INSTITUTIONALISM

INSTITUTIONALISM
Institutions are patterns, norms rules and schemes that govern and direct social thought
and action. Institutionalism, therefore, is an approach that aims to understand and
analyze how actions, thoughts, and meanings penetrate into the social consciousness
deeply enough to embed themselves into social psyche. There are different types of
institutionalism, but their common concern is to find out the effects of these institutions
and determine how these affect the manner by which the society functions.
Institutions provide social legitimacy and survival through Isomorphism. Isomorphism

refers to the similarity in form, shape or structure. Institutions arise, change, and persist
due to their regulative, normative and cognitive functions. These functions are
isomorphic in nature as they adopt in form, shape or structure to provide social
legitimacy, survival or both.
Three Functions of Isomorphism:
1. Regulative function - operates through coercive isomorphism, which places

value on expediency as effect of compliance. Change either happens or not
depending on external factors such as rules and laws.
2. Normative function - operates through normative isomorphism, which places

value on complying with social obligations. Change either happens or not
depending on external factors such as accreditations and certifications.
3. Cognitive function - operates through mimetic isomorphism, which places

value on factors such as uncertainty and prevalence of others" performance.
KEY CONCEPTS IN INSTITUTIONALISM

Formal and Informal Institutions:
 Formal and Informal institutions can be distinguished by what rules, practices
and norms they derive authority from.
a) Formal institutions
- are codified rules, policies and norms that are considered official,
originating from state laws, government or organizations.
Examples: constitution, official law, regulation, standards enforced by
the state.
b) Informal institutions
- are equally known rules and norms but are not commonly written
down.
- are social practices that have been commonly viewed as acceptable
and are more persistent than codified laws like that of formal
institutions.
Examples: Informal institutions, social norms, attitudes, traditions, self-
enforced morals.
Important Theorists on Institutionalism
1. David Mitrany (1888-1975) was a Romanian-born British scholar, historian, and

political theorist.
- Mitrany is considered as the father of functionalism in international relations,
which is classified under liberal institutionalism.
2. Jean Monnet (1888-1979) was a French political economist and diplomat.
- As one of the originators of the European Union, he saw how the needs of the
state are to be achieved through the principle of supranationality. As Mitrany
argued against territory being the source of authority, Monnet used the
argument to erase country borderlines.
3. Stephen Krasner (born 1942) is an American professor of international relations.
- Krasner argues that the American government and nongovernment
organizations should prioritize the stabilization of weakened states so that
American interests would be protected. In order to address the continued
deterioration of weaker states, he suggested creation of institutions that will
allow the weaker states to enter a market democracy.
Types of Institutionalism:
1. Normative institutionalism- is a sociological interpretation of institutions and

holds that a "logic of appropriateness" guides the behavior of actors within an
institution. It predicts that the norms and formal rules of institutions will shape
the actions of those acting within them.
2. Rational Choice Institutionalism- is a theoretical approach to the study of

institutions arguing that actors use institutions to maximize their utility.
However, actors face rule-based constraints which influence their behavior.
3. Historical Institutionalism - is a new institutionalist social science approach

that emphasizes how timing, sequences and path dependence affect institutions,
and shape social, political, economic behavior and change.
4. Sociological Institutionalism- is a form of new institutionalism that concerns
"the way in which institutions create meaning for individuals, providing
important theoretical building blocks for normative institutionalism within
political science"
5. Institutional Economics - focuses on understanding the role of the

evolutionary process and the role of institutions in shaping economic behavior.
6. Discursive Institutionalism - is an umbrella concept for approaches that

concern themselves with the substantive content of ideas and the interactive
processes of discourse in institutional context.
7. Constructivist Institutionalism - According to multiple theorists, this is so

whether the field in question is directly denoted as or has to do more with
bringing constructivist ideas into some other field, or with bringing ideas back
into the theory in contrast against structuralist and/or system.
8. Feminist Institutionalism- Is a new institutionalist approach that looks at how

gender norms operate within institutions and how institutional processes
construct and maintain gender power dynamics.

INSTITUTIONALISM

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INSTITUTIONALISM

Institutions provide social legitimacy and survival through Isomorphism. Isomorphism

Three Functions of Isomorphism:

1. Regulative function - operates through coercive isomorphism, which places

2. Normative function - operates through normative isomorphism, which places

3. Cognitive function - operates through mimetic isomorphism, which places

KEY CONCEPTS IN INSTITUTIONALISM

Important Theorists on Institutionalism

1. David Mitrany (1888-1975) was a Romanian-born British scholar, historian, and

1. Normative institutionalism- is a sociological interpretation of institutions and

2. Rational Choice Institutionalism- is a theoretical approach to the study of

3. Historical Institutionalism - is a new institutionalist social science approach

5. Institutional Economics - focuses on understanding the role of the

6. Discursive Institutionalism - is an umbrella concept for approaches that

7. Constructivist Institutionalism - According to multiple theorists, this is so

8. Feminist Institutionalism- Is a new institutionalist approach that looks at how

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