4.2a Social Institutions

Sociologists identify several social institutions that make up human societies: family, education, religion, healthcare, and so on (see Chapter 3). Social institutions consist of the norms, shared understanding, and responsibilities of social life. Each social institution meets a distinct need or function for a social group, though these functions can often overlap. Social institutions regulate members’ actions through norms, values, and roles, which persist even when the people change (see Scott, 2013).

Photo 4.4

Healthcare is a Social Institution that Addresses Health-Related Needs

Manifest Functions

Healthcare, for example, is a social institution that addresses health-related needs, such as treating someone who is sick or reducing physical pain when someone is dying. These functions are manifest functions — or intended purpose. Healthcare includes the roles of physicians, nurses, surgeons, emergency medical technicians, social workers, and more. Further, healthcare as a social institution persists even when the individuals in these positions change.

Latent Functions

Institutions also have latent functions. A latent function is an unintended purpose. For example, healthcare is a powerful force in deciding the criteria used to decide what counts as health, illness, and disability, thus contributing to the social construction of these categories. Healthcare organizations, like the World Health Organization, use the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) to diagnose and classify diseases and causes of death. The current edition of the ICD-11 includes several new diagnostic categories, including hoarding disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Gaebel et al., 2020). U.S. mental health providers use the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM-5-TR) to diagnose mental and neurological conditions. Both manuals have differences and change over time, showing how groups socially construct health and illness.