most often includes a certain set of constituent elements, appearing in a more or less formalized form depending on the type of institution. The core of the institute is various shapes regulated joint activities of individuals.

The following structural elements of a social institution are distinguished:

The purpose and range of issues that the institute covers in its activities;

A range of specific functions to achieve this goal;

Normatively determined social roles and statuses typical for a given institution, presented in the structure of the institute;

Institutions and means necessary to achieve the goal and implement functions (material, symbolic and ideal).

Sanctions against persons performing institutional functions and against persons who are the object of these actions.

Some researchers believe that among the elements of a social institution it is worth highlighting only: a) social status, which records stable signs of objects of regulation, determined by the objective position of the individual in the system public relations; b) social role as a dynamic form of social status; c) norms with the help of which the interdependence of people within a social institution is formalized: norms determine the standard of behavior, as well as the assessment of activity and sanctions for deviant behavior, and are the conditions for choosing role behavior.

A necessary condition for the activities of the institution is the fulfillment by individuals of their social roles, based on the implementation of expected actions and compliance with patterns (norms) of behavior. Norms organize, regulate, and formalize the activities and interactions of individuals within the institution. Each institution is characterized by a certain set of norms, which are most often objectified in symbolic forms (regulatory documents).

A social institution acts as a form of domination and subordination of members of a given community to certain norms and standards. Researchers distinguish two forms of existence of institutions - simple and complex. In simple forms social values, ideals, norms themselves ensure the sustainability of the existence and functioning of a social institution, determining the social roles of individuals, the fulfillment of which makes it possible to realize social functions institution and satisfy relevant social needs (eg family). In complex forms of social institutions, power functions are increasingly localized and management relations are separated into a separate subsystem that streamlines and organizes institutional relations.

By the nature of the organization, institutions are divided into formal and informal. The activities of the former are based on strict, normative and, possibly, legally established regulations, rules, instructions (state, army, court, etc.). In informal institutions, such regulation of social roles, functions, means and methods of activity and sanctions for non-normative behavior is absent. It is replaced by informal regulation through traditions, customs, social norms, etc. This does not make the informal institution cease to be an institution and to perform the corresponding regulatory functions.

Under functions social institutions are usually understood various aspects their activities, or rather, the consequences of these activities.

The main, general function of any social institution is to satisfy the social needs for which it was created and exists. To carry out this function, each institution has to perform a number of functions that ensure joint activities people seeking to satisfy their needs.

When considering the functions performed by social institutions, one should not forget that one institution, as a rule, simultaneously performs several functions; different institutions can perform common functions; At different stages of development of society, an institution may lose some functions and new functions may arise, or the value of one and the same function may either increase or decrease over time; the same institution in different socio-economic formations can perform different functions.

Scientific analysis of social institutions includes attempts to discover the most general and universal sets of value-normative patterns of behavior, which in all societies are focused around the main functions and aimed at realizing fundamental social needs. In this regard, the following are highlighted:

types of institutions according to their functional purpose, content, methods and subject of regulation:

1) economic institutions are formed on the material basis of society and are engaged in the production and distribution of goods and services, regulation money circulation, organization and division of labor, etc. (property, forms and methods of exchange, money, type of production);

2) political institutions are associated with the establishment, execution and maintenance of power, ensure the reproduction and preservation of ideological values, stabilize the existing social stratification system in society (state, government, police, political parties, ideology, trade unions, etc. public organizations, pursuing political goals);

3) religious - organizing a person’s relationship to transcendental forces and sacred objects (church);

4) socio-cultural and educational institutions (family, education, science), created to create, strengthen and develop culture, to protect certain values ​​and norms, organize the process of their assimilation and reproduction, for the socialization of youth, to transfer to them the cultural values ​​of society as a whole, inclusion of a new generation in a certain subculture;

5) situational-conventional and ceremonial-symbolic - institutions that establish ways of mutual behavior of members of a community, regulate everyday interpersonal relationships, facilitate mutual understanding, as well as ritualized norms (methods of greeting, congratulations, celebrating name days, organizing marriage celebrations, etc.);

6) normative-orienting - institutions that provide moral and ethical orientation and regulation of behavior, giving human behavior ethical, moral basis(morality, code);

7) normative-sanctioning - institutions that regulate behavior on the basis of legal and administrative norms, the binding nature of which is ensured by the power of the state and a system of sanctions (institution of law).

