Social institution concept and key elements. Social Studies: Social Institutions

Social institutions

The concepts of "social institution" and "social organization".

Types and functions of social institutions.

The family as a social institution.

Education as a social institution.

The concepts of "social institution" and "social organization"

Society as a social system has the property of dynamics. Only constant variability can guarantee him self-preservation in a constantly changing external environment. The development of society is accompanied by the complication of its internal structure, qualitative and quantitative changes in its elements, as well as their connections and relationships.

At the same time, the change of society cannot be absolutely continuous. Moreover, as the history of mankind testifies, the priority characteristic of specific social systems is their relative immutability. It is this circumstance that makes it possible for successive generations of people to adapt to this particular social environment and determines the continuity of the development of the material, intellectual and spiritual culture of society.

Given the need to preserve those basic social ties and relationships that are guaranteed to ensure its stability, society takes measures to secure them fairly rigidly, excluding accidental spontaneous change. To do this, society fixes the most important species social relations in the form of normative prescriptions, the implementation of which is mandatory for all members. At the same time, a system of sanctions is being developed and, as a rule, legitimized to ensure the unconditional execution of these instructions.

Social institutions- these are historically established stable forms of organization and regulation of the joint life of people. This is a legally fixed system of social ties and relations. The process and result of their consolidation is denoted by the term "institutionalization". So, for example, we can talk about the institutionalization of marriage, the institutionalization of education systems, etc.

Marriage, the family, moral standards, education, private property, the market, the state, the army, the courts, and other similar forms in society are all clear examples of institutions already established in it. With their help, communications and relations between people are streamlined and standardized, their activities and behavior in society are regulated. This ensures a certain organization and stability of public life.

Structure of social institutions often represents a very complex system, since each institution covers a number of sociocultural elements. These elements can be grouped into five main groups. Consider them on the example of such an institution as the family:

1) spiritual and ideological elements, i.e. such feelings, ideals and values ​​as, say, love, mutual fidelity, the desire to create your own cozy family world, the desire to raise worthy children, etc.;

2) material elements- house, apartment, furniture, cottage, car, etc.;

3) behavioral elements- sincerity, mutual respect, tolerance, willingness to compromise, trust, mutual assistance, etc.;

4) cultural and symbolic elements- marriage ritual, wedding rings, wedding anniversary celebrations, etc.;

5) organizational and documentary elements- civil registration system (ZAGS), marriage and birth certificates, alimony, social security system, etc.

No one "invents" social institutions. They grow gradually, as if by themselves, from this or that specific need of people. For example, out of the need to protect public order, the institution of the police (militia) arose and established itself in due time. The process of institutionalization consists in streamlining, standardizing, organizational design and legislative regulation of those ties and relations in society that “claim” to be transformed into a social institution.

The peculiarity of social institutions is that they, being formed on the basis of social ties, relations and interaction of specific people and specific social communities, are individual and supra-group in nature. A social institution is a relatively independent social entity that has its own internal logic of development. From this point of view, a social institution should be considered as an organized social subsystem, characterized by the stability of the structure, the integration of its elements and functions.

The main elements of social institutions are, first of all, systems of values, norms, ideals, as well as patterns of activity and behavior of people in life. different situations. Social institutions coordinate and direct the aspirations of individuals into a single channel, establish ways to meet their needs, contribute to the expansion of social conflicts, and ensure the stability of the existence of specific social communities and society as a whole.

Existence social institution associated, as a rule, with its organizational design. A social institution is a set of persons and institutions that have certain material resources and perform a certain social function. Thus, the institution of education includes managers and employees of state and regional educational authorities, teachers, teachers, students, pupils, service personnel, as well as educational institutions and educational institutions: universities, institutes, colleges, technical schools, colleges, schools and children's gardens.

By itself, the fixation of socio-cultural values ​​in the form of social institutions does not yet ensure their effective functioning. In order for them to "work", it is necessary that these values ​​become the property of a person's inner world and be recognized by social communities. The assimilation of sociocultural values ​​by the members of society is the content of the process of their socialization, in which a huge role is assigned to the institution of education.

In addition to social institutions in society, there are also social organizations, which are one of the forms of ordering connections, relationships and interactions of individuals and social groups. Social organizations have a number of characteristics:

they are created to achieve certain goals;

social organization gives a person the opportunity to satisfy his needs and interests within the limits that are established by the norms and values ​​​​accepted in this social organization;

social organization helps to increase the efficiency of the activities of its members, since its emergence and existence is based on the division of labor and on its specialization according to a functional basis.

A characteristic feature of most social organizations is their hierarchical structure, in which the governing and managed subsystems are quite clearly distinguished, which ensures its stability and functioning efficiency. As a result of the combination of various elements of social organization into a single whole, a special organizational, or cooperative effect arises. Sociologists call its three main components:

1) the organization unites the efforts of many of its members, i.e. the simultaneity of many efforts of each;

2) the participants of the organization, being included in it, become different: they turn into its specialized elements, each of which performs a very specific function, which significantly increases the effectiveness and effect of their activities;

3) the managing subsystem plans, organizes and harmonizes the activities of the members of the social organization, and this also serves as a source of increasing the effectiveness of its actions.

The most complex and most significant social organization is the state (public-authoritative social organization), in which the central place is occupied by the state apparatus. In a democratic society, along with the state, there is also such a form of social organization as civil society. We are talking about such social institutions and relations as voluntary associations of people with the same interests, folk art, friendship, the so-called “unregistered marriage”, etc. At the center of civil society is a sovereign person who has the right to life, personal freedom and property. Other important values ​​of civil society are: democratic freedoms, political pluralism, the rule of law.

