Transformation of Social Institutions - Research Paper Example

Topic: Changes in Social s Introduction The social s like family, marriage, economy, and religion have been the back bone of a society. These are interconnected and constitute the identity of people and society they live in. The nature of social institution has been ever changing since time recorded. However, in the recent times, the changes in the social institutions have been relatively slow paced than before. Family and community are typically spanned many generations. The traditional societies change slowly in comparison with the post – industrial societies. With the sudden emergence of industrialization, the society changed rapidly during 19th century. The change in the society and norms quickly due to wars, natural disaster, economic shifts, population explosions, or rapid transition from traditional to modern society made people disoriented or disintegrated. A sudden change in norms of a society can lead to devaluation in culture and belief system of people. A rapid change in social institutions is not always bad as it allows the people to face the shifting social conditions.However; a transition in economy can significantly lead to the prosperity and sophistication of people and society. Any change in the economical, natural or political environment of a nation lead to a shift in the society. A change in the society effect the nature and working of social institutions and this in turn impact the social importance and prestige of people. Society is never static and the constantly varying nature of society leads to the change in social engagements of human beings. The Concept of Social Institutions According to sociologist there are five social institutions which fulfill the basic needs of human beings. These are family, economy, education, religion and politics. The behavior of the people in each area depends upon the nature of this social institution. Among these social institutions family is the most important and basic one. For the smooth functioning of an institute, a stable family unit is mandatory. The institution of family guides one generation to next. The next important social institution knows as economy relates to the production and distribution of goods, wealth, labor and resources of a country. The economy sustains a society and wellbeing of a person is depended on the prosperity of the economy of a country. The third one, which is education has a significant role in imparting knowledge to society members and hence make them productive labor. An economy cannot survive without an education as well as a family. Only an educated person can be a good family member and a productive social member. A religion plays an important role in nurturing a morality and ethical conduct among society members. A religious institution gives foundation to a family, marriage and cultural practices. As per (Austin)“According to Karl Marx, religion is a social institutions which is dependent upon material and economic realities in a given society”. Last but not least, the political institution gives a social structure to the economy by implying rules and regulation to it. All these social institutions are bound to change as there are many factors influencing them. The Cause for Changes in Social Institutions The causes for changes in social institution can be due to various factors. The change in social institution can be due to both diffusion and invention. Actually, both invention and diffusion contribute to the change in the social institutions. However the changes can be roughly concluded as cultural, biological, population, environmental, psychological technological .These can be briefly describes as follows. i) Cultural: The main cause of change in a social institution can be related to cultural factor. A variation or change in the culture of a society largely influences a social relationship. Actually, once the culture of a person changes it can bring about change in his family life, religious beliefs and educational pattern. For example a person in Arabic culture interacts in a different form of social institution than an American national. ii) Technological; Technology has a significant role to play in shaping any social institution. Technology changes the environment we interact with and hence influence us to adapt with it. This change applies to the materialistic environment we live like transportation and communication system. For instance, during the industrial revolution, the social institution was transformed at a fast pace. Every sphere of human life changed including, family, economy, education and politics. When the society adjust towards these changes, their customs and social institutions change accordingly. iii) Biological: Biological factors also indirectly affect the nature of social institutions. In this regard, the qualitative aspect of the population mainly heredity causes the changes. If a nation has population who are powerful and intelligent, then the family, education, economy and political structure can be more stable and wealthy. iv) Population –Even the changes in size and quality of a population has a dramatic effect on the social initiations of a nation. Increase or decrease in a population, a change in the ratio of men and women, young and old have an immediate impact on the social institution of a nation. v) Environmental: The geographical environment can also influence the social institution of a nation. The evolution and devolution of human civilization can be associated with the climatic changes in the environmental conditions. It cannot be denied be anyone as to the affect of floods, earthquakes drought and rain on social relationships and resources of a society. For example a region which is prone to earthquake can have a weak infrastructure and this can affect the family life and economy of people. As per (Boylu 55-60)“Among the negative effects of earthquakes on the family which is the most basic institution of social structure, are its effect on the routines of daily living and also economic, social and psychological effects”. vi) Psychological: The psychological behavior of people has a great impact in the change of social institutions like marriage, education and economy. The cause of change can be attributed to the nature of man which is a love for change. Man has an inherent passion for changes and in this pursuit he discovers new concept and things in every sphere of life. Due to this tendency, he invents new customs and traditions which perpetually the basic structure of social institutions. The Social Institutions are Ever Changing The form and structure of social institutions are continuously changing in each period due to the variation is different factors related to a society. Since ages, the social institution of a society is being created and destroyed in the cultural, political, economical and in all arenas. The form of marriage, family, state, religion, educational system and social and economical structure is continually transforming and changing. From the previous ages, the social power and prestige of man has increased significantly. People in the all over the world are living a superior life as compared to the Stone Age man. Man with his vast intelligence; continue to invent more and more technology and social concepts to make his life more sophisticated. As a man change, the society changes and as a society changes, it can have positive or negative impact on environment. This process can be related to global warming which is a side effect of the overly industrialization of the society. Now, man’s innovations have led to an adverse effect on the environment and as a reason he is again changing to eco – friendly living. He has transformed in a way to adapt to the changing environment and intent to conserve planet and other living beings.Now, people are more conscious of environment and eco system and a culture of extravagance is replaced with cautious living. Man has understood that natural resources are limited and conservation is the best policy for better life. So the social institutions of society will continue to change as the time pass by and is an inevitable phenomena. Conclusion Today, the world is transforming at a fast pace and along with it the social institutions are also changing its form and nature. In past decades, marriage as a social institution denoted a great value in a society. However, in recent years, the populations of developed countries give less importance to marriage and age old family values and traditions. Nowadays, people have become more mechanized and orient their lives around their career. Men and women hold equal status in the society and both work towards the prosperity of the economy. Even the religion holds little or less value among current population all over the world. Moreover the technology has taken over the lives of people and they have become more materialistic and goal oriented. The social expectations of people have taken a new dimension and people look out for changes every day. In his book,(Sened 10)writes that “The key to understanding social institutions lies in the role that they play in the formation of social expectations and beliefs”. As the social institution advances the social expectation and beliefs of people change. Man consistently wants to change and progress, and this makes social institution ever changing. There has not been one phase in history where the society remained stagnant. Social institutions were continually evolving with time and people adapted and progressed along with it. As long as man remains ambitious, the changing process of social institution will be inevitable. References Boylu, Ayfer A. "Seismic Structure of Turkey: The Socioeconomic Effects of Earthquakes on Families." The International Journal of the Humanities 6.2 (2007): 55-60. Print. Cline, Austine. "Why Does Religion Exist? Explaining Religion and Religious Beliefs." About. The New York Times Company, 2011. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. . Sened, Itai. Explaining Social Institutions. Michigan: The University of Michigan Press, 1998. 10. Print. Read More