UNIT – 4

SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS:

A TELEOLOGICAL ACCOUNT OF INSTITUTIONS:

Quest: Give the details of the teleological accounts of the institutions.

Ans: Teleological account defines values in reference to some  end, purpose or goal.  As derived from the Greek word ‘telos’ which means ‘end’ and logos , ‘science’ it is the science  of purposiveeness . Moral obligations or duties are defined in terms of the good or the end achieved by it.  It is gives emphasise on the joint action.  Joint actions consist individual actions for collective end.  This collective end serves the purpose of the individual, as well. Being the collective end also, this end can be achieved by the actions of all or by the most of them

                     Collective end is implied in the actions of the individual, doing something for his own purpose.  At the same time, this collective end may be implicit in the activities of the members of an institution.

                     Organisations are a bit different from social groups in the sense that they have separate identity due to the kind of activity they undertake and their specific ends.  But, in spite of their separate existence they have collaborative roles also in terms of their tasks, procedures and conventions.  For example, we have governments and universities with their own purposes of leading the nation and dissemination of the knowledge, respectively.  Yet, both have the collaborative and collective purpose of the service of the society.

Further, organisations have a layered structure of joint actions.  For example, in the armed forces different groups have severed as well as joint actions to perform. Organisations along with conventions are the essential, features of human life to achieve collective ends.  Collective ends are a part of individual ends. Organisations with the normative characteristics are social institutions.  So, institutions are almost always organisations and many systems of organisations are also institutions.

                     Teleological accounts may be of two types: descriptive and normative. On the descriptive teleological account, institutions like slavery will be considered as institution.  Due to their morally objectionable activities, their existence will not be denied and no question will be raised about their wrong activities.  While, according to a normative teleological account, an institution with activities like slavery will be unrecognized as institution.

                     So, the normative teleological account must be consistent with the descriptive teleological account.

MAIN THEORETICAL ACCOUNTS OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Quest: What are the main theoretical accounts of social institutions? Explain.

Ans. Social institutions have been theoretically defined in terms of conventions, social norms and rules. This account is called ‘atomistic’ theory of the institution.  According to the atomistic  theory individual agent consists moral values.  Resultantly, social institutions have moral value only derivatively because of their being conducive to the needs of the individual agents.  ‘Atoms’  are here defined as the actions of individual human persons.  The institutional forms of the individuals are ignored here.  Just like the collective entities institutions consist of an aggregate of individual human persons.

                     The second theory regarding the accounts of social institutions is the holistic one.  This theory defines social institutes in terms of internal and external relations. The institute consists the internal relations as its essential part and is definitive of it.  Opposite to it, the external relations are essential to it. Therefore, institutes are defined by its internal relations to other institutional roles.

                           The third method of defining the social institutions is the molecularist theory. This theory neither tries to dissect the institution in parts nor does it dissolves the part into the whole. By giving proper importance to the part and the whole, it tries maintain a balance between both.

                     According to this account just like a molecule, each institution has atomic factors as conventions and at the same time it has connections with the society at large, to constitute its wholistic existence.  Under this account of institutions each social institute will have independence up to certain extent and at the same time co-exist and be dependent on other parts of the society.  Just like the democratic governments nation-state structure, it will exist with wholistic - part nature.

                     Conclusively, we can say that both atomistic and wholistic account have a lacuna in it.  By giving too much emphasis on the elements of the institution atomistic theory lacks the holistic account of the structure.  On the other hand, by giving too much importance to the society on the whole, this theory lacks the distinctive characters of the particular institution.  As it is said that the middle path is the golden path and by following this path the  molecularist  theory tries to strike a balance between the two and gives proper attention to the whole as well as to the part.

NORMATIVE CHARACTER OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS:

Quest: What is the character of social institutions ? Explain.

Ans. Social institutions with moral standards to decide the right and wrong behaviour are called ‘normative’. To establish a single principle against all actions is said to be a ‘golden rule’ while there are other theories which have a set of rules.  Three normative theories ascertain ‘what one ought to do’?  To decide only one ultimate criterion of moral conduct is to establish normative theory.

                     Normatively, social institutions are multi- dimensional. Human rights and duties, contract based rights and obligations and rights and duties derived from production and consumption of goods are the various moral categories that are implied in the social institutions.