Types and functions of social institutions

Among the huge variety of institutional forms, one can single out the following main groups of social institutions.

Each of these groups, as well as each institution separately, fulfill their own certain functions.

Economic institutions are called upon to ensure the organization and management of the economy for the purpose of its effective development. For example, property relations assign material and other values ​​to a certain owner and enable the latter to receive income from these values. Money is called upon to serve as a universal equivalent in the exchange of goods, and wages as a reward to the worker for his work. Economic institutions provide the entire system of production and distribution of social wealth, while at the same time connecting the purely economic sphere of society's life with its other spheres.

Political institutions establish a certain power and govern society. They are also designed to ensure the protection of the sovereignty of the state and its territorial integrity, state ideological values, taking into account the political interests of various social communities.

Spiritual institutions associated with the development of science, education, art, the maintenance of moral values ​​in society. Sociocultural institutions aim to preserve and enhance the cultural values ​​of society.

As for the institution of the family, it is the primary and key link in the entire social system. From the family people come into society. It brings up the main personality traits of a citizen. The family sets the daily tone of all social life. Societies thrive when there is prosperity and peace in the families of its citizens.

The grouping of social institutions is very conditional, and does not mean that they exist in isolation from each other. All institutions of society are closely interconnected. For example, the state operates not only in “its own” political area, but also in all other areas: it is engaged in economic activities, promotes the development of spiritual processes, and regulates family relations. And the institution of the family (as the main cell of society) is literally at the center of the intersection of the lines of all other institutions (property, wages, the army, education, etc.).

Formed over the centuries, social institutions do not remain unchanged. They develop and improve along with the movement of society forward. At the same time, it is important that the governing bodies of society should not be late with the organizational (and especially with the legislative) formalization of the overdue changes in social institutions. Otherwise, the latter perform their functions worse and hinder social progress.

Each social institution has its own social functions, goals of activity, means and methods to ensure its achievement. The functions of social institutions are diverse. However, all their diversity can be reduced to four major:

1) reproduction of members of society (the main social institution that performs this function is the family);

2) socialization of members of society and, above all, new generations - the transfer to them of the accumulated by society in its historical development production, intellectual and spiritual experience, established patterns of behavior and interactions (Institute of Education);

3) production, distribution, exchange and consumption of material goods, intellectual and spiritual values ​​(State Institute, Institute of Mass Communications, Institute of Art and Culture);

4) management and control over the behavior of members of society and social communities (the institution of social norms and regulations: moral and legal norms, customs, administrative decisions, the institution of sanctions for non-compliance or for improper compliance with established norms and rules).

Under the conditions of intensive social processes, the acceleration of the pace of social change, a situation may arise when the changed social needs are not adequately reflected in the structure and functions of the relevant social institutions, resulting in, as they say, their dysfunction. The essence of the dysfunction of a social institution lies in the "degeneration" of the goals of its activity and in the loss social significance the functions they perform. Outwardly, this is manifested in the fall of his social prestige and authority and in the transformation of his activity into a symbolic, “ritual” one, not aimed at achieving socially significant goals.

Correction of the dysfunction of a social institution can be achieved by changing it or creating a new social institution whose goals and functions would correspond to the changed social relations, connections and interactions. If this is not done in an acceptable way and in a proper way, an unsatisfied social need can bring to life the spontaneous emergence of normatively unregulated types of social ties and relations that can be destructive for society as a whole or for its individual areas. For example, the partial dysfunction of some economic institutions is the reason for the existence of the so-called "shadow economy" in our country, resulting in speculation, bribery, theft.

Family as a social institution

The family is the initial structural element of society and its most important social institution. From the point of view of sociologists, family is a group of people based on marriage and consanguinity, connected by common life and mutual responsibility. At the same time, under marriage the union of a man and a woman is understood, giving rise to their rights and obligations in relation to each other, to their parents and to their children.

marriage may be registered and actual (unregistered). Here, apparently, special attention should be paid to the fact that any form of marriage, including unregistered marriage, differs significantly from extramarital (disordered) sexual relations. Them fundamental difference from the marriage union is manifested in the desire to avoid the conception of a child, in the evasion of moral and legal responsibility for the onset of an unwanted pregnancy, in the refusal to support and raise a child in the event of his birth.

Marriage is a historical phenomenon that arose in the era of mankind's transition from savagery to barbarism and developed in the direction from polygamy (polygamy) to monogamy (monogamy). Basic forms polygamous marriage, passing successively to replace each other and preserved up to the present time in a number of "exotic" regions and countries of the world, are group marriage, polyandry ( polyandry) and polygamy ( polygamy).

In a group marriage, there are several men and several women in the marriage relationship. Polyandry is characterized by the presence of several husbands for one woman, and for polygamy - several wives for one husband.

Historically, the last and currently most common form of marriage, the essence of which lies in a stable marriage union one man and one woman. The first form of the family based on monogamous marriage was the extended family, also called the kinship or patriarchal (traditional). This family was built not only on marital relations, but also on consanguinity. Such a family was characterized by having many children and living in the same house or in the same farmstead for several generations. In this regard, patriarchal families were quite numerous, and therefore well adapted for relatively independent subsistence agriculture.

The transition of society from natural economy to industrial production was accompanied by the destruction of the patriarchal family, which was replaced by the married family. Such a family in sociology is also called nuclear(from lat. - core). A married family consists of a husband, wife and children, the number of which, especially in urban families, is becoming extremely small.

