Next class

• No group discussion next Tuesday — intro to social construction and realism

What is an “institution”?

• "Institution" is a very broad term in sociology.
• An institution is a set of persistent regularities in behavior viewed as durable.
  E.g. Religions, legal systems, companies, industries family, …
• In this sense, science (roles, methods, norms) is an institution.

Institutional analysis (IA)

• IA is a perspective in sociology that aims to explain the forms and structures of institutions in society.
• Institutional analysts examine the ways that institutions shape the behavior of their individual participants.
• IA focuses on the aggregate outcomes of institutional rules, structures, and norms.