It should be noted that as society develops, new social needs are formalized and actualized, new institutions appear, they are justified and recognized.

According to the theory of J. Homans, in sociology there are four types of explanation and justification of social institutions. First - psychological type, based on the fact that any social institution is a psychological formation in genesis, a stable product of the exchange of activities. The second type is historical, considering institutions as final products. historical development a certain field of activity. The third type is structural, which proves that “each institution exists as a consequence of its relationships with other institutions in the social system.” The fourth is functional, based on the proposition that institutions exist because they perform certain functions in society, contributing to its integration and the achievement of homeostasis.

Considering the possible logic of justifying an institutional approach to any social phenomenon, D.P. Gavra believes functional type explanations are the first stage of this path. The functional feature is one of the most important features of a social institution, and it is social institutions that form the main element structural mechanism, through which society regulates social homeostasis and, if necessary, carries out social change. Therefore, “if it is proven that the functions of any studied phenomenon are socially significant, that their structure and nomenclature are close to the structure and nomenclature of the functions that social institutions perform in society, this will be important step in justifying its institutional nature."

The next criterion for justifying the institutional interpretation of a particular phenomenon is structural. Institutional approach to analysis social phenomena is based on the idea that a social institution is a product of the development of the entire social system, but at the same time, the specificity of the main mechanisms of its functioning depends on the internal patterns of development of the corresponding type of activity. Therefore, it is important to analyze ways to include this phenomenon in various areas social life, interaction with other social institutions, proof that it is an integral element of any one sphere of society (economic, political, cultural, etc.), or their combination, and ensures its (their) functioning.

The third stage, following the functional and structural justification, according to Le Havre, is the most important. At this stage, the essence of the institution being studied is determined, the corresponding definition is formulated, and the legitimacy of its institutional representation is determined based on the analysis of the main institutional features. Then its specificity, type and place in the system of institutions of society are highlighted, and the conditions for the emergence of institutionalization are analyzed.

At the fourth and final stage, the structure of the institution is revealed, the characteristics of its main elements are given, and the patterns of its functioning are indicated.

Among the most important functions, that social institutions perform in society include:

1. Creating opportunities (through organizing joint activities of people) to meet social needs.

2. The function of consolidating and reproducing social relations - through a system of rules and norms of behavior that consolidate, standardize the behavior of each member of the institution and make this behavior predictable.

Institutions include the values ​​and norms followed by the majority. All institutionalized modes of behavior are protected and supported by fairly harsh sanctions. A social institution has its own system of values ​​and normative regulation, which determines why it exists, what is considered worthy and unworthy, and how to act in this particular system of relations.

3. Regulatory function - through a pattern of behavior, norms and control developed by a social institution, regulating the relationships between members of society (thus, the social institution acts as an element of the system of social control).

Institutions are interconnected systems of ordered social connections that make the behavior of each individual member of society quite predictable in its orientations and forms of manifestation. Existing institutional rules can significantly prevent the development of certain deviations and return specific behavior to its usual (habitual, proper, generally accepted) course.

4. Integrative function, expressed in the processes of cohesion, interdependence and mutual responsibility of members of social groups, occurring under the influence of institutionalized norms, rules, sanctions and role systems.

5. Transmitting function - through the transfer of social experience to new people coming to a social institution due to both the expansion of the social boundaries of the institution and the change of generations; To achieve this, each institution has a mechanism that allows individuals to be socialized into its values, norms and roles.

6. Communication function - through the dissemination of information produced at the institute, both within the institute for the purpose of managing and monitoring compliance with standards, and its transfer in interaction with other institutions.

6. Ensuring the continuity and sustainability of social life, including during changes in the composition of members of society, through the maintenance and continuation of impersonal social functions (production, distribution, protection, etc.).

Thus, as T. Parsons wrote, the institutional system of society is a kind of frame, the backbone of social life, since it ensures social order in society, its stability and integration.

