Bangladesh University of Business & Technology (BUBT)

GROUP NAME:-UDDIPON

REPORT
ON
“SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS”

Submitted To:
Mst. Amina Khatun
Lecturer
Department of Economic
Bangladesh University of Business Technology (BUBT)

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 Intake: 45
Section: 05
Program: BBA

Table of Content

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 Content Page No

Introduction 04

Marriage 4-6

The family 6-10

Kinship System 11-12

The Educational System 13

The Economic System 14

The Political System 15

Religion 16-17

Conclusion 18

Reference 18

Social Institutions
A group of social positions, connected by social relations, performing a social role, e.g. universities,
government, families.

Characteristics of an Institution

• Institutions are purposive.

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• They are relatively permanent in their content.

• Institutions are structured.

• Institutions are a unified structure.

• Institutions are necessarily value-laden.

Functions of an Institution

• Institutions are purposive.

• They are relatively permanent in their content

• Institutions are structured.

• Institutions are a unified structure.

• Institutions are necessarily value-laden.

Major social institutions:

1. Marriage
Marriage is a socially supported union involving two or more individuals in what is regarded as a stable,
enduring arrangement based at least in part on a sexual bond of some kind. Depending on the society,
marriage may require religious and/or civil sanction, although some couples may come to be considered
married simply by living together for a period of time (common law marriage). Though marriage
ceremonies, rules, and roles may differ from one society to another, marriage is considered a cultural
universal, which means that it is present as a social institution in all cultures.

Marriage serves several functions. In most societies, it serves to socially identify children by defining
kinship ties to a mother, father, and extended relatives. It also serves to regulate sexual behavior, to
transfer, preserve, or consolidate property, prestige, and power, and most importantly, it is the basis for
the institution of the family.

Characteristics of Marriage:

1. Universality:

Marriage is more or less a universal institution. It is found among the pre- literate as well as literate
peoples. It is enforced as a social rule in some of the societies.

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According to the Chinese philosopher Confucius, an individual who remains unmarried throughout his
life commits a great crime. As Levi-Strauss has observed that the unmarried primitives of Central Brazil
are made to lead a miserable life.

2. Relationship between Man and Woman:

Marriage is a union of man and woman. It indicates relationship between one or more men to one or
more women. Who should marry whom? One should marry how many?-are the questions which
represent social rules regarding marriage which differ significantly.

3. Marriage Bond is enduring:

Marriage indicates a long lasting bond between the husband and wife. Hence it is not coextensive with
sex life. It excludes relationships with prostitutes or any other sexual relationship which is viewed as
casual and not sanctioned by custom, law or church.

Marital relationship between man and woman lasts even after the sexual satisfaction is obtained. The
Hindus, for example, believe that marriage is a sacred bond between the husband and wife which even
the death cannot break.

4. Marriage Requires Social Approval:

A union of man and woman becomes a marital bond only when the society gives its approval. When
marriage is given the hallmark of social approval, it becomes a legal contract.

5. Marriage is Associated with Some Civil or Religious Ceremony:

Marriage gets its social recognition through some ceremony. This ceremony may have its own rites,
rituals, customs, formalities, etc. It means marriage has to be concluded in a public and solemn manner.

Functions Of Marriage:

1. Marriage regulates sexual behavior.

Marriage helps cultural groups to have a measure of control over population growth by providing
proscribed rules about when it is appropriate to have children. Regulating sexual behavior helps to
reduce sexual competition and negative effects associate with sexual competition. This does not mean
that there are no socially approved sexual unions that take place outside of marriage. Early
anthropological studies documented that the Toda living in the Nilgiri Mountains of Southern India
allowed married women to have intercourse with male priests with the husband’s approval. In the
Philippines, the Kalinda institutionalized mistresses. If a man’s wife was unable to have children, he
could take a mistress in order to have children. Usally his wife would help him choose a mistress.

2. Marriage fulfills the economic needs of marriage partners.

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Marriage provides the framework within which people’s needs are met: shelter, food, clothing, safety,
etc. Through the institution of marriage, people know for whom they are economically and socially
responsible.

3. Marriage perpetuates kinship groups.

This is related to the previous function, but instead of simply knowing who is with whom economically
and socially, marriage in a legitimate sense lets people know about inheritance.

