ABSTRACT
The concept of social institution also plays an important part in a dynamic and process-centered conception of the social system such as that outlined in Weberian sociology. Used with multiple meanings in the social sciences, the term generally denotes a relatively stable pattern of significance for the genesis and development of social relationships, which is in turn generated by social actions and interactions. In a conception centering on the social actor, the social institution is generally more cognitive than material in character, though it nevertheless features in the actors’ lived experience as a separate entity. Through socialization, then, they are transmitted to other subjects, and in particular to the new members of a society. Institutions can be displaced by others, following sweeping social changes that are usually unpredictable and in any case unplannable; such changes can be triggered, for example, by the sudden rise of technological innovations and advances, or driven by major social movements.