When analyzing social institutions, it is useful to take into account the division of functions into explicit and hidden (latent). This distinction was proposed by R. Merton to explain certain social phenomena when it is necessary to take into account not only expected and observed consequences, but also uncertain, side, secondary ones. Explicit functions are those whose implementation consequences are intentional and recognized by people. Latent (hidden) functions, unlike explicit ones, are not planned in advance, are unintentional in nature and their consequences are not immediately and not always realized (even if they are realized and recognized, they are considered a by-product), and sometimes remain completely unconscious.

It should be noted that the term “function” is usually interpreted in a positive sense, that is, it implies the favorable consequences of the activities of a social institution. The activities of an institution are considered functional if they contribute to maintaining stability and integration of society.

The most important characteristic of the activities of social institutions is their constant interaction with social environment, which is society. Violation of this process gives rise to dysfunction of social institutions. As noted earlier, the main function of a social institution is to satisfy one or another social need. But over time, processes occurring in society change the needs of both individuals and entire social communities, which in turn changes the nature of the relationship of social institutions with the social environment. Some needs become less significant, and some disappear altogether, as a result of which the institutions that fulfilled these needs cease to meet the requirements of the time and their continued existence becomes meaningless, and sometimes even inhibits social life. Due to the inertia of social connections, such institutions can continue to function for some period of time as a tribute to tradition, but more often than not they cease their activities quite quickly.

The activities of a social institution that interfere with the realization of the social needs of society are aimed not at preserving, but at destroying the social system, and are regarded as dysfunctional.

During a period of intense social change in society, situations often arise when changed social needs cannot be adequately reflected in the structure and functions of existing social institutions, which can lead to dysfunction. Dysfunction can find its expression both in the external, formal (“material”) structure (lack of material resources, trained personnel, etc.), and in internal, substantive activities (unclear goals of the institute, uncertainty of functions, decline in social prestige and authority of the institute, etc.).

In a general sense, the term "social institution" means established order rules and standardized patterns or models of behavior accepted in society, social community, organization, group. The most commonly used meaning of the concept “social institution” is associated with the characteristics of the ordering of the elements of the social system, the formalization and standardization of social ties and relationships. The most important and necessary prerequisite for the emergence of social institutions is the presence of needs, the satisfaction of which, both at the level of society and the individual, is the main function of any social institution.

In a course of lectures on sociology, A.A. Radugin and K.A. Radugin (53, pp. 97 –– 104) draw attention to the fact that social institutions organize the joint activities of people in order to satisfy certain social needs, and are formed on the basis of social connections, interactions and relationships of specific individuals, social groups and other communities. However, like other social systems, they cannot be reduced to the sum of these individuals and interactions. Social institutions have an individual character. They have their own systemic qualities, i.e. represent an independent social formation that has its own logic of development, and from this point of view, social institutions can be considered as organized social systems, characterized by the stability of the structure, the integration of their elements and a certain variability of functions.

The American sociologist and social critic Norwegian origin Veblen Thorstein. In his book “The Theory of the Leisure Class,” criticizing the lifestyle of conscious and conspicuous consumption, he views the evolution of society as a process of natural selection of social institutions.

A brief summary of T. Veblen’s position is given in the book by S.I. Kurganov and A.I. Kravchenko Sociology for Lawyers (38, pp. 192 –– 200). He defined a social institution as a set social customs, the embodiment of certain habits of behavior, a way of thinking and a way of life, passed on from generation to generation, changing depending on circumstances, and serving as a tool for adaptation to them. Hence the term “institutionalization,” which means the legalization (formal or informal) of the established practice of social relations in the form of laws or norms.

In the sociological literature, different numbers of social institutions are named. For example, the famous Polish anthropologist and sociologist Bronislaw Malinowski identifies seven institutions that correspond to the biological and socio-psychological needs of a person. IN Russian literature it is emphasized that each person has an individual combination of needs, but there are only five fundamental ones, the same for everyone, as well as five basic social institutions: in the reproduction of the family, in security and social order, in livelihood, in the transfer of knowledge, socialization of the younger generation, training, in solving spiritual problems, the meaning of life. It is these needs that determine the basic institutions in every society. In addition to them, it is not the main social institutions that stand out, total number which is identical to the number of social significant species activities. At the same time, it is necessary to keep in mind that it is not the main institutions that are part, an element of the system of the main social institution. For example, economic institutions cannot do without such mechanisms and practices as the protection of private property, professional selection and assessment of personnel, marketing, which, in essence, are institutions, since within their framework the corresponding social needs are realized.

