group of people who have come together for a common purpose

SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS

The social institutions are the major components of the society. They play an
important role in the process of molding every member. Through them, the
behavior of the individual is being formed. It is true and it holds true until today
even in a highly technologically-driven society that the individual is revealed in
the society; the society reflects the individual.
In the family, in the community, a new member is born. In the family, in the
community, a new member grows up and acquires set of norms, practices,
beliefs and even ideologies. The family, the peer, the community have bearing
in his personality and in his life’s ways. These have become agents of human
formation and transformation.
The way a person acts, thinks and talks somehow reveals his origin, his social
class and his attainment. Likewise, the breeding of a person somehow gives one
a hint that he comes from a “cultured” and “mannered” family, society or
community. Take for example, the words-you can identify a person coming from
a family living in the squatter and those coming from an exclusive subdivision
and condominiums; the manners of the students from the public school and those
coming from the exclusive schools.
Even in your little knowledge about social groups, you can identify a group
of people through their language. For instance, you are in a room and you hear
people in the other room speaking about test, visual aids, lesson plan,
absenteeism. You are pretty sure that the people on the other room are teachers.
Their words reveal that they come from a teaching force or teaching sector of our
society. Likewise, if you see group of farmers you expect to hear from them issues
about land, pesticides, fertilizers, irrigation and others. Who would be taking
about these things if not the farmers themselves?
 1. FAMILY
It is the cradle of everyone in the society. The
family is the primary and smallest social
organization. The Family as defined by Murdock
(Zulueta, 1998) is a social organization
characterized by common residence, economic
cooperation, and reproduction. The Family,
according to Burgess & Locke (as cited by
Zulueta, 1998) is a group of persons united by
bond or marriage, blood or adoption, constituting
a single household, interacting and
communicating with each other in their respective
social roles of husband and wife, father and
mother, son and daughter, brother and sister,
creating and maintaining a common culture.
Types of Family
a. Nuclear Family – is composed of parents and their children living
together, related by blood or by virtue of adoption.
b. Extended Family – is a kind of family which is composed of a nuclear
family with another nuclear family or with the presence of other relatives
in a single household. The extended family shares a single households and
mutually cooperating economically, socially, culturally, morally and
spiritually.
Functions of the Family
Let us keep in mind that every
family is a unique social
organization. It has its own
challenges to face. It has its own
strong points and weaknesses.
Some children wish to establish a
family of their own. Some would
not because of their bad
experiences with their family.
Below are the most common and widely accepted functions of the family:
a. The family functions as a regulating unit for sexual activities and a proper
place for procreation. Extramarital relationship among Filipinos is not yet
acceptable yet many cases have been recorded. In fact, studies showed that
this is one of the reasons why there is a broken-marriage.
b. The family provides the biological needs and maintenance of its members.
It is the safest place for the children. They should have all the protection,
provision and guidance as they grow up.
c. The family is the chief agency of socialization. It is the immediate place
where a child learns to interact, relate, integrate himself with other members
of the family. The family transmits the cultural pattern and norms and values
and introduces the child to a larger group and then to the society.
d. The family gives each member a status i.e. name, ancestry, class, etc. A child gets his
family name from his parent. He also enjoys the social status his family name has
enjoyed or if not suffer with it. If his parents are affluent, then he will be raised in a
manner as expected. A son born from a poor family learn how to survive from a day to
day sustenance and make his vow to uplift the living condition of his family.
e. The family is the mechanism for social control. It makes sure that all its family
members are conforming to the norms and conduct of the society and law-abiding
citizens. It makes sure to keep the good image or prestige their ancestors had been long
established.
f. The family performs educational, religious and political functions. It is a right of
every child to go school and be prepared for his life in the future. The family has to
support the educational needs of every family member. It there are good Samaritans
who offer to support the schooling, the duty of the family is not taken away. They are
just being assisted. The family is also a caretaker of the vocation of their children. They
are to motivate and support them in their spiritual search for holiness. The family has
also to provide enlightenment on the issues encountered by the family and society as
well in order to give a clearer political perspectives and political stand.
 2. EDUCATION
The school plays a very important role in the
educational formation of everyone. To go to
school is a right of every child.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
of the United Nations have set eight (8) goals for
worldwide development. One of them is to
achieve universal primary education. In the
Philippines, about 5.2 million children are not in
school; 53% are not enrolled in Grade 1;
Majority of the children drops out after Grade 1
& 2. The MDG’s strike at the heart of what needs
to be changed in the present (MDG-F and UN
Millennium Campaign, 2010).
In the history of Philippine education,
the Spaniards established private
education through the missionaries.
They built exclusive school for boys
and girls. To name a few which was
exclusive for boys were – Colegio de
San Juan de Letran, Ateneo
Municipal, the University of Santo
Tomas while the schools for girl were
Santa Isabel, Santa Sienna, La
Consolacion College, La Concordia,
St. Scholastica College.
During the Americans period, we
had a public educational system.
They also built the Philippine
Normal College, UP and the
Siliman State University in
Dumaguete City. The educational
practice of education exclusively
for boys and for girls has now
become an open system – a coed.
 During the time of President Ferdinand Marcos, the formal education
was complemented by the Technical Education Skills and Development
Academy (TESDA) especially designed for those who want to take
vocational courses which are also highly demanded by the local industries
and abroad.
Major modifications in the Philippine educational system today is the
implementation of the K-12. Among the major concerns raised are the lack
of teachers and classrooms because this has been the problem long before
the implementations of K-12; the lack of preparation of the teaches to
handle the K-12. With the implementation of the CCTP or Pantawid ng
Pamilyang Pilipino Program, the poor Filipino families are obliged to send
their children to school and keep them in school while under the assistance
of the government.
Education is basically to transmit the cultural heritage of the people and
to serve as a source of social and cultural innovations. Many of the poor
Filipinos still consider education as the solution to their present economic
conditions.
 3. RELIGION
The moral aspect of a person is cultivated by
his relationship with God. Religion, as a
social institution, plays a very important role
in nurturing and nourishing the spiritual life
of the people. Religion is universal
phenomenon which is intertwined with the
social and economic life of the people.
Religion is a unified system of beliefs and
practices of the people related to their
relationship to sacred things and to the divine.

