SOCIAL INSTITUTION

Prepared by: Andrea Woolcock

September 2024
 Social Institutions

A social institution may be defined as an

organizational system which functions to satisfy
basic social needs by providing an ordered
framework linking the individual to the larger
culture.
 Social Institutions - Family

The family a major social institution and a locus

of much of a person's social activity.
It is a social unit created by blood, marriage, or
adoption, and can be described as nuclear (parents
and children) or extended (encompassing other
relatives).
 Social Institutions - Family

Types /Variations of Family

The structure of the family varies from society to
society. The smallest family unit is known as the
Nuclear family.
Single parent family
Extended family
Step family
Grandparent family
Others
 Social Institutions - Family

The institution of family has three important functions:

 To provide for the rearing of children.

 To provide a sense of identity or belonging among its

members.
 To transmit culture between generations.
 Social Institutions - Religion
At the end of the session students should be able to :
 Define Religion.

 List at least five major religions

 Explain two theories of religion

 Discuss the functions of religion

 Describe the relationship between health and religion

 Social Institutions - Religion

Religion is an important aspect of social life. It is

interwoven into the culture of a people and is
intimately linked to the issues of social
integration and conflict between societies.
 Social Institutions - Religion
 Religion, a social institution involving beliefs and

practices based upon a conception of the sacred

(Macionis & Plummer, 2008)
 Giddens (2001 as cited in Mustapha, 2009) states that

religion involves a ‘set of symbols, invoking feelings of

reverence or awe and is linked to rituals or ceremonials
(such as church services) engaged in by a community of
believers’
 Social Institutions - Religion

 Roland Robertson defines religion as the existence of

supernatural being who have a governing effect on

life.
Social Institutions – Features of Religion
Prayers and Rituals:
Prayers may be performed quietly or aloud and may

include formalised bodily postures and gestures.

Rituals consist of repeated formalised social

behaviours that communicate sacred symbolic

meaning to its members- Catholic mass, confession,
baptism, communion
Social Institutions – Features of Religion
 Religious experience:

Feeling or perception of being in direct contact with ultimate

reality or of being overcome with religious emotion.
 Belief:

A belief system about the supernatural. It provide

explanations for different aspects of life such as birth,
growth, success, failure and death. These belief inform the
official religious doctrine which translate into rituals.
Social Institutions – Features of Religion
Organization

Many religions are arranged along the line of

organizational structures. These organizational
structure tend to be hierarchical with religious
leaders at the helm.
Social Institutions – Types of Religion
There are four types of classification of religious schemes.
These are supernaturalism, animism, theism and abstract
ideals.
 Supernaturalism

This implies the existence of this force have the potential to

influence human behaviour. The forces can influence both
animate and inanimate objects which includes people, trees
and places. This belief in the supernatural is common in
areas of South Pacific e.g. Papau New Guinea.
Social Institutions – Types of Religion
 Animism

This is the belief in spirits and ghosts that are believed

to coexist with humans in the world. These spirits can
also inhabit both animate and inanimate things.
This type of religion is not limited to primitive cultures
but are found in varying degrees in many religions. In
medieval Europe, witches and sorcerers were to be
possessed by evil spirits.
 Social Institutions – Types of Religion
Theism

This is the belief in the existence of gods and

goddesses who shape human behaviour. Gods are

viewed as being omnipotent and worthy of human

reverence in the form of worship. Theism can be

either polytheistic or monotheistic.

 Social Institutions – Types of Religion
 Polytheism

This is the belief in many gods, each command

strength and force over a particular aspect of life in
the universe such as birth, death and success.
 Monotheism

This is the belief in one God, the three main religions

are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. They all believe
in the supremacy of one powerful being.
Social Institutions – Types of Religion
Abstract Ideals
This focus upon correct thinking and behaviour that
facilitate the achievement of personal goals.
The followers of religion that focus on abstract
ideals do not subscribe to the manipulation of
spirits and worship of god or gods.
 Social Institutions
Major Religions in the World

 Christianity
 Buddhism
 Judaism
 Islam
 Hinduism
 Social Institutions – Religion-
Christianity
Worlds largest religion- They believe in the
Being as the sacred Trinity: God the creator,
Jesus Christ, Son of God and Redeemer and the
Holy Spirit, a Christian’s personal experience of
Gods presence .
Social Institutions – Religion- Christianity

The three main branches are Roman Catholic ,

Protestant (Luther breaks away from Roman
Catholic church in 16th Century) and
Orthodox Christian (Division of Christianity
in 10th century, serves eastern Europe)
 Social Institutions – Religion-
Christianity
 Based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ

 Originated in Palestine in the 1st century AD

 Believe that Jesus was the son of God who came and died

for people’s sins and then rose so that all people could be
saved
 Believe in one God(monotheistic) who created the

universe and all things in it

 Christianity originally developed as a part of Judaism
Social Institutions – Religion- Islam
This is the second largest religion in the world.

