Social Institutions A system of statuses, roles, values, and norms that is organized to satisfy one or more of the basic needs of society. –Family –Economic Institutions –Political Institutions –Education –Religion Institutions of Family Statuses: mother, father, child #1, child #2 Role expectations: Dad & mom work, teenagers help, babies play, etc Values: All for one, and one for all Norms: Help in need Types of Societies –Preindustrial: Hunter Gatherer and Agricultural Societies –Industrial: shift of from production of food to manufactured goods. –Postindustrial: economic activity centers on the production of information and services.

Gemeinschaft and Gesellshaft Contrasting Societies Gemeinschaft: Cmmunity “Intimate Community”: –Ferdinand Tonnies –Describes village life, the type of society in which everyone knows everyone else. Example: Amish Believed that the new society was crowding out family and friendships. This new type…. Gesellshaft: Society “Impersonal Association”: –Believed that the ties between families and friends had shrunk in importance. Example: City Life Social structure set the context for what we do, feel, and think, and ultimately, then, for the kind of people we become.

What is “socialization”? The lifelong social experience by which individuals develop human potential and learn patterns of their culture. –Social experience is also the basis of personality A person’s fairly consistent patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting

Agents of Socialization Influence our self concept, emotions, attitudes, and behaviors