The family as a social institution goes through a number of stages, the main ones are:

1) marriage - formation of a family;

2) the beginning of childbearing - the birth of the first child;

3) the end of childbearing - the birth of the last child;

4) "empty nest" - marriage and separation of the last child from the family;

5) termination of the existence of the family - the death of one of the spouses.

Any family, regardless of what form of marriage underlies it, has been and remains a social institution, designed to perform a system of specific and unique social functions inherent in it. The main ones are: reproductive, educational, economic, status, emotional, protective, as well as the function of social control and regulation. Let's consider in more detail the content of each of them.

The most important thing for any family is its reproductive function, which is based on the instinctive desire of a person (individual) to continue his kind, and society - to ensure the continuity and succession of successive generations.

Considering the content of the reproductive function of the family, it should be borne in mind that in this case we are talking about the reproduction of the biological, intellectual and spiritual essence of a person. A child passing into this world must be physically strong, physiologically and mentally healthy, which would provide him with the opportunity to perceive the material, intellectual and spiritual culture accumulated by previous generations. Obviously, apart from the family, no “social incubator” like the “Baby House” is able to solve this problem.

Fulfilling its reproductive mission, the family is "responsible" not only for the qualitative, but also for the quantitative growth of the population. It is the family that is that kind of birth rate regulator, by influencing which one can avoid or initiate a demographic decline or a demographic explosion.

One of the most important functions of the family is educational function . For the normal full development of the child, the family is vital. Psychologists note that if a child is deprived of maternal warmth and care from birth to 3 years, then its development slows down significantly. The primary socialization of the younger generation is also carried out in the family.

essence economic function The family consists in the maintenance by its members of a common household and in the economic support of minors who are temporarily unemployed, as well as those who are unable to work due to illness or age of family members. "Outgoing" totalitarian Russia has contributed to the economic function of the family. The wage system was built in such a way that neither a man nor a woman could live separately from each other on wages. And this circumstance served as an additional and very significant incentive for their marriage.

From the moment of his birth, a person receives citizenship, nationality, social position in society inherent in the family, becomes an urban or rural resident, etc. Thus, it is carried out status function families. The social statuses inherited by a person at his birth can change over time, however, they largely determine the “starting” capabilities of a person in his final destiny.

Satisfying the inherent human need for family warmth, comfort and intimate communication is the main content emotional function families. It is no secret that in families in which an atmosphere of participation, goodwill, sympathy, empathy has developed, people get sick less, and when they get sick, they endure illness more easily. They also turn out to be more resistant to stress, for which our life is so generous.

One of the most significant is protective function. It manifests itself in the physical, material, mental, intellectual and spiritual protection of its members. In a family, violence, the threat of violence or infringement of interests shown in relation to one of its members, cause a response of opposition, in which the instinct of its self-preservation is manifested. The most acute form of such a reaction is revenge, including blood, associated with violent actions.

One of the forms of the defensive reaction of the family, which contributes to its self-preservation, is a solidary feeling of guilt or shame by the whole family for the illegal, immoral or immoral actions and deeds of one or more of its members. A deep awareness of one's moral responsibility for what happened contributes to the spiritual self-purification and self-improvement of the family, and thereby strengthening its foundations.

The family is the main social institution through which society carries out primary social control over the behavior of people and the regulation of their mutual responsibility and mutual obligations. At the same time, the family is that informal “court instance” that has the right to apply moral sanctions to family members for non-compliance or for improper observance of the norms of social and family life. It seems quite obvious that the family as a social institution implements its functions not in a "soulless space", but in a well-defined political, economic, social, ideological and cultural environment. At the same time, the existence of the family in a totalitarian society, which seeks to penetrate into all pores of civil society and, above all, into the family and family relations, turns out to be the most unnatural.

It is easy to verify the validity of this statement by looking more closely at the process of the post-revolutionary transformation of the Soviet family. The aggressive foreign and repressive domestic policy of the Soviet state, the essentially inhumane economy, the total ideologization of society and, especially, the education system led to the degradation of the family, to its transformation from normal to “Soviet”, with a corresponding deformation of its functions. The state limited its reproductive function to the reproduction of "human material", having appropriated to itself the monopoly right of its subsequent spiritual duping. The beggarly level of wages gave rise to acute conflicts between parents and children on an economic basis, shaped both these and others a sense of their own inferiority. In a country in which class antagonism, spy mania and total denunciation were planted, there could be no question of any protective function of the family, especially the function of moral satisfaction. And the status role of the family has become completely life-threatening: the fact of belonging to one or another social stratum, to one or another ethnic group was often tantamount to a sentence for a grave crime. The control and regulation of people's social behavior was taken over by the punitive bodies, the party and party organizations, having connected their faithful assistants to this process - the Komsomol, the pioneer organization and even the Octoberists. As a result, the control function of the family degenerated into spying and eavesdropping, followed by denunciation to state and party parties or with a public discussion of compromising material at "comradely" courts, at party and Komsomol meetings of the October "stars"

in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. the patriarchal family prevailed (about 80%), in the 1970s. more than half of Russian families adhered to the principles of equality and mutual respect. The forecasts of N. Smelser and E. Giddens about the post-industrial future of the family are interesting. According to N. Smelzer, there will be no return to the traditional family. The modern family will change, partially losing or changing some functions, although the family's monopoly on the regulation of intimate relationships, childbearing and caring for young children will continue into the future. At the same time, there will be a partial decay of even relatively stable functions. So, the reproduction function will be carried out by unmarried women. Centers for the upbringing of children will be more involved in socialization. Friendship and emotional support can be found not only in the family. E. Giddens notes a steady trend of weakening the regulatory function of the family in relation to sexual life, but believes that marriage and the family will remain strong institutions.