4. Marriage provides institution for the care and enculturation of children.

2. Family
Family is a more or less durable association of husband and wife, with or without child, or of a man or
woman alone, with children.’

– M. F. Nimkoff

Characteristics of Family:

1. Family is a Universal group. It is found in some form or the other, in all types of societies whether
primitive or modern.

2. A family is based on marriage, which results in a mating relationship between two adults of opposite
sex.

3. Every family provides an individual with a name, and hence, it is a source of nomenclature.

4. Family is the group through which descent or ancestry can be traced.

5. Family is the most important group in any individual’s life.

6. Family is the most basic and important group in primary socialization of an individual.

7. A family is generally limited in size, even large, joint and extended families.

8. The family is the most important group in society; it is the nucleus of all institutions, organizations and
groups.

9. Family is based on emotions and sentiments. Mating, procreation, maternal and fraternal devotion,
love and affection are the basis of family ties.

10. The family is a unit of emotional and economic cooperation.

11. Each member of family shares duties and responsibilities.

12. Every family is made up of husband and wife, and/or one or more children, both natural and
adopted.

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13. Each family is made up of different social roles, like those of husband, wife, mother, father, children,
brothers or sisters

Here Are 6 Different Family Types and Their Unique Family Dynamics:
Nuclear Family
Nuclear families, also known as elementary or traditional families, consist of two parents (usually
married or common law) and their children. Nuclear families may have one or more children who are
biological or adopted, but the main idea is that the parents are raising their kids together in the family
home.

Strengths of Nuclear Families:

 Financially stable, both parents usually work now

 Children raised in a stable parenting situation

 Consistency

 Emphasis on health and education

 Focus on communication

Weaknesses Of Nuclear Families:

 Exclusion of extended family can lead to isolation and stress

 Can struggle with conflict resolution

 Nuclear families can become too child-focused, resulting in self-centered children and families
neglecting other important things

Single Parent
Single parent families consist of one parent with one or more kids. In these cases, the parent either
never married, is widowed, or divorced. A paper by Ellwood, D.T., and Jencks, C. (2004) talks about how
single-parent families have been on the rise since the 1960s when divorce rates started going up (and so
did births happening out of wedlock). They suggest that these changes could be due to many different
factors, from changing morals in society to increasing arguments over gender roles.

A mother or father raising kids alone is not that uncommon anymore, and like any other family type
single parent homes have their pros and cons. Although fans of traditional families believe that children
need both parents, we can see that some single parent families do well while others struggle.

Strengths of Single-Parent Families:

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  Family members can become very close

 Learn to share household duties

 Children and parents can become very resilient

Weaknesses of Single-Parent Families:

 Families struggle to get by on one income; some are on social assistance

 It can be difficult for parents to work full-time and still afford quality childcare

 Parenting can be inconsistent, especially if kids go back and forth between parents

Extended Family
While most people in the U.S. would identify nuclear families as being the 'traditional' family type, in
different cultures extended families are much more common and have been around for hundreds of
years. Extended families are families with two or more adults who are related through blood or
marriage, usually along with children.

Typically, extended families live together for social support and to achieve common goals. For example,
parents may live with their children and their children's grandparents. This gives the family the ability to
provide care for their elderly, and in turn, the grandparents may be able to help with childcare while the
parents are at work.

Strengths of Extended Families:

 Things like respect and care for the elderly are important

 More family around to help with chores, child care, in case of emergencies, etc.

 Social support

Weaknesses of Extended Families:

 Financial issues can occur if parents are supporting several other adults and children without
any extra income

 Lack of privacy depending on the living environment

Childless Family

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Childless families are families with two parents who cannot have or don't want kids. In the world of
family types and dynamics, these families are often forgotten or left out (even though you can still have
a family without children). In the past, growing up, getting married, and having children was the norm,
but in today's world, more people are choosing to postpone having children or deciding not to have any.

These unique families include working couples who may have pets or enjoy taking on other people's kids
(like nieces and nephew) for the day occasionally rather than having their own. They could also be
adventurous couples who don't feel like kids would be a good fit for their lifestyle.

