Institutions

From Geography

The term institutions has in recent years become widespread in social sciences. It reflects the growth in many disciplines like institutional geography, institutional economy and institutional politics. Even today, however, there is no unanimity in the definition of this concept (Hodgson, 2006). But trying to give a clear definition, we could use Hodgsons' (2006) definition, which says that 'institutions are systems of established and embedded social rules that structure social interactions'. Rules in this context are understood as socially transmitted and customary normative injunctions or immanently normative dispositions, that in circumstances X do Y (Hodgson, 2006).

People often use the term institution for organizations. These are institutions because they involve criteria to establish their boundaries to make distinctions between their members and other people and they are bases on certain principles (Hodgson, 2006).

An other important term regarding institutions is habituation. This is a psychological meganism by which individuals acquire dispositions to engage in specific behaviour (Hodgson, 2006).

Reference

Hodgson, G.M., (2006). What are insitutions. Journal of Economic Issues.