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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Institutions - Twitter Search

New #job: Consultant - MS -Dynamics GP - Financial Institutions - ERP #jobs #tech http://bit.ly/7EQJuj
AustinTech_Job (Austin Tech Jobs) Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:24:58 -0000
New #job: Consultant - MS -Dynamics GP - Financial Institutions - ERP #jobs #tech http://bit.ly/7EQJuj
Talisma CRM for Higher Edu Unveiled in the UK: To enhance strategic enrollment management at institutions, Tali.. http://bit.ly/6Wd9bh
CXOtodayAlerts (CXOtoday ) Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:12:37 -0000
Talisma CRM for Higher Edu Unveiled in the UK: To enhance strategic enrollment management at institutions, Tali.. http://bit.ly/6Wd9bh
Texte de Bernard Bier (Injep) : "Jeunes de quartier populaire et institutions". http://ping.fm/AKTG6
Ob_Jet (Obs jeunes & travail) Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:10:42 -0000
Texte de Bernard Bier (Injep) : "Jeunes de quartier populaire et institutions". http://ping.fm/AKTG6
If I had the power of any of these institutions, I would misuse that power in totally different ways *rimshot* thank you. tip your waitress.
MollyPorkshanks (M M Friedrich) Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:09:53 -0000
If I had the power of any of these institutions, I would misuse that power in totally different ways *rimshot* thank you. tip your waitress.
XL to cover financial institutions (Global Reinsurance) http://short.to/12j9a
InsureReReport (Daniel Gerber) Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:01:49 -0000
XL to cover financial institutions (Global Reinsurance) http://short.to/12j9a
RT @craigs4th: Institutions are only as good as the people who are committed to them. #quote
aussiegirlteam (Lori Sweeney) Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:59:38 -0000
RT @craigs4th: Institutions are only as good as the people who are committed to them. #quote

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