Each social institution: both basic and non-basic, performs corresponding functions, the meaning of which is to bring benefit, i.e. ensure the implementation of relevant social needs. Functions are divided into: explicit, if they are officially declared, obvious, understood by everyone, and latent, if they are hidden and not declared. The explicit functions of the institute of public education include teaching professional roles and students’ assimilation of the basic values ​​of society. But it also has such hidden functions as acquiring a certain social status, establishing strong friendships, and supporting graduates as they enter the labor market. In addition, the function of a particular institution may be obvious for some members of society, and latent for others. For example, for some it is important to acquire fundamental knowledge at university, while for others it is important to make acquaintances or avoid military service.

Table 5.3.1. Functions and structural elements of the main social institutions of society

Thus, a social institution can be defined as a social group through which public and personal social needs are satisfied on the basis of strict adherence to fixed social norms, rules and patterns of behavior. Any social institution has a certain structure - it is an organization.

The following characteristics of social organization are highlighted.

1. Target nature, i.e. Every organization is created to achieve a specific goal; it is the unification and regulation of people’s behavior in the process of joint activity to realize a goal that cannot be achieved individually.
2. Any organization arises on the basis of a division of responsibilities, i.e. functions, and is built on a hierarchical principle with a clear distinction between the control and managed systems.
3. In this regard, members of a social organization are distributed according to status and roles. Thus, social organization is a system of social positions and roles.
4. Each organization exercises control over the activities of its members on the basis of intra-organizational norms, which are created by the relevant institutions and enforced by their power and influence.

In addition, based on the action of these four factors, a certain organizational order emerges as a system of relatively stable goals, connections and norms governing organizational interactions and relationships. From this they derive the fifth characteristic.

5. Social organizations represent an integral social system. And the whole is greater than its parts. Therefore, based on the connection of various elements of the organization into a whole an organizational or cooperative is created, Effect. It means synergy, those. an increase in additional energy that exceeds the sum of the individual efforts of the participants in a social organization. This effect consists of three components:

1. the organization unites the efforts of many of its members, and the simultaneity of many efforts already gives an increase in energy;
2. The units themselves included in the organization become somewhat different, i.e. they become partially specialized. Therefore, unidirectional elements that perform a specific function also amplify the energy since it is directed to a single point;
3. Thanks to the control subsystem, people’s actions are synchronized, which serves powerful source increasing the overall energy of the social organization.

A different description of social organization is given by S.I. Kurganov and A.I. Kravchenko (38, p. 180). Based on the statement that a social organization is understood as a social group that is characterized by a certain structure, collective identity, has an exact list of members, a program of activities and a procedure for moving (replacing) members, the authors identify the following characteristics of a social organization.

1. Social structure is a collection of people who have similar traits and the relationships that arise between them in the process of interaction. The inclusion of an individual in a social group presupposes that they have at least one common feature, and are connected only through interaction.
2. Collective identity is a name recognized by all its members and society, for example: liberal democratic party, research institute, etc. The name may contain information about the goals of the social organization, its location, and rules for recruiting personnel.
3. Exact list. A social organization allows its members to be identified as belonging and not belonging to it.
4. The program of activity can be formulated very precisely or only in its most general terms. But in any case, there is a definition of the goal of the activity and ways to achieve it.
5. The procedure for moving members of an organization includes rules for accepting new members and moving old ones from one position to another.

In educational and scientific literature, social organizations are classified according to other criteria. For example, formal and informal organizations are distinguished. In the first, there is always a goal of activity, a certain structure of power and control, strict distribution functional responsibilities between its members, formal control over their actions. The second, essentially, is a union of people based on interests, inclinations, sympathies, etc. In such organizations there is no formal control, interactions are interpersonal in nature, and are regulated within the framework of customs, traditions accepted in this group, and moral norms.

