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The word institution conjures many different images: a stark building surrounded by a high metal fence; a town hall; a church; the building that houses the college president’s office. To sociologists, however, an institution isn’t a building; an institution is what goes on inside the building. An institution is a set of norms surrounding the carrying out of a function necessary for the survival of a society.
People in every society must fulfill certain functions in order to survive. They must set up processes for rearing and educating children. They must develop a system for maintaining order and managing relations with other societies. They must agree on methods for producing and exchanging goods and services. Societies differ in how they carry out these functions, but they all must somehow accomplish the same tasks in order to survive as a social unit. Institutions may seem abstract, but they are part of a world that is very real.
Macrosociology versus Microsociology
Sociologists use two approaches when studying society. In macrosociology, sociologists analyze large-scale social forces, such as institutions. They identify and analyze the structure of societies.
The second approach sociologists use is microsociology, the study of social interaction. These sociologists focus on face-to-face interaction, how people act around others. This method is focused more on individuals than groups.
Sociologists study social institutions primarily through macrosociology. This approach examines how institutions like the economy, government, education, and religion influence social order and stability. Macrosociologists analyze how institutions function, interact, and evolve over time, shaping the lives of individuals and groups on a broad scale.
While macrosociology is essential for understanding institutions, microsociology provides insight into how individuals experience and interact within them. Microsociology focuses on everyday social dynamics, such as how students engage with teachers or how workers navigate hierarchies in the workplace. While institutions are primarily studied at the macro level, microsociology helps reveal the personal and social meanings that individuals attach to them in daily life.