The Filipinos are religious people.
No one can ever doubt this. From
the very nature of his existence,
the native or tribal people have
acknowledged the presence of the
divine and adored the goodness
and might of the creator-the
Supreme Being The traditional
belief continues to exist amidst
the massive evangelization of the
Islam missionaries and much
more of the sword and the cross
just to receive the new faith – the
Christianity.
The major religions are Judaism,
Confucianism, Buddhism,
Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and
Taoism. The Christian churches in
the Philippines and Roman
Catholic, Orthodox Catholic,
Protestant/Evangelical churches,
Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), The
Church of Christ of the Later-day
Saint (Mormons).The major
Evangelical/Protestant churches
are the Lutheran, the Methodist,
the Baptist, the Pentecostals,
Presbyterian and etc. There are
countless ecclesial communities
which are sprouting all over the
country. They are also called the
born again
.
The Native Religion. People who are dispersed all over the country and who are
by nature independently existing and have no universal set of rituals to follow are
of the native religion. The native priest/Bailan is independently performing the
rituals according to what he has learned from his parents or ancestors. The native
Filipino has the so called traditional religion. Ever since, they had their religious
beliefs and practices. They believe in the existence of the creator-God and the
powerful God. They also believe in the hierarchy of Spirits. The Spirits are in
charge of the operation in the material world – world of human beings. If one
does not respect anything (Place, Time, Event, Created Thing) which god has
created the designated spirit who is residing or taking care of it will punish the
offender. The Spirit will inflict sickness and only offerings can appease spirit and
the god. Ritual for peace and peace offering are to be done by the Bailan-the
Mediator of the material world and the spiritual world so that no plague or
sickness or death will come.
The Spread of Christianity in the Philippines. In the Treaty of Tordesillas –
The Two Super Powers (Spain & Portugal) were permitted to explore to the
NEW WORLD and to EVANGELIZE the natives
In every EXPEDITION there was always the presence of the Religious
Missionaries, like the Order of Preachers (OP), Order of the Augustinian
Friars (OSA) and Order of the Augustinian – Recollects (OAR).
The massive persuasion of the Religious missionaries and the Spanish
Civil authorities continued. The natives were forced to be baptized. Those
who had a change to run away went to the mountains and kept their religious
traditions.
Those who were caught keeping their religious beliefs and practices were
condemned to die. Those who resisted were called as pagan, barbaric and
uncivilized. There was a clear collaboration between the Church and the
State. The Church condemned and the State carried out the punishment.
Those who accepted the foreign religion were asked to adopt a Christian
family name, they began to hear Mass, study Christian doctrines and prayers
in Latin and speak the Spanish language.
4.POLITICS AND
GOVERNMENT
This is another social institution
that every society needs in order
to exist. Politics is the art and
practice of government. It is a
social process of acquiring the
legitimate power to govern. The
key concept in Politics is
authority and power.
Politics is the art of governance and this concept involves (1) a leader
and the government. The leader must be equipped with necessary
qualities akin to leading the people and bringing into the realization of
the programs which are for the welfare of the constituents; (2) there are
also the duly legislated laws for peace, order and stability. This is the
fundamental laws to be observed by all and for all. A leader must be the
first to observe the law otherwise be penalized by it.
The law offender will be condemned and the law-enforcement will
be fair to carry out their duties while the judiciary will be tough to
interpret the law biased to none.
“A state is a community of
persons, more or less numerous,
occupying a definite portion of
territory, has a government of its
own, in which a greater number of
inhabitants render obedience and
freedom from foreign control”