Structural elements of the main institutions of society

table 2

Source: A.I. Kravchenko. Sociology. - Ekaterinburg, 1998. - p. 338

Functions and features of social institutions

Since social forces and interests are complex, contradictory and interconnected, it is not always possible to foresee the consequences of any single action. Therefore, in the activities of any institution, explicit functions are distinguished, which are defined as the recognized goals of the institution, and latent functions, which are carried out unintentionally and may be unrecognized, or, if they are recognized, are considered a by-product

To achieve the purpose for which it was created, each institution performs functions in relation to its members that ensure the joint activities of people striving to meet their needs. These are, first of all, the following explicit functions:

• 1. The function of consolidating and reproducing social relations. Each institution has a system of rules and norms of behavior for its members, supported by social control. Thus, the institute ensures sustainability social relations And social structure society.
• 2. Regulatory function - ensures the regulation of relationships between members of society by developing patterns of behavior. With the help of institutions, a person exhibits predictable and standardized behavior in social life. He fulfills role requirements and expectations and knows what to expect from the people around him.
• 3. Integrative function - includes the processes of cohesion, interdependence and mutual responsibility. All this leads to increased stability and integrity of the elements of the social structure.

Integration involves three main elements:

consolidation or combination of efforts;

mobilization, when each group member invests his resources in achieving goals;

conformity of individuals' personal goals with the goals of others or the goals of the group.

• 4. Transmitting function Society and its institutions could not develop if it were not possible to transmit social experience. In this regard, every institution has a mechanism that allows individuals to be socialized into its values, norms and roles.
• 5. Communication function. Information produced within an institution must be disseminated both within it, for the purpose of managing and monitoring compliance with norms, and in interactions between institutions. Moreover, the nature of the communicative connections of the institution has its own specifics - these are formal connections carried out in a system of institutionalized roles.

Within each social institution we can distinguish whole line subfunctions that it performs that other institutions may not have.

Dysfunctions in the activities of social institutions and social disorganization of society.

Control questions

Analyze the organization as a social system.

Expand the concept of “goal of a social organization” and their ranking.

What are the goals, objectives and functions of social institutions and their role in the life of society and each individual?

What are the main social institutions that exist in any civilized social systems?

How do you understand the term “social institution”?

What types of social institutions exist and their functions?

What are the main functions of a social institution?

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• 7. Integral sociology p. Sorokin.
• 8. Development of sociological thought in modern Russia.
• 9. The concept of social realism (E. Durkheim)
• 10. Understanding sociology (m. Weber)
• 11. Structural-functional analysis (Parsons, Merton)
• 12. Conflictological direction in sociology (Dahrendorf)
• 13. Symbolic interactionism (Mead, Homans)
• 14. Observation, types of observations, document analysis, scientific experiment in applied sociology.
• 15.Interview, focus group, questionnaire, types of questionnaires.
• 16. Sampling, types and methods of sampling.
• 17. Signs of social action. The structure of social action: actor, motive, goal of action, result.
• 18.Social interactions. Types of social interactions according to Weber.
• 19. Cooperation, competition, conflict.
• 20. Concept and functions of social control. Basic elements of social control.
• 21.Formal and informal control. The concept of agents of social control. Conformity.
• 22. Concept and social signs of deviation. Theories of deviation. Forms of deviation.
• 23.Mass consciousness. Mass actions, forms of mass behavior (riot, hysteria, rumors, panic); features of behavior in a crowd.
• 24. Concept and characteristics of society. Societies as a system. Subsystems of society, their functions and relationships.
• 25. Main types of societies: traditional, industrial, post-industrial. Formational and civilizational approaches to the development of society.
• 28. The concept of family, its main characteristics. Family functions. Family classification by: composition, distribution of power, place of residence.
• 30.International division of labor, transnational corporations.
• 31. The concept of globalization. Factors in the globalization process, electronic means of communication, technology development, formation of global ideologies.
• 32.Social consequences of globalization. Global problems of our time: “North-South”, “War-Peace”, environmental, demographic.
• 33. Russia’s place in the modern world. The role of Russia in the processes of globalization.
• 34. Social group and its varieties (primary, secondary, internal, external, referent).
• 35. Concept and characteristics of a small group. Dyad and triad. The structure of a small social group and leadership relationships. Team.
• 36.The concept of social community. Demographic, territorial, ethnic communities.
• 37. Concept and types of social norms. Concept and types of sanctions. Types of sanctions.
• 38. Social stratification, social inequality and social differentiation.
• 39.Historical types of stratification. Slavery, caste system, class system, class system.
• 40. Criteria for stratification in modern society: income and property, power, prestige, education.
• 41. System of stratification of modern Western society: upper, middle and lower classes.
• 42. System of stratification of modern Russian society. Features of the formation of the upper, middle and lower classes. Basic social layer.
• 43. The concept of social status, types of statuses (prescribed, achieved, mixed). Status personality set. Status incompatibility.
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• 48. Man, individual, personality, individuality. Normative personality, modal personality, ideal personality.
• 49. Personality theories of Z. Freud, J. Mead.
• 51. Need, motive, interest. Social role, role behavior, role conflict.
• 52.Public opinion and civil society. Structural elements of public opinion and factors influencing its formation. The role of public opinion in the formation of civil society.