Strengths of Childless Families:

 Typically have more disposable income

 No dependents to take care of

 Have more freedom to travel, go on adventures, pursue different careers or education

 Couples get to spend more time together

Weaknesses of Childless Families:

 Couples can feel isolated or left out when all their friends/family start having kids

 If you like kids, you can feel like something is missing

 Infertility can force a family to be childless, which can be hard for couples

Stepfamily
A stepfamily is when two separate families merge into one. This can go several different ways, like two
divorced parents with one or more children blending families, or one divorced parent with kids marrying
someone who has never been married and has no kids.

Like single-parent families, step-families are sometimes looked down upon by people who prefer the
nuclear family dynamic, but they have become more common over the years. Like all these different
family types, stepfamilies also have a unique set of strengths and weaknesses that they need to deal
with.

Strengths of Stepfamilies:

 Children get the benefit of having two parents around

 Children and their new siblings or step-parents can form strong bonds

 Benefit of having two incomes compared to single parent families

Weaknesses of Stepfamilies:

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  Adjustment can be difficult for parents and children

 Parents can run into problems trying to discipline each other's kids

 May lack discipline or be inconsistent

Grandparent Family
The final family type and the least common of them all is the grandparent family. A grandparent family is
when one or more grandparent is raising their grandchild or grandchildren. While uncommon, according
to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, grandparent-headed families are on the
rise. They shared that, "Census data indicate that in the United States approximately 2.4 million
grandparents are raising 4.5 million children." Why does this happen?

This situation happens when the parents aren't around to take care of their kids or are incapable of
properly taking care of their kids. For example, the parents might be in jail, too young, on drugs, or
(unfortunately) just not care. Thankfully, in these situations, the grandparents step up and act as parents
to their grandchildren. A lot of times the situation isn't ideal, but they would rather take on the
responsibility than see their grandchildren end up in a worse situation, like foster care.

Strengths of Grandparent Families:

 Grandparents and grandchildren form a close bond

 Keeps children from ending up in foster homes or other situations

Weaknesses of Grandparent Families:

 Grandparents may not work or have full-time jobs, may struggle with income

 Depending on their health, it may be difficult for them to keep up with young children or
discipline them as they get older

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 3. Kinship system
Kinship is a "system of social organization based on real or putative family ties," according
to Encyclopaedia Britannica. But in sociology, kinship involves more than family ties, according to
the Sociology Group:

"Kinship is one of the most important organizing components of society.... This social institution ties
individuals and groups together and establishes a relationship among them."

Types of Kinship:

Sociologists and anthropologists debate as what to types of kinship exist. Most social scientists agree
that kinship is based on two broad areas: birth and marriage; others say a third category of kinship
involves social ties. These three types of kinship are:

1. Consanguineal: This kinship is based on blood—or birth: the relationship between parents and
children as well as siblings, says the Sociology Group. This is the most basic and universal type of
kinship. Also known as a primary kinship, it involves people who are directly related.

2. Affinal: This kinship is based on marriage. The relationship between husband and wife is also
considered a basic form of kinship.

3. Social: Schneider argued that not all kinship derives from blood (consanguineal) or marriage
(affinal). There are also social kinships, where individuals not connected by birth or marriage
may still have a bond of kinship, he said. By this definition, two people who live in different
communities may share a bond of kinship through a religious affiliation or a social group, such as
the Kiwanis or Rotary service club, or within a rural or tribal society marked by close ties among
its members. A major difference between consanguineal or affinal and social kinship is that the
latter involves "the ability to terminate absolutely the relationship" without any legal recourse,
Schneider stated in his 1984 book, "A Critique of the Study of Kinship."

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Importance of Kinship:

Kinship is important to a person and a community's well-being. Because different societies define
kinship differently, they also set the rules governing kinship, which are sometimes legally defined and
sometimes implied. At its most basic levels, according to the Sociology Group, kinship refers to:

Descent: the socially existing recognized biological relationships between people in the society. Every
society looks at the fact that all offspring and children descend from their parents and that biological
relationships exist between parents and children. Descent is used to trace an individual’s ancestry.

Lineage: the line from which descent is traced. This also called ancestry, notes "The Associated Press
Style Guide 2018."

Based on descent and lineage, kinship determines family-line relationships—and even sets rules on who
can marry and with whom, says Puja Mondal in "Kinship: Brief Essay on Kinship." Mondal adds that
kinship sets guidelines for interactions between people and defines the proper, acceptable relationship
between father and daughter, brother and sister, or husband and wife, for example.