The family as a socio-biological system is analyzed from the standpoint of functionalism and conflict theory. The family, on the one hand, is closely connected with society through its functions, and on the other hand, all family members are interconnected by consanguinity and social relations. It should be noted that the family is also a carrier of contradictions both with society and between its members. Family life is connected with the solution of contradictions between husband, wife and children, relatives, surrounding people regarding the performance of functions, even if it is based on love and respect.

In the family, as in society, there is not only unity, integrity and harmony, but also a struggle of interests. The nature of conflicts can be understood from the standpoint of the exchange theory, which implies that all family members should strive for an equal exchange in their relationship. Tensions and conflicts arise from the fact that someone does not receive the expected "reward". The source of the conflict may be the low wages of one of the family members, drunkenness, violence, sexual dissatisfaction, etc. The strong severity of disturbances in metabolic processes leads to the breakup of the family.

The problems of the modern Russian family as a whole coincide with the global ones. Among them:

an increase in the number of divorces and an increase in single families (mainly with a “single mother”);

a decrease in the number of registered marriages and an increase in the number of civil marriages;

reduction in the birth rate;

an increase in the number of children born out of wedlock;

changes in the distribution of family responsibilities due to the growing involvement of women in labor activity requiring the joint participation of both parents in the upbringing of children and the organization of everyday life;

an increase in the number of dysfunctional families.

The most pressing problem is dysfunctional families arising from socio-economic, psychological, pedagogical or biological (for example, disability) reasons. stand out the following types of dysfunctional families:

Dysfunctional families deform the personality of children, causing anomalies both in the psyche and in behavior, for example, early alcoholization, drug addiction, prostitution, vagrancy and other forms of deviant behavior.

One more topical issue family is an increase in the number of divorces. In our country, along with the freedom of marriage, there is also the right of spouses to divorce. According to statistics, currently 2 out of 3 marriages break up. But this figure varies depending on the place of residence and age of people. So in big cities there are more divorces than in rural areas. The peak number of divorces falls at the age of 25-30 years and 40-45 years.

As the number of divorces increases, the possibility that they will be compensated by remarriage becomes less and less. Only 10-15% of women with children remarry. As a result, the number of incomplete families is increasing. So what is divorce? Some say - evil, others - getting rid of evil. In order to find out this, it is necessary to analyze a wide range of questions: how does a divorced person live? Is he happy with the divorce? How have housing conditions and health changed? How did your relationship with the children develop? Is he thinking of remarrying? It is very important to find out the fate of a divorced woman and a man, as well as a child from a broken family. It is not for nothing that they say that divorce is like an iceberg in the sea: only a small part of the reasons are visible on the surface, but their main mass is hidden in the depths of the souls of the divorced.

According to statistics, a divorce case is initiated mainly at the request of women, because. a woman in our time has become independent, she works, she can support her family herself and does not want to put up with the shortcomings of her husband. At the same time, a woman does not think that she herself is not perfect and whether she deserves a perfect man. Imagination draws for her such a perfect ideal, which in real life and does not occur.

There are no words that a drunken husband is a misfortune for the family, wife, children. Especially when he beats his wife and children, takes money from the family, does not take care of the upbringing of children, etc. Divorce in these cases is necessary to protect the family from moral and material devastation. In addition to drunkenness, the reasons why wives file for divorce can be cheating on their husbands, male selfishness. Sometimes a man simply forces his wife to file for divorce by his behavior. He treats her disdainfully, does not tolerate her weaknesses, does not help in household chores, etc. Of the reasons why husbands file for divorce, we can highlight the betrayal of his wife or his love for another woman. But the main reason for divorce is the unpreparedness of spouses for family life. Domestic, financial problems pile on young spouses. In the first years of married life, the young people get to know each other more, the shortcomings that they tried to hide before the wedding are revealed, and the spouses adapt to each other.

Young spouses often unnecessarily hastily resort to divorce as a way to resolve any conflicts, including those that can be overcome at first. Such a “light” attitude towards the breakup of a family is formed due to the fact that divorce has already become commonplace. At the time of marriage, there is a clear set for divorce if at least one of the spouses is not satisfied with their life together. The reason for divorce can also be the unwillingness of one of the spouses to have a child. These cases are rare, but they do happen. According to sociological surveys, more than half of men and women would like to remarry. Only a small part preferred loneliness. American sociologists Carter and Glick report that 10 times more unmarried men than married men go to the hospital, the death rate of unmarried men is 3 times higher, and unmarried women are 2 times more than married ones. Many men, like many women, easily go through with a divorce, but then experience its consequences very hard. In divorces, in addition to spouses, there are also interested parties - children. They suffer psychological trauma that parents often do not think about.

In addition to the moral disadvantages of divorce, there are also negative material aspects. When the husband leaves the family, the wife and child face financial difficulties. There is also a problem with housing. But the possibility of a family reunion is a real possibility for many couples who have broken up in the heat of the moment. Deep down, each spouse wants to have their own good family. And for this, those who have entered into marriage need to learn mutual understanding, overcome petty egoism, and improve the culture of family relations. At the state level, in order to prevent divorce, it is necessary to create and expand a system for preparing young people for marriage, as well as a socio-psychological service for helping families and single people.

To support the family, the state forms family policy, which includes a set of practical measures that give families with children certain social guarantees for the purpose of the functioning of the family in the interests of society. In all countries of the world, the family is recognized as the most important social institution in which new generations are born and brought up, where their socialization takes place. World practice includes a range of social support measures:

provision of family allowances;

payment maternity leave women;

medical care for women during pregnancy and childbirth;

health care for infants and children younger age;

granting parental leave;

benefits for single-parent families;

tax incentives, low-interest loans (or subsidies) for the purchase or rental of housing, and some others.

