Institutionalism: Formal vs. Informal Institutions

• Institutionalism is a social science approach emphasizing the role of institutions.
• The father's role is the pillar, and the mother's role is seen as the light of the home.

Primary Institutions

• Family
• Religion
• Economics
• Education
• Government

Formal Institutions

• Codified rules, policies, and norms originate from the state, laws, government, or organizations.
• Include written constitutions, laws, policies, rights, and regulations enforced by official authorities.
• Officially established.
• Example traffic rules

Informal Institutions

• Equally known rules and norms but not commonly written down.
• Not laid down in writing and tend to be more persistent than formal rules.
• Not officially established.
• Example dowry

Characteristics of Institutionalism

• Structure
• Stability
• Regulator of behavior
• Shared values
• Legitimacy

Feminism

• Aims to promote gender equality, social justice, and women's rights.
• Comes from the Latin word "femina," meaning woman, with "Isme" (Latin suffix Ismus) meaning practice or doctrine.
• Mary Wollstonecraft is considered the founder, and wrote "Vindication of the Rights of Woman."
• Charles Fourier coined the term Feminism.

Waves of Feminism

• 1st wave (19th-20th century): Focused on the right to suffrage (vote), ownership, and political equality.
• 2nd wave (1960-1990): Focused on equal pay/job opportunities, fighting against the objectification of women, and civil rights.
• 3rd wave: Judith Butler differentiated Gender (Feminine/Masculine - cultural) from Sex (Male/Female - biological).

Branches of Feminism

• Liberal Feminism: Women's ability to maintain equality through action and choices.
• Socialist Feminism: Liberation can only be achieved by ending economic and cultural oppression's sources.
• Radical Feminism: Advocates that male supremacy is eliminated, as patriarchy is the root of gender inequality.

Hermeneutics

• Study focused on interpretation based on belief, actions, and experience.
• Science and art of Biblical interpretation.

Phenomenology

• Study of consciousness based on human experience and considered the philosophy of experience.
• Perspective tells us to remove preconceived ideas to arrive at a pure description of experiences.
• Derived from the Greek word meaning "that which appears."

Hermeneutical Phenomenology

• A philosophy and method for interpreting human experiences to understand what it is to be human.
• Sometimes referred to as interpretative or existential phenomenology.
• Martin Heidegger developed the concept of Hermeneutics
  • Throwness: Before mankind existed, the world has set a standard

Key Figures

• Edmund Husserl developed the concept of Phenomenology.
  • He emphasized the value of experience in understanding social events.
  • Universal Truth can be fully enjoyed if the impression is removed from a situation (Prejudgment, prejudice, biases).
  • Bracketing: An act of suspending judgment about the natural world to focus on the analysis of experience.