But since kinship also covers social connections, it has a wider role in society, says the Sociology Group,
noting that kinship:

 Maintains unity, harmony, and cooperation among relationships

 Sets guidelines for communication and interactions among people

 Defines the rights and obligations of the family and marriage as well as the system of political
power in rural areas or tribal societies, including among members who are not related by blood
or marriage

 Helps people better understand their relationships with each other

 Helps people better relate to each other in society

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 4. The Educational System
Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs,
and habits. Educational methods include storytelling, discussion, teaching, training, and directed
research. Education frequently takes place under the guidance of educators and also learners may also
educate themselves

WHY EDUCATION IS A SOCIAL PROCESS IN OUR LIFE?

Education is a social process, because it cannot be limited to some books and

speeches.Education contain all about life experince.The concept of human civilisation is highly complex
and does not lend itself to a precise definition. Nevertheless, it will be readily conceded that one of its
essential elements is man’s constant endeavour for broadening his outlook and interest. Biologically,
man is a self-centred creature, anxious for the fulfilment of his physical needs like thirst hunger, rest,
mating and procreation, etc.

But since man is rational animal, his reason teaches him not to give a free play to his animal instincts.
Consequently, man has been endeavouring, through ages, to sublimate his primitive instincts and learn
to living organised society and appreciate his rights and duties therein.

Society is a very elastic term and its conception has been broadening from time to time. Society can
comprise a handful of persons as well as millions of being. He mixed with other cavemen and out of
sheer necessity, in the beginning, realised convenience of hunting for food in company. Slowly man
formed small groups with certain common features, requirements and interests.lt is thus that the idea,
of tribal groups sprang up. Members of a particular tribe struck together .Tribal loyalties struck deep
roots and the members of a tribe took pride in working for its well-being and undergoing all manner of
hardships and sacrifices for its sake.

Functions of educations system:

1.socialisation

2.Development of personality

3.Social integration

4.Social control

5.Develompent of status

6. Provides Route for social mobility

7.Social development

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 5. The Economic system
An economic system (also economic order) is a system of production, resource allocation and
distribution of goods and services within a society or a given geographic area. It includes the
combination of the various institutions, agencies, entities, decision-making processes and patterns of
consumption that comprise the economic structure of a given community. As such, an economic system
is a type of social system.

Capitalism

Capitalism generally features the private ownership of the means of production (capital) and a market
economy for coordination. Corporate capitalism refers to a capitalist marketplace characterized by the
dominance of hierarchical, bureaucratic corporations.

Mercantilism was the dominant model in Western Europe from the 16th to 18th century. This
encouraged imperialism and colonialism until economic and political changes resulted in global
decolonization. Modern capitalism has favored free trade to take advantages of increased efficiency due
to national comparative advantage and economies of scale in a larger, more universal market. Some
critics have applied the term neo-colonialism to the power imbalance between multi-national
corporations operating in a free market vs. seemingly impoverished people in developing countries.

Mixed economy

There is no precise definition of a "mixed economy". Theoretically, it may refer to an economic system
that combines one of three characteristics: public and private ownership of industry, market-based
allocation with economic planning, or free markets with state interventionism.

Socialism

Socialist economic systems (all of which feature social ownership of the means of production) can be
subdivided by their coordinating mechanism (planning and markets) into planned socialist and market
socialist systems. Additionally, socialism can be divided based on their property structures between
those that are based on public ownership, worker or consumer cooperatives and common ownership
(i.e. non-ownership). Communism is a hypothetical stage of socialist development articulated by Karl
Marx as "second stage socialism" in Critique of the Gotha Program, whereby the economic output is
distributed based on need and not simply on the basis of labor contribution.

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 6. The political system
The political system consists of both politics and government and involves the law, economy, culture
and additional social concepts.

The most popular political systems that we know of around the world can be reduced to a few simple
core concepts. Many additional types of political systems are similar in idea or root, but most tend to
surround concepts of:

 Democracy: A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a
state, typically through elected representatives.

 Republic: A state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected
representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch.