Assistance to families from the state can be different and depends on a number of factors, including the economic well-being of the state. The Russian state provides basically similar forms of assistance to families, but their scale is modern conditions insufficient.

Russian society faces the need to solve a number of priority tasks in the field of family relations, including:

1) overcoming negative trends and stabilizing the financial situation of Russian families; reducing poverty and increasing assistance to disabled family members;

2) strengthening family support from the state as natural environment life support of children; ensuring safe motherhood and protecting the health of children.

To solve these problems, it is necessary to increase spending on social support for families, increase the efficiency of their use, improve legislation to protect the rights and interests of the family, women, children and youth.

the following elements :

1) a network of educational institutions;

2) social communities (teachers and students);

3) educational process.

Allocate the following types of educational institutions(state and non-state):

1) preschool;

2) general education (primary, basic, secondary);

3) professional (primary, secondary and higher);

4) postgraduate professional education;

5) special (correctional) institutions - for children with developmental disabilities;

6) institutions for orphans.

As for preschool education, sociology proceeds from the fact that the foundations of a person's upbringing, his industriousness, and many other moral qualities are laid in early childhood. In general, the importance of preschool education is underestimated. It is too often overlooked that this is an extremely important stage in a person's life, on which the fundamental foundation of a person's personal qualities is laid. And the point is not in quantitative indicators of "coverage" of children or satisfaction of the desires of parents. Kindergartens, nurseries, factories are not just a means of "looking after" children, here their mental, moral and physical development takes place. With the transition to teaching children from the age of 6, kindergartens faced new problems for themselves - the organization of activities preparatory groups so that children can normally enter the school rhythm of life, have self-service skills.

From the point of view of sociology, the analysis of society's orientation towards supporting preschool forms education, the readiness of parents to resort to their help to prepare children for work and the rational organization of their social and personal life. To understand the specifics of this form of education, the position and value orientations of those people who work with children - educators, service personnel - as well as their readiness, understanding and desire to fulfill the duties and hopes assigned to them are especially significant.

Unlike pre-school education and upbringing, which does not cover every child, the secondary general education school is aimed at preparing the entire younger generation without exception for life. In the conditions of the Soviet period, starting from the 60s, the implementation of the principle of universality of complete secondary education was carried out in order to provide young people with an equal start when entering an independent working life. There is no such provision in the new Constitution of the Russian Federation. And if in the Soviet school, because of the requirement to give every young person a secondary education, percentage mania, registrations, artificial overestimation of academic performance flourished, then in the Russian school the number of school dropouts is growing, which will eventually affect the intellectual potential of society.

But even in this situation, the sociology of education is still aimed at studying the values general education, on the guidelines of parents and children, on their reaction to the introduction of new forms of education, because graduating from a general education school turns out to be for a young person at the same time the moment of choosing the future life path, professions, occupations. Stopping on one of the options, the graduate of the school thereby prefers one or another type vocational education. But what drives him to choose the trajectory of his future life path, what influences this choice and how it changes throughout life - this is one of the most important problems of sociology.

A special place is occupied by the study of vocational education - vocational, secondary special and higher. Vocational education is most directly connected with the needs of production, with an operative and comparatively rapid form of bringing young people into life. It is directly carried out within the framework of large production organizations or state system education. Emerging in 1940 as a factory apprenticeship (FZU), vocational education has gone through a complex and winding path of development. And despite the various costs (attempts to transfer the entire system to a combination of complete and specialized education in the preparation of necessary professions, poor consideration of regional and national characteristics), vocational training remains the most important channel for obtaining a profession. For the sociology of education, it is important to know the motives of students, the effectiveness of training, its role in improving the skills of real participation in solving economic problems.

However, sociological research still record a relatively low (and for a number of professions, low) prestige of this type of education, because the orientation of school graduates to receive secondary specialized and higher education continues to prevail.

As for secondary specialized and higher education, it is important for sociology to identify the social status of these types of education for young people, assess the possibilities and role in future adult life, the correspondence of subjective aspirations and objective needs of society, the quality and effectiveness of training.

Particularly acute is the question of the professionalism of future specialists, that the quality and level of their modern training meet the realities of today. However, sociological studies show that many problems have accumulated in this regard. The stability of the professional interests of young people continues to be low. According to research by sociologists, up to 60% of university graduates change their profession.

In addition to those already mentioned, Russian education are also worth the following problems:

the problem of optimizing the interaction between the individual and society as a search for a balance between social and normative pressure and the desire of the individual for socio-psychological autonomy, overcoming the inconsistency of the "needs" of the social order and the interests of the individual (student, teacher, parent);

the problem of overcoming the disintegration of the content of school education in the process of creating and implementing a new socio-educational paradigm that can become a starting point in the formation of a holistic picture of the world in a student;

problems of harmonization and integration of pedagogical technologies;

the formation of the development of problem thinking in students through a gradual departure from monologue communication to dialogical communication in the classroom;

the problem of overcoming the irreducibility of learning outcomes in various types of educational institutions through the development and introduction of unified educational standards based on a comprehensive systematic analysis of the educational process.

In this regard, modern Russian education faces following tasks.

In the Russian Federation are implemented two types educational programs :

1) general education (basic and additional) - aimed at the formation of a general culture of the individual and its adaptation to life in society;

2) professional (basic and additional) - aimed at training specialists of appropriate qualifications.