                     The relation between social institutions and human rights is very close. There are some ‘institutional moral rights.  These are right to vote and stand for political office, the right of the legislators to enact legislation, of judges to make judgements of police to arrest offenders and of patients to sue doctors for negligence.

                     These rights are of two types: (1) institutional moral rights and mere institutional rights.

                     There are two types of institutional moral rights:  individual moral rights and joint moral rights.  Joint moral rights belong to individual human person but jointly.

GENERAL PROPERTIES OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS: 

Question: Define social institution: What are the features of social institutions and how are social institutions interlinked with distributive justice? Explain ( Dec-2014, 500 words)

Quest: Give a teleological account of social institutions (June-2014, 150 words)

Ans;               The term ‘social institution’ has been rightly defined as “ a complex of positions, roles, norms and values lodged in particular types of social structures and organising  relatively stable patterns of human activity with respect to fundamental problems in producing life-sustaining resources , in reproducing individuals, and in sustaining viable societal structures within a given environment” by sociologist  Jonathan H Turner.

                     While, Anthony Giddens, the British Sociologist, holds that “Institutions by definition are the more enduring features of social life”.

                     Whereas, noted philosopher psychologist Rom Harre gives the definition of ‘social institution’ on the basis of theoretical sociologist’s views.  He holds that “An institution was defined as an interlocking double structure of person’s as-role-holders or office bearers and the like, and of social practices involving both expressive and practical aims and outcomes”.

                     Thus, it is obvious that the term ‘social institution’ indicates social forms such as state governments, the family, human languages, universities, hospitals, economic institutions like business corporations and legal systems.

Quest: What are the salient properties of social institutions? (june 2013, 150 words )

Ans.  There are mainly four salient properties of social institutions i.e. structure, foundation, culture and sanctions. Any institution that is  an organisation has different roles to play. These roles are determined by the tasks and these tasks are monitored by certain rules.  These roles are almost always interdependent.  The performance of one task depends on the another one.  There are several grades of interrelated roles involving different levels of status and degrees of authority.  All these roles are meant for certain teleology or end.  From this point of view also all these roles are related to each other as they are all a part in virtue of their  contribution to the purpose of the institution. To achieve this end, the actors of the institution and some non-institutional actors have to interact. So, the structure of the institution is decided by the constitutive roles of an institution and their relations to one another.

                     The personal characters of different role occupants, mainly eminent ones, signifies the nature of the institution.  Social institutions, in this sense are continuously evolving entities, with the history of the past and prospect of the future. Apart from the formal tasks and rules there are certain informal characteristics of any institution, which is called as culture. This informal dimension of any institution includes the values, norms and ethos as the basis or foundation of the institution.  Thus, the activities of the members of any institution is determined by culture.  It is possible that in any institution, there are various cultures.  The formal and official culture must compete with the unofficial and informal culture.

                     At the same time with structure, functions and culture, social institutions have sanctions also.
They have informal sanctions as well along with formal sanctions. Though, according to some theorists formal sanctions are the necessary factors of many institution but they are not the features of all institutions.

 (June 2011,13)

SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE:

Distributive Justice: Justice is the core point of all social institutions . Whether it is market economy, salary and tax systems or judicial system, prisons etc: all have to comply with the principles of justice.  But justice must be differentiated from right and well being. As right is related to only one person whereas, justice is a relational concept. It refers to something done in reference to others. But at the same time both are complementary to each other. Violation of someone’s rights is injustice and injustice is at the same time violation of someone’s rights.  So, distributive justice is related to distribution of benefits and burdens between individuals and groups.  It includes also distribution of rights and duties.  Punishing the criminal is penal justice and distributive justice is different from it.  Recipients and providers of benefits and the bearers of burdens are subject to principles of distributive justice.  It is the prime duty of institution to ensure that they comply with the principles of distributive justice in the society at large.  But distributive justice is not the defining feature of social institutions.  The most important principle of distributive justice is this that the benefits produced by joint actions should flow back to those who performed the joint actions.  This principle of distributive justice should be enforced by governments in relation to their own citizens but not in relation to non-citizens.

                     A different situation is there, when many joint economic  enterprises are working with each other. This may be a trans-societal  i.e. a multi-national corporation. Now, in this type of condition, the decision must reflect the contribution of the wage-earner to the overall benefits produced by the multi-national corporation. If citizens are agreed to implement this principle of distributive justice in relation to intra-societal economic interactions, why not they will agree to it in trans-societal economic interactions.

