ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a discussion of the institutional structure and the concept of “behavioral patterns.” It provides an explication of the “institutional” dichotomy, which is a fundamental tenet of most contemporary institutionalist analyses. The chapter examines the concept of the “technological dynamic,” which institutionalists believe identifies the basic evolutionary force in social change. It describes the manner in which “institutional space” is partitioned by the knowledge fund and the value structure of the institution. “Society” may be thought of as a set of institutional systems. An “institutional system,” in turn, may be thought of as a set of institutions. The institutional structure of any society incorporates two systems of value: the ceremonial and the instrumental, each of which has its own logic and method of validation. The chapter explores the concept of “ceremonial encapsulation” and explains both “progressive” and “regressive” institutional change. It concludes with some observations on the discretionary character of social evolution.