Law of the Russian Federation "On Education" guarantees:

1) general availability and free of charge of primary general (4 grades), basic general (9 grades), secondary (complete) general (11 grades) and primary vocational education;

2) on a competitive basis, free secondary and higher professional and postgraduate education (postgraduate studies) in state and municipal educational institutions, if a person receives education for the first time.

Education performs in society essential functions:

1) humanistic- identification and development of the intellectual, moral and physical potential of the individual;

2) professional and economic- training of qualified specialists;

3) socio-political- acquisition of a certain social status;

4) cultural - the assimilation by the individual of the culture of society, the development of his creative abilities;

5) adaptive - preparing the individual for life and work in society.

The current system of education in Russia still poorly forms high spiritual demands and aesthetic tastes, strong immunity to lack of spirituality, "mass culture". The role of social science disciplines, literature, art lessons remains insignificant. The study of the historical past, the truthful coverage of the complex and contradictory stages of national history are poorly combined with an independent search for one's own answers to the questions that life puts forward. Global socio-cultural changes in the world, the so-called civilizational shifts, are increasingly revealing the discrepancy between the established education system and emerging social needs on the eve of a new anthropogenic reality. This discrepancy causes in our country from time to time attempts to reform the educational system.

test questions

Describe the concept of "social institution".

What is the main difference between a social organization and a social institution?

What are the elements of a social institution?

What types of social institutions do you know?

Name the functions of social institutions.

List the functions of the family.

What types of families can you name?

What are the main problems of the modern family?

Describe education as a social institution.

What are the problems facing Russian education at the present time?

Question
For the first time he introduced the term "social institution" into scientific circulation ...

Answers

G. Spencer
E. Durkheim
F.Tennis
G. Simmel

Question
Introduced into scientific circulation the concept of "social institution dysfunction" and substantiated it ...

Answers

K. Marx
G. Simmel
R. Merton
F.Tennis

Question
Structural elements of a social institution are not …

Answers

values
habits
roles
norms

Question
Each of the social institutions - ...

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increases the level of activity of the individual
increases the level of individuality of the individual
seeks to subordinate the behavior of the individual to institutional norms
creates reference personalities

Question
The performance of the function is based on the transfer of social experience - ...

Answers

broadcasting
status
integrative
Regulatory

Question
The component of the organization that is considered the most important and on which all components of the organization depend is ...

Answers

staff
social benefits
social technologies
organization goals

Question
The most pronounced negative effect of bureaucracy in an organization and society is that ...

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increased managerial productivity
rational use of resources
the goals of the society or organization are ignored
service culture improves

Question
The process of legal and organizational consolidation of the forms of behavior in society that have developed in society is ...

Answers

initiation
individualization
innovation
institutionalization

Question
The type of leadership in an organization that is characterized by the fact that the leader provides for the satisfaction of the needs of subordinates in exchange for their loyalty and obedience is ...

Answers

fraternalism
paternalism
totalitarianism
bureaucracy

Question
The key need, which, according to the concept of G. Lenski, gives rise to the processes of institutionalization, is ...

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need for social control
need for rest
need for procreation
need for food

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Maintain function social order acts as the main, basic for a social institution ...

Answers

religions
rights
economy
families

Question
A set of social values ​​such as making money, paying bills on time, efficient production, - characteristic of a social institution ...

Answers

religions
economy
families
rights

Question
The fundamental structural feature of social organization is...

Answers

hierarchy
dominance
equality
mobility

Question
Social organization most often takes on a structural form...

Answers

ball
Cuba
parallelogram
pyramids

Question
characteristic feature The theoretical model of bureaucracy, according to the concept of M. Weber, is ...

Answers

moral and psychological unity
autonomy
the presence of full-time employees who are constantly busy with the affairs of the organization all day
unpaid labor

Question
To form a social organization, it is necessary (s) ...

Answers

common goals
common area
adverse environmental factors
ethnic identity of community members

Question
The main institutions of society are...

Answers

education
right
sport Team
juvenile court

Question
Most effective form organization M. Weber considered ...

Answers

multidivisional organization
organization like "Systems 4"
rational bureaucracy
organic organization

Answers

P. Sorokina
MM. Kovalevsky
K. Marx
I. Ilyina

Question
In the "sociology of organizations" organizations are divided into 2 types ...

Answers

genetic and physiological
automatic and technological
somatic and morphological
mechanistic and adaptive

Answers

T. Parsons
O. Comte
G. Spencer
E. Durkheim

Question
The need for solving spiritual problems, searching for the meaning of life is satisfied by a social institution...

Answers

Sciences
families
religions
education

Question
The main purpose of social institutions in society is to ...

Answers

contribute to the reform of society
unite various categories population
satisfy social needs, ensure the stability of society
provide society with mobility, variability, dynamics

Question
The process and result of the emergence of a social institution in society is called ...

Answers

integration
segmentation
institutionalization
organizations

Question
If a social institution is ineffective and its prestige in society is falling, then they speak of ___________________ social institution

Answers

liquidation
perestroika
reorganization
dysfunction

Question
The decline in the birth rate, the increase in child homelessness and juvenile delinquency are manifestations of the dysfunctions of a social institution ...

Answers

economy
families
education
politicians

Question
The needs for security and public order are satisfied by the social institution ...

Answers

families
property
states
rights

Question
To political social institutions NOT applies...

Answers

court
state
a television
army

Question
To social institutions operating in the spiritual realm, NOT applies...

Answers

the science
family
mass communication
public opinion

Question
An element of a social institution is NOT ...

Answers

values
roles
knowledge
norms

Social institution - it is a set of norms, rules, symbols that regulate a certain area of ​​public life, social relations and organize them into a system of roles and statuses.