Questions of the unit:

Q1. How is Social Institution distinguished from society?

Ans. MAIN THEORETICAL ACCOUNTS OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Quest: What are the main theoretical accounts of social institutions? Explain.

Ans. Social institutions have been theoretically defined in terms of conventions, social norms and rules. This account is called ‘atomistic’ theory of the institution.  According to the atomistic  theory individual agent consists moral values.  Resultantly, social institutions have moral value only derivatively because of their being conducive to the needs of the individual agents.  ‘Atoms’  are here defined as the actions of individual human persons.  The institutional forms of the individuals are ignored here.  Just like the collective entities institutions consist of an aggregate of individual human persons.

                     The second theory regarding the accounts of social institutions is the holistic one.  This theory defines social institutes in terms of internal and external relations. The institute consists the internal relations as its essential part and is definitive of it.  Opposite to it, the external relations are essential to it. Therefore, institutes are defined by its internal relations to other institutional roles.

                           The third method of defining the social institutions is the molecularist theory. This theory neither tries to dissect the institution in parts nor does it dissolves the part into the whole. By giving proper importance to the part and the whole, it tries maintain a balance between both.

                     According to this account just like a molecule, each institution has atomic factors as conventions and at the same time it has connections with the society at large, to constitute its wholistic existence.  Under this account of institutions each social institute will have independence up to certain extent and at the same time co-exist and be dependent on other parts of the society.  Just like the democratic governments nation-state structure, it will exist with wholistic - part nature.

                     Conclusively, we can say that both atomistic and wholistic account have a lacuna in it.  By giving too much emphasis on the elements of the institution atomistic theory lacks the holistic account of the structure.  On the other hand, by giving too much importance to the society on the whole, this theory lacks the distinctive characters of the particular institution.  As it is said that the middle path is the golden path and by following this path the  molecularist  theory tries to strike a balance between the two and gives proper attention to the whole as well as to the part.

 Q2. How are Social Institutions treated as Organizations and Institutions?

Ans. NORMATIVE CHARACTER OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS:

Quest: What is the character of social institutions ? Explain.

Ans. Social institutions with moral standards to decide the right and wrong behaviour are called ‘normative’. To establish a single principle against all actions is said to be a ‘golden rule’ while there are other theories which have a set of rules.  Three normative theories ascertain ‘what one ought to do’?  To decide only one ultimate criterion of moral conduct is to establish normative theory.

                     Normatively, social institutions are multi- dimensional. Human rights and duties, contract based rights and obligations and rights and duties derived from production and consumption of goods are the various moral categories that are implied in the social institutions.

                     The relation between social institutions and human rights is very close. There are some ‘institutional moral rights.  These are right to vote and stand for political office, the right of the legislators to enact legislation, of judges to make judgements of police to arrest offenders and of patients to sue doctors for negligence.

                     These rights are of two types: (1) institutional moral rights and mere institutional rights.

                     There are two types of institutional moral rights:  individual moral rights and joint moral rights.  Joint moral rights belong to individual human person but jointly.

GENERAL PROPERTIES OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS: 

Question: Define social institution: What are the features of social institutions and how are social institutions interlinked with distributive justice? Explain ( Dec-2014, 500 words)

Quest: Give a teleological account of social institutions (June-2014, 150 words)

Ans;               The term ‘social institution’ has been rightly defined as “ a complex of positions, roles, norms and values lodged in particular types of social structures and organising  relatively stable patterns of human activity with respect to fundamental problems in producing life-sustaining resources , in reproducing individuals, and in sustaining viable societal structures within a given environment” by sociologist  Jonathan H Turner.

                     While, Anthony Giddens, the British Sociologist, holds that “Institutions by definition are the more enduring features of social life”.

                     Whereas, noted philosopher psychologist Rom Harre gives the definition of ‘social institution’ on the basis of theoretical sociologist’s views.  He holds that “An institution was defined as an interlocking double structure of person’s as-role-holders or office bearers and the like, and of social practices involving both expressive and practical aims and outcomes”.

                     Thus, it is obvious that the term ‘social institution’ indicates social forms such as state governments, the family, human languages, universities, hospitals, economic institutions like business corporations and legal systems.

