Institution

An institution is a system of rules and norms created by humans that guide and limit social behavior.^[1][2][3][4] Most definitions of institutions agree that they last over time and are stable.^[5] Examples include laws, rules, traditions, and social norms.^[6] Some institutions are formal, like governments, while others are informal, like customs.^[7][8]

Institutions are important in many social sciences, such as political science, anthropology, economics, and sociology. Émile Durkheim described sociology as the "science of institutions, their genesis and their functioning".^[9] Some large institutions, like the family or money, are called "meta-institutions" because they include smaller related institutions. Institutions are also important in law, which creates and enforces formal rules. Historians also study how institutions begin, change, or disappear as part of political, economic, and cultural history.

Definition

The term institution has many definitions.^[10][11] Some definitions include informal customs like handshakes, while others only include formal systems with clear rules and structures.^[12][13]

Wolfgang Streeck and Kathleen Thelen describe institutions as "building blocks of social order" made up of shared expectations about behavior.^[13] Sociologists often include informal practices, while political scientists may focus on formal rules enforced by third parties.^[13]

Jack Knight defines institutions as shared rules that shape how people interact. These do not include personal habits or one-time customs.^[14][14][12]

Randall Calvert defines an institution as a stable way people behave in a situation, where most follow the rules because they expect others to do the same.^[15]

Robert Keohane describes institutions as lasting sets of rules—formal or informal—that guide behavior, set roles, and shape expectations.^[16] Samuel P. Huntington defines them as regular and valued patterns of behavior.^[17]

Avner Greif and David D. Laitin say institutions are shared systems of rules, beliefs, and norms that shape behavior and create patterns in society.^[18] They explain that organizations are one kind of institution that can shape what people believe and how they act.^[18]

Most scholars agree that institutions last over time and bring consistency.^[19] Examples include laws, rules, customs, and social norms.^[20]

Although "institution" and "organization" can sometimes mean the same thing, Jack Knight points out that organizations are usually smaller and have their own internal rules.^[21]

Geoffrey Hodgson says institutions are not just behaviors, but systems of rules that shape how people interact.^[22]

Types

Examples of institutions include:

• Family: Families are a child’s first social environment, where they learn cultural values, attitudes, and social class differences.
• Religion: Religion can act like a cultural identity, making it a strong influence. Parents play a major role in passing on religious beliefs and habits.
• Peer groups: Peer groups—people of similar age and interests—help children form relationships outside of family. Their influence is strongest during adolescence but usually short-term.
• Economic systems: Economic systems influence what people buy, value, and how they see their role in society.
• Legal systems: Children learn about laws from parents and peers. If parents view the legal system negatively, children may adopt similar views.
• Penal systems: Prisons have their own social rules. Guards act as authority figures, while prisoners often resist control, creating tension.
• Mass media: Media connects people and spreads cultural values by showing rewards or punishments for behaviors. It can strongly affect attitudes, especially around issues like aggression.
• Education: Schools at all levels—preschool, primary, secondary, and higher—are key to teaching knowledge, values, and social roles. See sociology of education.
• Research: Institutions like universities, academia, and research institutes produce and share knowledge. See sociology of science.
• Medicine: Hospitals and other health care centers provide treatment and shape how people understand health. See sociology of health and illness, medical sociology.

** Includes psychiatric hospitals – see history of psychiatric institutions.

• Military: The military and paramilitary groups enforce power and national defense. See military sociology.
• Industry: Businesses and corporations shape the economy and labor. See financial institution, capitalism, factory, division of labour, social class, industrial sociology.
• Civil society and NGOs: Includes charitable organizations, advocacy groups, political parties, think tanks, and virtual communities.
• Gender: Gender roles influence and are influenced by other institutions like family, race, and sexuality.
• Video games: Video games reflect and influence social norms, including views on gender, sexuality, and aggression. They help form a complex gamer identity.