These are relatively stable types and forms. social practice through which public life, the stability of ties and relations within the framework of the social organization of society is ensured.

Each social institution is characterized by the presence of its own signs:

1. Codes of conduct, their codes (written and oral). For example, in a state it will be a constitution, laws; in religion - church prohibitions; in education - the rules of student behavior.

2. Attitudes and patterns of behavior. For example, in the institution of the family - respect, love, affection; in the state - law-abiding; in religion, worship.

3. cultural symbols . For example, in the state - a flag, emblem, anthem; in the family - a ring; in religion - icons, crosses, shrines.

4. Utilitarian features of culture. In education, libraries, classrooms; in religion, temple buildings; in the family - an apartment, dishes, furniture.

5. The presence of an ideology. In the state - democracy, totalitarianism; in religion - Orthodoxy, Islam; in the family - family cooperation, solidarity.

The structure of the social institution:

1) Outwardly social institution looks like a set of persons, institutions, equipped with certain material resources and performing a specific social function.

2) From the content side - this is a certain set of expediently oriented standards of behavior of certain persons in certain situations. Thus, justice as a social institution outwardly is a set of persons (prosecutors, judges, lawyers, etc.), institutions (prosecutors' offices, courts, places of detention, etc.), material means, and in content it is a set of standardized patterns of behavior of authorized persons performing a certain social function. These standards of behavior are embodied in the social roles characteristic of the justice system (roles of judges, prosecutors, lawyers, etc.).

Structural elements of a social institution:

1. A certain area of ​​activity and social relations.

2. Institutions for organizing joint activities of people and a group of people in them authorized to perform social, organizational and managerial functions and roles.

3. Norms and principles of relations between officials, as well as between them and members of society included in the orbit of the action of this social institution.

4. The system of sanctions for non-fulfillment of roles, norms and standards of behavior.

5. Material resources (public buildings, equipment, finance, etc.).

The process of forming an institution is called institutionalization. It needs the following conditions:

· in society, a specific social need for this institution must exist and be recognized by the majority of individuals,

· society must have the necessary means to satisfy this need (resources, a system of functions, actions, norms, symbols).

In carrying out their functions, social institutions encourage the actions of their members that are consistent with the relevant standards of behavior, and suppress deviations in behavior from the requirements of these standards, i.e. control and regulate the behavior of individuals.

Functions of social institutions:

1) the function of consolidating and reproducing social relations- A social institution supports the stability of certain systems of society.

2) regulatory function- regulation of relations and behavior of people with the help of norms, rules of conduct, sanctions.

3) integrative function- rallying and strengthening ties between groups of people united by this social institution. It is realized through the strengthening of contacts and interactions between them.

4) communicative function- is aimed at ensuring connections, communication, interaction between people through a certain organization of their joint life and activities.

Typology of social institutions:

1. Depending on the need, which this institution satisfies:

· Institute of Family and Marriage

· Political institution, institution of the state

· Economic institutions

· Institutes of education

· Institute of Religion

2. By nature, institutions are

· Formal – activities are based on strict guidelines. They exercise management and control functions on the basis of strictly established sanctions.

· informal – they do not have clearly defined and enshrined in special legislative acts and documents prescriptions regarding functions, means, methods of activity (for example, political movements, associations of interest, etc.). Here control is based on informal sanctions (for example, approval or condemnation).

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Signs of a social institution

1. social institution enters the most important form social connection in connection with the fact that he acts on behalf of society as a whole;
2. a social institution creates all opportunities for members of society to meet their needs in the ways prescribed by society;
3. a social institution, by its functioning, guarantees the fulfillment of all necessary functions and the suppression of undesirable ones that adversely affect the development of social relations;
4. social institution guarantee continuous continuation social life through the constancy of social functions;
5. implements the interdependence of aspirations and relationships between individuals;
6. ensures the internal cohesion of society as a whole.

Main types of social institutions

In addition to the signs of social institutions in social science, I also highlight their main types:

1. economic, which are engaged in the production and distribution of social benefits among citizens, as well as the process of organizing labor and money circulation within society;
2. political, which are associated with the process of fulfilling the instructions of the authorities;
3. social, which organize voluntary associations, regulate the daily social behavior of people in relation to each other;
4. cultural and educational, which ensure the continuity of the culture of society and the transfer of experience to subsequent generations;
5. religious, which organize people's attitudes towards religion.

In the course of their functioning, all social institutions are interconnected and unite an integrated system. A prerequisite for the implementation efficient operation a social institution is the strict fulfillment by members of society of their social roles, which involve the implementation of expected actions and compliance with the norms and rules established in this society.

Norms and rules perform the functions of streamlining, regulating, formalizing the activities and interactions of individuals within the framework of a social institution. Each individual social institution is characterized by a specific set of norms and rules peculiar only to it, which manifest themselves basically in symbolic forms.

Structural elements of a social institution

The following main structural elements of a social institution are distinguished:

• the purpose of existence and the range of issues that a social institution covers with its activities;
• specific functions that ensure the achievement of the goal set by the social institution;
• normatively conditioned, social roles of individuals and social statuses typical for a given institution, which are represented in the structure of this institution;
• means and institutions that are necessary to achieve the set goals and implement material, symbolic and ideal functions;
• established sanctions against persons who perform institutional functions and against those persons who are the object of these actions.

One of the most important characteristics of the activities of various social institutions is their constant and continuous interaction with the surrounding social environment, which is society and the relations existing in it.

One of the factors that characterize society as a whole is the totality of social institutions. Their location seems to be on the surface, which makes them especially successful objects for observation and control.

