Functions of Social Institutions free essay sample

To understand the function of a social institution, one should first understand how the function fits into the concept of social institution. One can find it easy to confuse current function with the intended purpose. When considering this prompt, it can be theorized that social institutions do not have inherent functions, because it is the people of a society on a large scale filling roles that function comes from. Function is how the people in a society choose for things, or institutions, to work together, and that is subject to change based on the collective actions of people. To elaborate, the purpose of the mass media would be to truthfully inform society about important information on a large scale distribution. In some societies, the function of mass media becomes an outlet for propaganda or misinformation from persons with a conflict of interest. That function could change after a major war or society changing event. We will write a custom essay sample on Functions of Social Institutions or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The military forces of a country could have been functioning to protect against outside forces, but then changes its function to police its own citizens. It seems to be an interesting concept to separate function from the idea of social institution. The first and primary function of a social institution is to replace its members. More specifically, to introduce new people into the social institution such as children. Social structure and institution will have its own limits on behavior and framework for common sense and efficiency. This first function satisfies the basic requirement to propagate society. Most often family is considered the first and most important institution for contributing members in society. James C Ure, a professor at George Wythe University, describes how the family structure prepares children for the societal structure. â€Å"In the family, it is natural for a parent to expose a child to various activities or ideas to determine what unique interests the child may have and to give the child an enhanced sense of self. It is also natural for a parent to ask a child to sacrifice personal interests to benefit the family, such as to provide help with cooking or cleaning. â€Å"In the end, this is not very different from what makes free societies tick†¦It is in the family that children are expected to learn the core values and beliefs that democratic institutions later draw on to perpetuate themselves. † The second function of a social institution is the task of teaching or socializing new members of society. Children are the most expansive example of this. A new member of society spends years learning to explore their personal individuality, learn to concede their activities when beneficial to the group or institution. As the member matures into a contributing person of society, they choose a role in which to participate. Other than just the primary working role, there is a whole interconnectedness of teachings for members of society. Family, business, government, economics, information, academia, religion, and others all play a role in the type of society its people build. Preserving the freedom in a society largely relies on how broadly people are educated and the access to free knowledge. Information and speech should be free, in order to prevent widespread ignorance. Historically, John Adams made a statement about the right to know what societal leaders are up to and the free distribution of knowledge. â€Å"Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people†¦They have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge — I mean, of the characters and conducts of their rulers. † The third function would be to produce, distribute, and consume goods and services. This is the category of commerce, and how people receive necessary goods and use information. Different institutions will have different patterns of management and performance of the roles people have, otherwise duties can become inescapable and overly controlled. Buisiness is highly important to every society. In a free market economy, business regulates itself, free from overbearing laws from the other institutions. People and commerce in business naturally bring prices down with competition, benefiting the whole society. Practiced on a massive scale a country can compete with other macro societies. Cleon Skousen wrote in The 5,000 year leap, â€Å"By 1905 the U. S. had become the richest industrial nation in the world. With only five percent of the earth’s continental area and merely six percent of the world’s population, the American people were producing over half of almost everything — clothes, food, houses, transportation, communications, even luxuries. † Societies benefit from unregulated business as the people in business roles are naturally regulated by concepts of competition and quality. The fourth function is the task of preserving order through social order and through interdependency from other levels of institutions.