- Subject:
- Sociology
- Material Type:
- Module
- Level:
- Community College / Lower Division
- Provider:
- Ohio Open Ed Collaborative
- Tags:
- License:
- Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike
- Language:
- English
- Media Formats:
- Text/HTML
Education Standards
Social Structure: The Building Blocks of Social Life
“Trust in Decline?” by Pamela Paxton (Available via OhioLINK)
“Why Don’t Jury Pools Bond Anymore? Character vs. Structure” by Jay Livingston
Define institutions
Overview
OER Text material
Social Structure: The Building Blocks of Social Life
Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World. Section 5.1.3 provides a basic definition of social institutions, providing examples of institutions. It also provides a working definition of society
Supplementary Material (Videos and Reading)
Social Institutions: Society and Culture (Video)
This video from the Khan Academy defines social institutions and highlights the functionalist view of institutions.
“Trust in Decline?” by Pamela Paxton
Contexts Vol. 4, Iss. 1, February 2005, pp. 40-46 (NOTE: Available via OhioLINK). Abstract: “Americans' trust in other Americans has been on the decline for decades. Their trust in American institutions such as business and religion is, although sometimes wavering, more resilient. Can our trust in institutions help repair our trust in each other?”
“Why Don’t Jury Pools Bond Anymore? Character vs. Structure” by Jay Livingston
Sociological Images, June 29, 2015. Livingston relays his experiences with jury duty in NY both in the past and present, noting a lack of connection between prospective jurists in his most recent experience in the jury pool. After exploring potential cultural shifts as the cause for this change, he identifies changes in the jury pool structure that led to a lack of connection between potential jurists.