The significant beliefs and practices include only

one god that all must recognize accompanied with

daily prayer, sharing wealth and pilgrimage.
Social Institutions – Religion- Islam
A person surrenders to the will of Allah by living

and thinking in the way Allah has instructed.

Islam is more than a system of beliefs. The faith

provides a social and legal system and governs

things like family life, law and order, ethics,
dress, and cleanliness, as well as religious ritual
and observance—Islamic Republic
Social Institutions – Religion- Buddhism
Founded in India around 500 BC by Siddhartha
Guatama
Became Buddha, the Enlightened One, when he
was 29
He was trying to find the true meaning of life and
eventually, through four trance-like stages of
meditation, he was enlightened to the Buddhist
was of life
His main teachings was to eliminate human wants
as they are the cause of suffering in the world
Social Institutions – Religion- Judaism
Is a monotheistic religion

Judaism is the oldest and smallest of the world's

five great religions

Being a part of a Jewish community and living

one's life according to Jewish law and traditions

is very important.
Social Institutions – Religion- Judaism
The important beliefs include that they are Gods
chosen people who read the Torah (the first 5
books of the bible or the oldest truths from God).
Major divisions of the religion include Orthodox
(strictly traditional), Reform (liberal and
worldly), and Conservative (the middle ground
between Orthodox and Reform).
Social Institutions – Religion-Hinduism
Hinduism includes a very wide range of beliefs
and practices, so there aren't many things that are
common to all Hindu groups
Hinduism has no founder, no single book of faith,
no creed, and no single source of authority(such as
Jesus)
Hinduism is very individualistic but a big part of a
person’s everyday life
There are 750 million Hindus in the world, mostly
in India
 Social Institutions – Religion in the
Caribbean
Religion is probably the most significant
phenomenon that highlights the cultural
heterogeneity of the Caribbean. It is a reflection of
the different traditions and cultures that occupied
the Caribbean region ; it also highlights the
common experience of slavery and indentureship.
 Social Institutions – Religion in the
Caribbean
 Christianity was introduced by the Europeans

conquerors and the dominant religions were

Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, and then
later came the Methodists and Pentecostal Church.
 African Religions were introduced by the Gold

Coast, Ewe-Fon from Dahomey, Yoruba in Nigeria

and Bantu from Congo and Angola.
 Social Institutions – Religion in the
Caribbean
African religions that survive include: Winti of
Suriname An Cayenne; Vodum of Haiti and
Dominican Republic; Santeria of Cuba and
Puerto Rico; Shango of Trinidad and Tobago
and Grenada and Carriacou; Kumina and
Convince (Bongoism) of Jamaica; Goombay of
Belize; Kumfa of Guyana; Kele of St. Lucia and
Xango, Candomble and Macoumba of Brazil .
 Social Institutions – Functions of
Religion
Religion provides mental peace: a source of

personal comfort and consolation.

 It inculcates social virtues: like truth, honesty,

non-violence, service, love, discipline etc

Religion promotes social solidarity: gives rise

to the spirit of brotherhood. Emiel Durkheim

viewed that religion strengthens social solidarity.
 Social Institutions – Functions of Religion
Religion is an agent of socialization and social
control: Parsons viewed that religion is one of
the most important agents of socialization and
social control.
Religion promotes welfare: teaches to the
people to serve the masses and promote their
welfare.
Religion Strengthens Self-confidence: is an
effective means to strengthen self-confidence
 Social Institutions – Religion and
Health
Positive
 Religion can protect and promote a healthy lifestyle)

 Health behaviors (diet and/or discouraging the abuse

of alcoholic beverages, smoking, etc.

 Psychological states (religious people can experience a

better mental health, more positive psychological

states, more optimism and faith(Oman & Thorensen,
2002).
 Social Institutions – Religion and
Health

Religion can influence health through various

psychological conditions such as character,

will-power, focused attention or increased

motivation beyond pathways such as social

support (Oman & Thorensen, 2002).

Social Institutions – Religion and
Health
Negative

Stopping life-saving medication

Failing to seek timely medical care

Replacing mental health care with religion

Folk healers
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