The elements of the state are (1)

People, (2) Territory (3)
Government and (4) Sovereignty.
The People: People are the most
important element in a nation. The
number of the people in a
particular state varies from one
another to the other.
The Territory: In every state,
territory is also an essential
element. Every state must have a
full control of a land as its own.
The Government: it is a
requirement in every state to have
a machinery of political authority
and administration. The citizens
must have to abide by the power
of the legitimate leader to enforce
its authority.
The art of government includes the three branches in the government, namely:
The Executive, Legislative and the Judiciary. They are independent and co-
equal branches in the constitution. The Executive branch is headed by the
President. He is the chief executive. He is the one n-charge of running the
country. He issues orders and proclamations for very specific purposes. The
Legislative branch is the Senate and the Congress. The Senate President and
the Speaker, respectively, are the highest figures in both Houses. They are in-
charge of drafting new laws for the welfare of the citizens. The Judiciary is the
branch in-charge of the interpretation and enforcements of the law. The chief
justice is the highest person in the judiciary.
The Sovereignty: This is the
independence of the state from the
foreign powers. A state is free from any
foreign control. The sovereignty of a
particular state must be (1) permanent,
(2) exclusive for the people, and (3)
comprehensive.
As permanent, it must exist even
when the leaders are changed or the
system of government will change and
even if the Constitution is changed, the
state will continuously exist. As
exclusive, it must not permit any foreign
control and comprehensive because it is
concerned with all people in a state
including their possessions.
5. MEDIA
The Media is considered the fourth
estate in the society. It is the fourth
most powerful in the democratic
society. The Media most commonly
referred to as the news media, either
radio broadcast or television: the
print journalism or the Press, and the
photographers.
Many people believe that the press, or media, have immense political and social power. The
media can be used to shape societies while imparting news, commentaries and anything of
social interest. The term Media was the first used by Edmund Burke during the French
Revolution and this was popularized by Thomas Carlyle.
The Media is an important part of a democratic society. As the publisher of Bandera
Pilipino would always say, “walang tunay Democrasya kung walang media.”
In a Democratic society, such as ours, the press plays the role of a watchdog… fiscalizing
the three co-equal branches… Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of America said
“the press is a necessary evil in a democracy.” The press has to be adversarial in nature
(Malinao, 2003).
Because of the importance of journalism in society, most members of the media abide by
certain professional and personal ethics. Many journalists attempt to cultivate an air of
neutrality, focusing on reporting of the issues as they are so that people can judge the facts for
themselves, while others focus on offering a commentary and analysis from the perspective of
a particular position. Journalists are careful as a whole to protect the integrity of the press,
protecting sources, verifying information before publication, and using a variety of other
techniques to convey a trustworthy appearance to the public, encouraging people to put their
faith in the media.
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