Quest: What are the salient properties of social institutions? (june 2013, 150 words )

Ans.  There are mainly four salient properties of social institutions i.e. structure, foundation, culture and sanctions. Any institution that is  an organisation has different roles to play. These roles are determined by the tasks and these tasks are monitored by certain rules.  These roles are almost always interdependent.  The performance of one task depends on the another one.  There are several grades of interrelated roles involving different levels of status and degrees of authority.  All these roles are meant for certain teleology or end.  From this point of view also all these roles are related to each other as they are all a part in virtue of their  contribution to the purpose of the institution. To achieve this end, the actors of the institution and some non-institutional actors have to interact. So, the structure of the institution is decided by the constitutive roles of an institution and their relations to one another.

                     The personal characters of different role occupants, mainly eminent ones, signifies the nature of the institution.  Social institutions, in this sense are continuously evolving entities, with the history of the past and prospect of the future. Apart from the formal tasks and rules there are certain informal characteristics of any institution, which is called as culture. This informal dimension of any institution includes the values, norms and ethos as the basis or foundation of the institution.  Thus, the activities of the members of any institution is determined by culture.  It is possible that in any institution, there are various cultures.  The formal and official culture must compete with the unofficial and informal culture.

                     At the same time with structure, functions and culture, social institutions have sanctions also.
They have informal sanctions as well along with formal sanctions. Though, according to some theorists formal sanctions are the necessary factors of many institution but they are not the features of all institutions.

Question: Define social institution: What are the features of social institutions and how are social institutions interlinked with distributive justice? Explain ( Dec-2014, 500 words)

Quest: Give a teleological account of social institutions (June-2014, 150 words)

Ans;               The term ‘social institution’ has been rightly defined as “ a complex of positions, roles, norms and values lodged in particular types of social structures and organising  relatively stable patterns of human activity with respect to fundamental problems in producing life-sustaining resources , in reproducing individuals, and in sustaining viable societal structures within a given environment” by sociologist  Jonathan H Turner.

                     While, Anthony Giddens, the British Sociologist, holds that “Institutions by definition are the more enduring features of social life”.

                     Whereas, noted philosopher psychologist Rom Harre gives the definition of ‘social institution’ on the basis of theoretical sociologist’s views.  He holds that “An institution was defined as an interlocking double structure of person’s as-role-holders or office bearers and the like, and of social practices involving both expressive and practical aims and outcomes”.

                     Thus, it is obvious that the term ‘social institution’ indicates social forms such as state governments, the family, human languages, universities, hospitals, economic institutions like business corporations and legal systems.

Q3. What are the salient properties of Social Institution?

Ans. GENERAL PROPERTIES OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS: 

Quest: What are the salient properties of social institutions? (june 2013, 150 words )

Ans.  There are mainly four salient properties of social institutions i.e. structure, foundation, culture and sanctions. Any institution that is  an organisation has different roles to play. These roles are determined by the tasks and these tasks are monitored by certain rules.  These roles are almost always interdependent.  The performance of one task depends on the another one.  There are several grades of interrelated roles involving different levels of status and degrees of authority.  All these roles are meant for certain teleology or end.  From this point of view also all these roles are related to each other as they are all a part in virtue of their  contribution to the purpose of the institution. To achieve this end, the actors of the institution and some non-institutional actors have to interact. So, the structure of the institution is decided by the constitutive roles of an institution and their relations to one another.

                     The personal characters of different role occupants, mainly eminent ones, signifies the nature of the institution.  Social institutions, in this sense are continuously evolving entities, with the history of the past and prospect of the future. Apart from the formal tasks and rules there are certain informal characteristics of any institution, which is called as culture. This informal dimension of any institution includes the values, norms and ethos as the basis or foundation of the institution.  Thus, the activities of the members of any institution is determined by culture.  It is possible that in any institution, there are various cultures.  The formal and official culture must compete with the unofficial and informal culture.

                     At the same time with structure, functions and culture, social institutions have sanctions also.
They have informal sanctions as well along with formal sanctions. Though, according to some theorists formal sanctions are the necessary factors of many institution but they are not the features of all institutions.

Q4. How do atomistic theories explain social institution?

Ans. MAIN THEORETICAL ACCOUNTS OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Q5. How do holistic and molecularist accounts stress on the role of Social Institution?

Ans. MAIN THEORETICAL ACCOUNTS OF SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Quest: What are the main theoretical accounts of social institutions? Explain.

