit. In other words, society specifies who may have sexual
relationship with who (sexual partners) and regulations governing such behaviours are
established.
2. PROCREATION: In order to prevent society from fading out ,families always
produce and rear children. It also provides care and protection for such offspring.
3. SOCIALIZATION: Socialization is the process through which society teaches its
members the habits, attitudes, values, beliefs, customs and aspirations of the social
group into which they have been born( or newly entered) in order to become a social
being. Family is one of the main avenues through which socialization is carried out.
4. ECONOMIC SUPPORT: Traditionally, family serves as economic unit that produce
goods that are consumed by its members and the whole society. But modern-day
family has been lessened of such duty as most goods for consumption are readily
available in markets.
However, family still provides financial and sustenance to its members.
5. SAFETY: Ultimately, it is the duty of the family to protect children and other
members from danger and difficulty. Attack on any member of the family is
considered as an attack on the whole family.
6. LOVE AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORTS: Family provides members with affection,
warmth, and emotional support. Such support helps members to feel loved, have a
sense of belonging and develop emotional stability, which help them to overcome the
challenges of life.
TYPES OF FAMILY
1. NUCLEAR FAMILY: Nuclear family consists of husband, wife and their unmarried
children (whether biological or adopted). The size of nuclear family is usually small
and it is regarded as the common and ideal form of family in modern society. It
guarantees maximum care, affection, support, and strong ties to member. Economics
cooperation is also strengthened among members of nuclear family.
2. EXTENDED FAMILY: This type of family comprises of nuclear family plus added
relatives such as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins. The size of external
family is generally larger than nuclear family and eldest male is usually the heed of
the family.
3. COMPOUND FAMILY: This is formed when divorced parent(s) remarry and as a
result, bring the children they had in their previous marriage to the newly formed
home. An example is when a divorced parent, widow, or widower who has child(ren)
remarries. Such family will comprise step parent/parents, children and stepchildren).
In other words, both husband and wife may bring their children from previous
marriages and may also have new children together.
4. SINGLE –PARENT FAMILY: A single parent is a parent (father or mother) who
lives with and takes care of the child(ren) alone without a spouse or partner. The
single parent may be widowed, divorced or has never been married. This type of
family has always been in existence even in the traditional societies , although it is
becoming more rampant in modern-day societies ,especially, among women.
MARRIAGE
This is the one of the ways through which family is established in an institution. Marriage is
a legally recognized union of two or more people as spouses in a social relationship. Marriage
is a universal institution, that is , it exists in all human societies.
TPYES OF MARRIAGE
1. MONOGAMY: This is a form of marriage that consist one husband and one wife at a
given time.
2. POLYGAMY: This is the practice of marrying more than one spouse at a given time.
There are two forms of polygamy – polygyny and polyandry. Polygyny occurs when a
man marries more than one wife while polyandry take place when a woman is married
to more than one husband . The woman visits her husbands one after the other if they
(the husbands) are not living together. Polyandry may be fraternal or non-fraternal. In
fraternal polyandry the husbands are blood related while they are not blood related is
non-fraternal polyandry’ .
3. GROUP MARRIAGE: This includes multiple husbands and wives. In other words,
all people involved [three or more] live together and consider themselves as partners
and jointly take children and other household responsibilities. In such marriage, all
men may have sexual relationship with all women but only within the group,
however, new partners may join the group but all members of the family must accept
the new person as a partner.
4. GHOST MARRIAGE: This is a form of marriage where a dead groom is replaced
with his brother. In other words, a brother gets married to a woman on behalf of his
deceased brother and any children that results from such union are considered
children of the deceased spouse. This system of marriage can be found in southern
sudan.
5. COHABITATION: This explains a situation whereby an unmarried couple live
together as husband and wife.
6. SAME SEX MARRIAGE: This is one of the increasing diversity in family patterns,
especially in recent times. It describes the union between individuals that are of the
same sex. An example; is male to male[gay],or female to female[lesbian].This
practice is becoming increasingly popular, especially in advanced countries like USA,
Canada, UK, Ireland and South Africa.
THE ECONOMIC INSTITUTION
The economic institution often referred to as the economy regulates the production,
distribution, and consumption of goods and services in society. Goods refer to
commodities that are produced in order to satisfy human needs such as food, clothing,
car, beverages, chairs etc. While services are activities carried out by an individual or
a group of people for the benefit of others. Examples are the work performed by
lawyers, soldiers, teachers, pastors, etc. the economic system also determines the
work to be done and who will do it in society.
SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY
(1) PRIMARY SECTOR: This sector draw materials from the natural environment.
Examples are agriculture, forestry, animal rearing, and mining. This part of the
economy is dominant in low-income societies.
