Lecture 8 – Social Institutions: Politics, Education, and Religion

Social institutions

Systems and structures within society that shape the activities of groups and individuals in specific areas of social life

Examples of social institutions

Politics, education, and religion are examples of institutions that intersect and interact with each other to shape daily life

Politics

Methods and tactics intended to influence government policy, policy-related attitudes, and activities

Disenfranchised

Stripped of voting rights, either temporarily or permanently

Example of disenfranchisement

Almost every state officially disenfranchises incarcerated people who have been convicted of a felony

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Organizations that raise money to support the interests of a select group or organization

Why are PACs more important to campaigns now?

Because unlike giving to candidates or political parties, there are now no limits on how much money an individual can give PACs

Opinion leaders

High-profile individuals whose interpretation of events influences the public

Education

The process by which society transmits its academic knowledge, cultural values, and societal expectations to its members so they can function effectively

Educational success deals with

As much with social stratification as it does with individual ability

Religion

Any institutionalized system of shared beliefs and rituals that acknowledge a relationship between the sacred and the profane

Why does a sociological definition need to be broad enough?

To encompass all varieties of religious experiences

Structural functionalism

Religion shapes behavior, gives meaning to our lives, and builds community, it provides supporters with a set of values, norms, and rules by which to live

Symbolic interactionism

Focuses on how people construct religious meanings and how religion is incorporated in our everyday lives

Religiosity

The regular practice of religious beliefs, often measured in terms of frequency of attendance at worship services and the importance of religious beliefs to an individual