The term institution is derived from the Latin word 'institutum', meaning a habit, custom, arrangement, or established feature. Sociologically, institutions are not physical structures or groups of people, but rather the recognized and established patterns of behavior, rules, and procedures that govern human interaction.
- MacIver & Page: In their monumental work 'Society: An Introductory Analysis' (1949), they define social institutions as "established forms or conditions of procedure characteristic of group activity." They emphasize that institutions are organizational systems of social life, whereas associations are the organized groups themselves.
- Emile Durkheim: In 'The Rules of Sociological Method' (1895), Durkheim famously defined social facts and treated social institutions as normative constraints that exercise external coercive power over individuals, shaping collective conscience.
- Bronislaw Malinowski: From a functionalist perspective, Malinowski posited in 'A Scientific Theory of Culture' (1944) that every institution has a specific function, satisfying basic biological and derived human needs through organized cooperative activities.
- Sumner & Keller: William Graham Sumner in 'Folkways' (1906) viewed institutions as a cluster of mores and folkways serving societal survival needs, combining concepts with philosophical and material apparatus.