26. Social institution. Elements of a social institution (values, roles, norms)

A social institution is a social invention of man. Human safety, education, health, economic activity, recreation, etc. - all these phenomena make up the everyday and everyday meaning of our life. These phenomena moved into a social institution, became institutionalized, i.e. acquired a guaranteed, stable and organized character. The institutional is opposed to the chaotic, random and unstable.

A social institution is a long-term social practice that is supported and sanctioned through social norms, and also exists through the implementation of its functions through which it satisfies the needs and interests of society and its social elements.

Volkov Yu.G. noted that sociologists view institutions as a stable set of norms, rules, symbols that regulate various spheres of human life and organize them into a system of roles and statuses, with the help of which basic life and social needs are satisfied. Each institution is built around a standard solution to a specific set of problems. The Institute of Family pays main attention to the reproduction, socialization and material support of children; economic institutions - production and sale of goods and services; political institutions - protecting citizens from each other and from external enemies; religious institutions - strengthening social solidarity and harmony; educational institutions - transfer of cultural heritage from generation to generation. Of course, this classification is too simplified. One institution may be multifunctional, while several institutions may be involved in the same function.

According to the typical definition of sociologists, an institution includes both the concept of cultural models (patterns) and the concept of social structure.

Thus, institutions are, firstly, more or less standard solutions (cultural models) that serve as a guide for people in solving problems of social life and, secondly, relatively stable systems of relations that characterize people when they actually implement these decisions. In this sense, a set of cultural models (a set of rules, values ​​and symbols) establishes the behavior expected of us as a specific person (for example, a student) in relation to other persons (teacher, dean, assistant). This set of cultural models determines the individual’s place in the system of relationships. The concept of a social institution, then, means that we are united within systems of relationships (groups) in which we interact with each other (play a role) based on mutual understanding (cultural patterns) that determine the behavior expected of us as of this type people (status).

Signs of a social institution:

1) a clear distribution of functions, rights and responsibilities of participants in institutional interaction, each must properly perform their function, therefore the behavior of an individual within a social institution has a high degree of predictability;

2) division of labor and professionalization of functions;

3) a special type of regulation of the actions of individuals included in a social institution;

4) a certain mechanism for regulating the behavior of individuals due to social norms and social control;

5) the presence of institutions within which the activities of the social institution are organized. Institute of Health – hospitals, clinics, etc.

6) each institution must have its own funds and resources necessary to carry out its activities.

Any social institution arises and functions, fulfilling a certain social need. If such a need becomes insignificant or completely disappears, then the existence of a social institution becomes meaningless, inhibiting social life. His activities gradually cease. With the emergence of new social needs that become stable and permanent, new social institutions emerge. The process of establishing institutions is called institutionalization.

Volkov Yu.G. noted that institutionalization is a process when a certain social need begins to be recognized as general social, and not private, and for its implementation in society, special norms of behavior are established, personnel are trained, and resources are allocated.

