3.1a Social Institutions
A social structure is made up of social institutions. Religion and government are social institutions. Religion and government provide individuals with a sense of community, expectations of behavior, and distributes power and authority. In nations without state-sponsored religion (like the United States), government has the most power and authority. Power is the ability to influence what others do or think. Authority is the justifiable right to exercise power.
Sociologists study many social institutions. Table 3.1 summarizes how sociologists can use a macro, meso, or micro approach to study social institutions. In general, a macro-approach focuses on how social institutions affect each other. A microsociological approach focuses on smaller units, such as individuals and households. It tends to address person-to-person interaction, identity, and decision-making related to various social institutions. A mesosociological approach examines what happens in between and focuses on specific organizations and groups that perform the work of social institutions.
Table 3.1
How Sociologists Use Macro-, Meso-, and Microsociological Frameworks to Examine Some Social Institutions
| Social Institution | Macrosociological Focus | Mesosociological Focus | Microsociological Focus |
| Economy | Broad economic factors affect social groups | Distinct industries affect communities and culture | Individuals and households make economic decisions such as what to buy and who is employed |
| Education | Nations manage the education of their citizens | Specific educational organizations, like schools, affect the community | Classroom dynamics develop, students and teachers interact, and students create peer groups |
| Family | Family trends like marriage and divorce rates affect and are affected by other social institutions | Families interact with other social institutions, such as education and religion | Individual family members interact with other members of their families, such as parent-child interaction |
| Government | The overall political structure takes shape, and its influence on other social institutions | Local or state government work | Political behaviors and attitudes develop and change |
| Healthcare | How healthcare is provided and population-level trends, such as birth and death rates | Specific healthcare organizations, such as hospitals and nursing homes, operate, and their role in communities | Individuals make healthcare decisions, and patient-doctor interaction |
| Legal system | The organization of the overall legal system and the impact of legislation on social groups | Legal systems operating at the state or local level | Individuals interact with the legal system, such as in police-citizen interactions |
| Media | The overall media landscape and media ownership influence culture | Specific media organizations operate, and their role in the culture | Individual consumption and creation of media |
| Religion | Religion influences culture and other social institutions, like government and family | Specific religious organizations operate, and their role in the culture | People practice their religion, and the impact religion has on identity |
| Sports and Leisure | The impact of sports and leisure on other social institutions, such as the economy and family | Sports and leisure organizations operate within local communities | Individual teams interact with members and with other teams, and how fans and leisure participants create subcultures |