We, all must have come across the word institution, which commonly refers to a formal organisation like for example, All India Institute of Medical Sciences. The sociologists use the term institution differently. Institution can be defined as a form of organisation that performs some of the essential functions of a society.
Institutions are strongly defined by cultural values and norms and are generally viewed and accepted as essential part of the social structure and the society in general. Some of the important institutions in a society are family, marriage, political systems, economic systems, education, religion health care institutions, law and order.
It has been found that specific individuals or the roles that they perform may be criticised but rarely the institution itself. For instance, one may criticise the father’s role in a family as being too authoritative or one may criticise an individual father for not taking his parental duties seriously but societies rarely ever contemplate doing away with the institutions itself.
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Though people are wondering, especially in the West, if the institution of marriage is losing its ground, since more and more people are in a ‘living together’ arrangement. Sociologists are also of the opinion that the institution of marriage may not have so many acceptances as before, because it is possible to look for companionship, sex, children, sharing of house-work outside the institution of marriage, which are increasingly getting social acceptance.
Social institutions are not only tied up with the functions that they attend to but depend on the acceptance of the general society. It is generally found that social institutions are strongly supported by the cultural norms and values.