In turn, a complex organized system with its own norms and rules is a social institution. Its signs are different, but classified, and it is they that are to be considered in this article.

The concept of a social institution

A social institution is one of the forms of organization. For the first time this concept was applied. According to the scientist, the whole variety of social institutions creates the so-called framework of society. The division into forms, Spencer said, is produced under the influence of the differentiation of society. He divided the whole society into three main institutions, among which:

• reproductive;
• distributive;
• regulating.

E. Durkheim's opinion

E. Durkheim was convinced that a person as a person can realize himself only with the help of social institutions. They are also called upon to establish responsibility between inter-institutional forms and the needs of society.

Karl Marx

The author of the famous "Capital" evaluated social institutions from the point of view of industrial relations. In his opinion, the social institution, the signs of which are present both in the division of labor and in the phenomenon of private property, was formed precisely under their influence.

Terminology

The term "social institution" comes from the Latin word "institution", which means "organization" or "order". In principle, all the features of a social institution are reduced to this definition.

The definition includes the form of consolidation and the form of implementation of specialized activities. The purpose of social institutions is to ensure the stability of the functioning of communications within society.

The following short definition of the term is also acceptable: an organized and coordinated form of social relations, aimed at meeting the needs that are significant for society.

It is easy to see that all of the definitions provided (including the above opinions of scientists) are based on "three pillars":

• society;
• organization;
• needs.

But these are not yet full-fledged features of a social institution, rather, key points that should be taken into account.

Conditions for institutionalization

The process of institutionalization is a social institution. It occurs under the following conditions:

• social need as a factor that will satisfy the future institution;
• social ties, that is, the interaction of people and communities, as a result of which social institutions are formed;
• expedient and rules;
• material and organizational, labor and financial necessary resources.

Stages of institutionalization

The process of establishing a social institution goes through several stages:

• the emergence and awareness of the need for an institution;
• development of norms of social behavior within the framework of the future institution;
• the creation of its own symbols, that is, a system of signs that will indicate the social institution being created;
• formation, development and definition of a system of roles and statuses;
• creation of the material basis of the institute;
• integration of the institution into the existing social system.

Structural features of a social institution

Signs of the concept of "social institution" characterize it in modern society.

Structural features cover:

• Scope of activity, as well as social relations.
• Institutions that have certain powers in order to organize the activities of people, as well as perform various roles and functions. For example: public, organizational and performing the functions of control and management.
• Those specific rules and norms that are designed to regulate the behavior of people in a particular social institution.
• Material means to achieve the goals of the institute.
• Ideology, goals and objectives.

Types of social institutions

The classification that systematizes social institutions (table below) divides this concept into four certain types. Each of them includes at least four more specific institutions.

What are the social institutions? The table shows their types and examples.

Spiritual social institutions in some sources are called institutions of culture, and the sphere of the family, in turn, is sometimes called stratification and kinship.

General signs of a social institution

The general, and at the same time the main, signs of a social institution are as follows:

• the range of subjects that, in the course of their activities, enter into relationships;
• the sustainability of these relationships;
• a certain (and this means, to some extent formalized) organization;
• behavioral norms and rules;
• functions that ensure the integration of the institution into the social system.

It should be understood that these signs are informal, but logically follow from the definition and functioning of various social institutions. With the help of them, among other things, it is convenient to analyze institutionalization.

Social institution: signs on specific examples

Each specific social institution has its own characteristics - signs. They closely overlap with roles, for example: the main roles of the family as a social institution. That is why it is so revealing to consider examples and the signs and roles corresponding to it.

Family as a social institution

A classic example of a social institution is, of course, the family. As can be seen from the above table, it belongs to the fourth type of institutions covering the same area. Therefore, it is the basis and ultimate goal for marriage, fatherhood and motherhood. In addition, the family also unites them.

Features of this social institution:

• marriage or consanguinity ties;
• overall family budget;
• cohabitation in the same dwelling.

The main roles are reduced to the well-known saying that she is a "cell of society". Essentially, that's exactly what it is. Families are particles that together form society. In addition to being a social institution, the family is also called a small social group. And it is no coincidence, because from birth a person develops under its influence and experiences it for himself throughout his life.

Education as a social institution

Education is a social subsystem. It has its own specific structure and features.

Basic elements of education:

• social organizations and social communities (educational institutions and division into groups of teachers and students, etc.);
• sociocultural activity in the form of an educational process.

The characteristics of a social institution include:

1. Norms and rules - in the institute of education, examples can be considered: craving for knowledge, attendance, respect for teachers and classmates / classmates.
2. Symbolism, that is, cultural signs - anthems and coats of arms of educational institutions, the animal symbol of some famous colleges, emblems.
3. Utilitarian cultural features such as classrooms and classrooms.
4. Ideology - the principle of equality between students, mutual respect, freedom of speech and the right to vote, as well as the right to one's own opinion.

Signs of social institutions: examples

Let's summarize the information presented here. The characteristics of a social institution include:

• a set of social roles (for example, father/mother/daughter/sister in the institution of the family);
• sustainable behavior patterns (for example, certain models for the teacher and student at the institute of education);
• norms (for example, codes and the Constitution of the state);
• symbolism (for example, the institution of marriage or a religious community);
• basic values ​​(i.e. morality).

The social institution, the features of which were considered in this article, is designed to guide the behavior of each individual person, being directly a part of his life. At the same time, for example, an ordinary senior student belongs to at least three social institutions: the family, the school, and the state. It is interesting that, depending on each of them, he also has the role (status) that he has and according to which he chooses his behavior model. She, in turn, sets his characteristics in society.