(2) SECONDARY SECTOR: This sector transforms raw materials into
manufactured and processed foods. Its increased existence in a society which
provide more employment for members of society. Examples are establishment of
factories that turn timber [primary product] into furniture.
(3) TERTIARY SECTOR: Here, services rather than goods and provided. This
sector grows as industrialized, and is dominant in middle-income and high-income
societies. Examples are health care, legal, advertising, and secretarial services.
FUNCTIONS OF THE ECONOMIC INSTITUTION
(1) To ensure that all foods and services that are necessary for the survival of society
are sufficiently provided.
(2) To ensure that wealth and resources are evenly and equitably distributed across all
social-cultural and geographical entities
(3) To engage in activities that will leads to job opportunities, market development,
and wealth creation in such a way that poverty, will be lessened in society.
(4) To enhance stability and growth of society by formulating and implementing
effective fiscal policies.
(5). To interact effectively with other social institutions so that social order will be
maintained in society.
THE POLITICAL INSTITUTION
Political institution refers to a set of rules and instruments for Maintaining social
order, distributing power, and allowing decisions to be made in a society. The
ultimate concern of this institution is achievement of goals set for the group as well as
conformity of members to societal rules. This implies that concepts of power and
authority are fundamental to all political systems. Power is the ability to influence
others with or without their consent while authority is the right to enforce rules or
give orders.
FUNCTIONS OF POLITICAL INSTITUTION
(1) It ensures administration of day-to-day activities and maintenance of law and
order in society.
(2) It makes, interprets, and enforces laws and policies in society.
(3) It ensures security of members of society as well as protects them against any
internal or external aggression.
(4) It develop necessary instruments and norms for social, economic, religious,
military, and other sector in order to achieve collective goals of society.
(5) It ensures integration of society by enhancing equal representation of all differing
socio-cultural groups in society.
THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION
Education is concerned with transmitting society’s knowledge, ideas, values, moral,
skills, and norms cherished by society. As an institution, education affects the life of
every member of a society because whatever is learned in schools is applied on social
environment.
Basically, there are three [3]types of education ;formal, non-formal, and informal.
(1) FORMAL EDUCATION: It is school-based as it involves all experiences that
are provided in classroom through structured curriculum. Such learning is
consciously provided by way of schools, vocation, training, institutes, and
universities.
(2) NON-FORMAL EDUCATION: It entails those highly specific educational
experience that are provided in non-school environments. Example of this
includes agricultural extension program, trade apprenticeship, National Youth
Service program etc.
(3) INFORMAL EDUCATION: It is a form of learning that takes place with or
without the learner being aware of its effects on him/her. It does not have any
curriculum as it is not formally planned or organized. It simply happens in the
course of observing, imitating, friends, colleagues at work, social media,
electronic media and so on.
FUNCTIONS OF EDUCATONAL INSTITUTION
(1) Education institution serves as a veritable means for manpower development and
skills acquisition.
(2) It helps to socialize and transmit cultural values and aspirations to member of
society.
(3) It creates natural integration by establishing a common language and ideology that
encourage effective communication and national identity, especially in plural societies
like Nigeria where there is diverse population.
(4) It exposes students to several perspectives and experiences that help them to
develop competence, creativity, and perceptual ability that are needed to participate in
social world.
(5) Education institutions also help in establishing relationships. For example, it is
possible for people to meet their spouse while in school.
(6). As a social institution that serves to solve basic problems in society, it engages in
scientific researches and academic investigation in order to offer lasting solutions to
any rising problems.
THE RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION
Religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred[holy] things. In
other words, religion takes place when there is a separation between the profane
[ordinary life] and the sacred. Religion binds people together, promotes behaviour
consistency, offer strength for people during life’s transitions and difficulties. Thus,
collective mindset of society leads to establishment of religion.
Religion is more than just beliefs and practices as it is a form of social action that is
organized around a set of beliefs, practices, and symbols that people develop in order
to comprehend the meaning of existence.
FUNCTIONS OF RELIGION
(1) It guides ethical behaviour and offers explanations for things that cannot be
answered by human reasoning.
(2) It promotes social cohesion and harmony in society, although, it may at the same
time create division and conflict among different sects e.g. sharia and other religious
crises in Nigeria.
(3) It serves as instrument of social control. This is because religion confers
legitimacy on society’s norms, values, and laws. An example is prohibition of
stealing, rape, murder, adultery etc.
(4) Religion contributes greatly to personality development through teaching of
moral and virtuous life style.
(5) It provides avenue for change
(6) Like educational institution, religion also helps to establish marital relationship,
and it is a veritable tool for establishing and maintaining familial bond
(7) Also, religion is a very important socializing agent that helps to install values,
aspirations, and ethics of society into members
(8) It also provides employment opportunity for some people. Examples are Pastors
and Imams who are employed to lead congregation.