Ans. Social institutions have been theoretically defined in terms of conventions, social norms and rules. This account is called ‘atomistic’ theory of the institution.  According to the atomistic  theory individual agent consists moral values.  Resultantly, social institutions have moral value only derivatively because of their being conducive to the needs of the individual agents.  ‘Atoms’  are here defined as the actions of individual human persons.  The institutional forms of the individuals are ignored here.  Just like the collective entities institutions consist of an aggregate of individual human persons.

                     The second theory regarding the accounts of social institutions is the holistic one.  This theory defines social institutes in terms of internal and external relations. The institute consists the internal relations as its essential part and is definitive of it.  Opposite to it, the external relations are essential to it. Therefore, institutes are defined by its internal relations to other institutional roles.

                           The third method of defining the social institutions is the molecularist theory. This theory neither tries to dissect the institution in parts nor does it dissolves the part into the whole. By giving proper importance to the part and the whole, it tries maintain a balance between both.

                     According to this account just like a molecule, each institution has atomic factors as conventions and at the same time it has connections with the society at large, to constitute its wholistic existence.  Under this account of institutions each social institute will have independence up to certain extent and at the same time co-exist and be dependent on other parts of the society.  Just like the democratic governments nation-state structure, it will exist with wholistic - part nature.

                     Conclusively, we can say that both atomistic and wholistic account have a lacuna in it.  By giving too much emphasis on the elements of the institution atomistic theory lacks the holistic account of the structure.  On the other hand, by giving too much importance to the society on the whole, this theory lacks the distinctive characters of the particular institution.  As it is said that the middle path is the golden path and by following this path the  molecularist  theory tries to strike a balance between the two and gives proper attention to the whole as well as to the part.

Q6.What is the central concept in the teleological account of social institutions?

Ans.  Quest: Give a teleological account of social institutions (June-2014, 150 words)

Ans;               The term ‘social institution’ has been rightly defined as “ a complex of positions, roles, norms and values lodged in particular types of social structures and organising  relatively stable patterns of human activity with respect to fundamental problems in producing life-sustaining resources , in reproducing individuals, and in sustaining viable societal structures within a given environment” by sociologist  Jonathan H Turner.

                     While, Anthony Giddens, the British Sociologist, holds that “Institutions by definition are the more enduring features of social life”.

                     Whereas, noted philosopher psychologist Rom Harre gives the definition of ‘social institution’ on the basis of theoretical sociologist’s views.  He holds that “An institution was defined as an interlocking double structure of person’s as-role-holders or office bearers and the like, and of social practices involving both expressive and practical aims and outcomes”.

                     Thus, it is obvious that the term ‘social institution’ indicates social forms such as state governments, the family, human languages, universities, hospitals, economic institutions like business corporations and legal systems.

Q7. What is the nature-teleological accounts of social institutions?

Ans.

Q8. What are the Multidimensional aspect of Justice?

Ans. SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE:

Q7. How does Distributive Justice play a role in Social Institutions?

Ans. (June 2011,13)

SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE:

Distributive Justice: Justice is the core point of all social institutions . Whether it is market economy, salary and tax systems or judicial system, prisons etc: all have to comply with the principles of justice.  But justice must be differentiated from right and well being. As right is related to only one person whereas, justice is a relational concept. It refers to something done in reference to others. But at the same time both are complementary to each other. Violation of someone’s rights is injustice and injustice is at the same time violation of someone’s rights.  So, distributive justice is related to distribution of benefits and burdens between individuals and groups.  It includes also distribution of rights and duties.  Punishing the criminal is penal justice and distributive justice is different from it.

 Recipients and providers of benefits and the bearers of burdens are subject to principles of distributive justice.  It is the prime duty of institution to ensure that they comply with the principles of distributive justice in the society at large.  But distributive justice is not the defining feature of social institutions.  The most important principle of distributive justice is this that the benefits produced by joint actions should flow back to those who performed the joint actions.  This principle of distributive justice should be enforced by governments in relation to their own citizens but not in relation to non-citizens.

A different situation is there, when many joint economic  enterprises are working with each other. This may be a trans-societal  i.e. a multi-national corporation. Now, in this type of condition, the decision must reflect the contribution of the wage-earner to the overall benefits produced by the multi-national corporation. If citizens are agreed to implement this principle of distributive justice in relation to intra-societal economic interactions, why not they will agree to it in trans-societal economic interactions.