Outline: Institutions – the architecture of society

1. Outline: Institutions – the architecture of society • Institutions as systems of rules • GREEF: The five basic institutions • Institutions in an industrial Society: Contemporary U.S. • Effects of institutions • Where do institutions come from? • History • Power • Conclusion

2. Institutions as systems of rules • Sociologists call the unwritten and written rules of a group institutions. • Sometimes the written rules are called formal institutions, the unwritten rules are called informal institutions. • We find institutions in all groups at all levels of aggregation, except at the level of the whole world.

3. Levels of aggregation Examples of institutions at this level of aggregation: ←There are no truly global institutions ←Example of Trading Group institution: NAFTA ←Example of state institution: State law on drinking age ←Example of business institutions: Contract law ←Example of family institutions: Marriage laws, norms of marital behavior

4. The rules of an institution must be enforced in some way • The rules can be enforced formally (e.g. by a police force) or informally (by social pressure). • If they are not enforced, then we cannot call the set of rules an institution.

5. GREEF • All societies have institutions for: • Government • Religion • Education • Economy and the • Family

6. In most pre-industrial societies, these institutions are unwritten • In agrarian societies, institutions are written down.

7. The first written institutions include The Old Testament (a set of laws composed by the Hebrews between the 12th and the 2nd century BC)

8. The oldest surviving copy of a law code is the Code of Ur-Nammu, written in the Sumerian language ca. 2100-2050 BC. • Right: Law Code of Hammurabi ca. 1755 BC

9. Just as subsistence technology shapes a society’s culture and its social groups, subsistence technology also shapes a society’s institutions.

10. Type of Society Type of Institution

11. Institutions in an industrial Society: Contemporary U.S • Government Institutions • Formal institutions: what are they? • Based on U.S. Constitution (written) • Elected, representative government at all levels with universal rights to vote and hold office. • There are no family or group rights or positions.

12. At different levels of government – federal, state and local • The three branches of government at the federal level are: • a legislative branch made up of elected representatives (House and Senate) • an executive branch made up of an elected president, and • a judicial branch made up of appointed judges (the Supreme Court). • In addition, each state has its own smaller version of such a government.

13. Police forces and courts enforce laws created by government

14. Informal institutions include norms of political life • E.g. In the U.S., elected officials are expected to be uncorrupt • E.g. Elected officials are expected to be morally scrupulous

15. Religious institutions in U.S. • Formal institutions: what are they? • Religions are diverse and range from large hierarchical churches to small sects. • Most of the population are Christian, with smaller groups of other religions including Judaism, Islam and others.

16. Informal religious institutions include norms of religious life • E.g. Weddings and funerals typically take place in a church or religious house of some kind • E.g. Religious leaders are expected to be ethical and morally scrupulous

17. Educational Institutions in U.S. • The education system is universal and formal, with formal credentials awarded. • People are legally obligated to go to school until the age of 16 (can vary by state)

18. There are three levels of schooling – primary or elementary, secondary and tertiary. • Continuation to the next level of education is dependent on completing earlier levels of school.

19. Entrance to the next higher level of education is dependent on some combination of grades and/or examination scores • Sometimes requires recommendations and other criteria • Teachers must have training in the areas in which they teach

20. Informal institutions • E.g. Teachers and professors are uncorrupt – grades cannot be bought • E.g. If necessary, students are expected to work to support themselves in university (less common in other advanced industrial societies)

21. Economic Institutions in the U.S. • Formal institutions- what are they? • Contract law • Commercial law • Trade agreements • Police and Courts to enforce laws

22. Unwritten rules of the economy • E.g. Businesspeople are supposed to be honest and trustworthy • E.g. Police are uncorrupt • E.g. Courts and court officials are uncorrupt

23. Family Institutions in U.S. • Formal institutions – what are they? • Legal monogamy • Divorce is legal • Parents are held financially responsible for dependent children

24. Informal institutions • E.g. Married couple set up a separate residence from in-laws • E.g. After a divorce children are most likely to live with their mother

25. Effects of Institutions • The American constitution has often been admired for its separation of powers of executive, legislative and judicial branches • These institutions have been credited with making the U.S. a prosperous society

26. Yet some societies have duplicated the U.S. constitution to little effect • Unwritten rules must mesh with written rules • E.g. if officials are corrupt, formal rules are not enforced

27. Where do institutions come from? • History • E.g. U.S. • Where do U.S. political institutions come from?

28. Power • Some people have been elected and/or grabbed power by force and then installed new sets of rules making them permanent ruler • E.g. Hitler

29. We will discuss the forms of institutions in more detail when we discuss political sociology, sociology of religion, sociology of education, economic sociology and the sociology of the family.