 Monarchy: A form of government in which one person reigns, typically a king or a queen. The
authority, also known as a crown, is typically inherited.

 Communism: A system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy.
Often, an authoritarian party holds power and state controls are imposed.

 Dictatorship: A form of government where one person makes the main rules and decisions with
absolute power, disregarding input from others.

The Function of a Political System

In 1960, Almond and Coleman gathered three core functions of a political system which includes: 

1. To maintain integration of society by determining norms.

2. To adapt and change elements of social, economic, religious systems necessary for achieving
collective (political) goals.

3. To protect the integrity of the political system from outside threats.

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 7. Religion
According to Islamic scholars, the definition of the true religion is as follows: "Religion is a divine law
that enables people with intelligence to attain goodness and happiness in this world and the next with
their own desire."

The word religion is mentioned ninety-two times in the Holy Quran; in addition, different derivatives of
it are found in three verses. It is seen that this word is used in the Quran mainly with these meanings:
"Rule, ruled, obedience, law, worship, unity (uniting with Allah), Islam, shariah (laws-regulations), limits
(put by Allah), tradition, punishment, accounting, and nation (group of people with the same belief)."

Common Characteristics of Religions

From the perspective of religious sciences, some common factors found in all religions can be
mentioned:

 Belief in supernatural and superhuman creatures (like God, angels, jinn, and spiritual creatures)
 Separation of the sacred and mundane
 Worship, rituals and ceremonies
 Written or non-written traditions (sacred book, moral code of laws)
 Emotions related to supernatural and superhuman creatures and the sacred (like fear, trust,
secrets, sinfulness, worship, devotion)
 Connection to the superhuman (by ways and means like revelation, prophets, prayer,
supplication and inspiration)
 View on this world and man, and life and the afterlife
 Life order
 Social group (community) and belonging to a group

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Functions of Religion:

As one of the basic social institutions, religion performs several important functions

These are as follows:

1. It helps man to deal with his fear of the supernatural powers. It helps individuals to overcome pain,
fear and anxiety.

2. It is a means used by man to adjust to his belief in the existence of supernatural powers.

3. It gives people explanations regarding the road to salvation or release from the cycle of births and
rebirths.

4. It is a potent and powerful means of controlling social behaviour. The fear of punishment from
supernatural powers for violating religious rule is an effective means of controlling the behaviour of
individuals within society. Each religion has its own code regarding acceptable and unacceptable modes
of behaviour, which is binding on all the individuals who belong to, or follow a particular religion.

5. It provides emotional and psychological comfort by assuring people that there is a meaning in life, and
there is a purpose even in suffering. It is a great source of comfort and solace in times of crises.

6. It unites people and brings social solidarity

7. It provides answers to certain basic questions in life—what is the purpose of life, why do people
suffer, why do people die, what happens after death, and so on.

8. It provides guidelines regarding everyday life, societal behaviour, behaviour towards others, and so
on.

9. It helps people to adapt to changing situations, environment and customs. It helps individuals to
adapt to all kinds of social change, including change in marital status, death in the family, and change in
family structure due to death, divorce or separation.

10. It provides individuals with a sense of identity.

11. It is an effective means of preserving or conserving the values and morals of life.

12. All religions promote welfare of people, and inculcate a desire to help the needy.

13. It helps individuals to understand the reason for their existence, and makes the world more
understandable.

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Conclusion:
Social institutions influence an individual’s development as well as life in general when itcomes to
society and socializing. The three most important social institutions are family, religion, and education.
Family institutions help you become the adult you are today and also helps and individual find there
place in society. My family values and principles have influenced the person I am today, and the adults
my children will become one day. Religion helps guide an individual to see the diversity in society and
accept that not everyone is the same and that it is okay to be different. My church has taught me not to
judge others, that is not my place in life. Education is the most important because it gives you
knowledge, skills, and values. My current education has helped prepare me to better understand my
role as a leader in my job. I continually incorporate things I have learned in my business classes to better
my job performance.

Reference:
http://www.preservearticles.com/2012053032818/what-is-the-definition-and-characteristic-
of-marriage.html
https://family.lovetoknow.com/definition-blended-family
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kinship%20system
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/education/educational-system-the-meaning-aspects-and-
social-functions-of-education/8582
http://www.lastprophet.info/what-is-religion

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