Social Institutions in Sociology: Definition, Roles & Examples
- A social institution is a group or organization that has specific roles, norms, and expectations, which functions to meet to social needs of society. The family, government, religion, education, and media are all examples of social institutions.
- Social institutions are interdependent and continually interact and influence one another in everyday society. For example, some religious institutions believe they should have control over governmental and educational institutions.
- Social institutions can have both manifest and latent functions. Manifest functions are those that are explicitly stated, while latent functions are not.
- Each social institution plays a vital role in the functioning of society and the lives of the people that inhabit them.