The famous sociologist G. Lenski identified a number of key social needs that give rise to processes of institutionalization: the need for communication (language, education, communications, transport); the need for the production of products and services; the need for the distribution of benefits (and privileges); the need for the safety of citizens, the protection of their lives and well-being; the need to maintain a system of inequality (placement of social groups according to positions, statuses depending on different criteria); the need for social control over the behavior of members of society (religion, morality, law, penitentiary system).

Stages of institutionalization:

1) the emergence of social needs, the implementation of which requires joint organized actions;

2) the emergence of constantly recurring social actions and norms that regulate them;

3) acceptance of these norms;

4) establishing sanctions to maintain norms and rules, creating a system of statuses and roles for individuals included in a social institution.

An institutional crisis is a reverse process that characterizes a decline in the authority of a given institution, for example a family, and a decrease in trust in it. The cause of the crisis is the inability of this institution to effectively perform its main functions, for example, education - to teach children, medicine - to treat people, families - to strengthen marriage bonds and raise children. At the same time, institutional norms exist, they are proclaimed, but are not respected by society. The consequence of such a crisis is the redistribution of functions. For example, in the mid-80s in Russia there was a crisis in secondary schools, which could no longer cope with preparing graduates for university, and tutors immediately appeared - an institution of intermediaries. Crises occur constantly; they represent the natural state of the institution. The crisis of political institutions is manifested in a decrease in public confidence in them. It is known that in transforming societies there is a growing mass distrust of citizens towards political parties, as to civil institutions in general. More than 2/3 of Russians surveyed in December 1998 did not trust virtually any institution. A crisis reveals problems that have arisen in the functioning mechanism of an institution and helps to get rid of them, and as a result, better adapt to a changing reality. Without crises there can be no development of the institution.

The activities of social institutions are functional if they contribute to maintaining stability and fully satisfy the needs of society and its social elements. The activities of social institutions are dysfunctional if they do not satisfy the needs of society and cause harm to it.

Types of social institutions according to the degree of their formalization:

1) informal – activities are carried out on the basis of informal relations and norms. For example, the institution of friendship - the regulation of behavior is not formalized in laws, administrative regulations, etc., although there are certain sanctions and control.

2) formal - activities are carried out on the basis of formally agreed rules, laws, regulations and regulations. Their functioning is quite often regulated and controlled by the state, because they determine the strength of society.

Types of social institutions according to the functions they perform:

1) economic - the most stable, subject to strict regulation, carrying out the production and distribution of goods and services, division of labor, regulation of money circulation. (Institutes of industry, agriculture, finance, trade, etc.)

2) political – implementation and control, distribution of power, activities of political parties, distribution of power, activities of parties. Ensures the reproduction of ideological values ​​(state, army, parties).

3) sociocultural and educational - reproduction, distribution of cultural, spiritual values, socialization of the younger generation, transfer to them scientific knowledge and professional skills (education, science, art).

4) the institution of family - reproduction and education of new generations, ensuring the reproduction of the social structure of society.

5) normative-sanctioning – carry out regulation social behavior on the basis of norms, rules and regulations enshrined in legal and regulatory acts (police, court).

Society is an integral system of interconnected institutions. The interdependence of social institutions is expressed in the fact that the same person is included in different social institutions. In the institution of family - is a father, mother, son, sister, etc. In a political institution - a voter, in an economic institution - an employee of an enterprise. At the same time, each social institution has autonomy. It is expressed in relative independence, because each of them solves specialized problems. External autonomy is expressed in the presence of separate professions and institutions that are not inherent in other social institutions. Internal autonomy - the norms regulating the activities of a social institution have significant originality and specificity. For example, the norms that govern relationships at work differ significantly from the norms in the family.

Changes in social institutions:

1) changes arise as a result of the emergence of new needs in society and its social elements;

2) changes cannot affect only part of a social institution, because disorganization of one of the structures of a social institution leads to a change in the entire social institution. Domino effect".

3) changes in a social institution carry the risk of its discord.

4) for a systematic change in a social institution, it is necessary to interest people in this so that they recognize the need for these changes.

5) changes must be legitimate.

6) in changes that are not of a legitimate nature, the action can be performed by the government, which is capable of imposing new norms and rules of behavior, redistributing rights, responsibilities and privileges