This article is about institutions as social mechanisms. Please see Organization for formal establishments.

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Institutions are social structures and social mechanisms of social order and cooperation governing the behavior of two or more individuals. Institutions are identified with a social purpose and permanence, transcending individual human lives and intentions, and with the making and enforcing of rules governing cooperative human behavior. The term, institution, is commonly applied to customs and behavior patterns important to a society, as well as to particular formal organizations of government and public service. As structures and mechanisms of social order among humans, institutions are one of the principal objects of study in the social sciences, including sociology, political science and economics. Institutions are a central concern for law, the formal regime for political rule-making and enforcement. The creation and evolution of institutions is a primary topic for history.

Aspects of Institutions

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Although individual, formal organizations, commonly identified as "institutions," may be deliberately and intentionally created by people, the development and functioning of institutions in society in general may be regarded as an instance of emergence; that is, institutions arise, develop and function in a pattern of social self-organization, which goes beyond the conscious intentions of the individual humans involved.

As mechanisms of social cooperation, institutions are manifest in both objectively real, formal organizations, such as the U.S. Congress, the Roman Catholic Church or the Bank of England, and, also, in informal social order and organization, reflecting human psychology, culture, habits and customs. Most important institutions, considered abstractly, have both objective and subjective aspects: examples include money and marriage. The institution of money encompasses many formal organizations, including banks and government treasury departments and stock exchanges, which may be termed, "institutions," as well as subjective experiences, which guide people in their pursuit of personal economic well-being and wealth. Powerful institutions are able to imbue a paper currency with certain value, and to induce millions into cooperative production and trade in pursuit of economic ends abstractly denominated in that currency's units. The subjective experience of money is so pervasive and persuasive that economists talk of the "money illusion" and try to disabuse their students of it, in preparation for learning economic analysis.

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Admission Tip # 39: Most institutions offer Chem I & Bio I in fall semester and Chem II & Bio II spring. Plan your pre-reqs accordingly!
MCPHSManchester (MCPHS-NH Admission) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:39:23 -0000
Admission Tip # 39: Most institutions offer Chem I & Bio I in fall semester and Chem II & Bio II spring. Plan your pre-reqs accordingly!
badly managed institutions would long since have been liquidated, the half-wits who brought them to bankruptcy (2/3)
bill_starr (Bill Starr) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:38:40 -0000
badly managed institutions would long since have been liquidated, the half-wits who brought them to bankruptcy (2/3)
.@hollycairns You don't end discrimination by creating "separate but equal" institutions.
BridgetCusick (Bridget Cusick) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:33:45 -0000
.@hollycairns You don't end discrimination by creating "separate but equal" institutions.
Housing Authorities will cooperate with top financial institutions to improve mortgage market in US - http://uurl.in/CFinc - #housing
realestatezingg (Angela james) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:31:15 -0000
Housing Authorities will cooperate with top financial institutions to improve mortgage market in US - http://uurl.in/CFinc - #housing
Indignant Barnard alum says, must all stories about all-female institutions be headlined "Where the Boys Aren't"? http://bit.ly/2VK97m
katyaronoff (Katy Aronoff) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:29:20 -0000
Indignant Barnard alum says, must all stories about all-female institutions be headlined "Where the Boys Aren't"? http://bit.ly/2VK97m
MEED NEWS UPDATE Abu Dhabi National Hotels to complete loan in late November: Institutions negotiate prices as UAE li... http://bit.ly/gKral
meeddubai (MEED) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:22:18 -0000
MEED NEWS UPDATE Abu Dhabi National Hotels to complete loan in late November: Institutions negotiate prices as UAE li... http://bit.ly/gKral

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