APA Dictionary of Psychology

institution

Updated on 04/19/2018

an established practice, tradition, behavior, or system of roles and relationships, such as marriage, that is considered a normative structure or arrangement within a society. Sociologists usually distinguish between four main types of institutions: political (e.g., monarchy), economic (e.g., capitalism), cultural (e.g., media, education, religion), and social (e.g., family organization, race, gender).
a large, often publicly funded organization, such as a university, museum, or charitable foundation, or the building that houses such an organization.
a building or building complex in which individuals are cared for or confined for extended periods of time, especially a psychiatric hospital or a prison. —institutional adj.

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