Section: Social Institutions, Organizations, and Relations

Section Editor: Sara Curran, University of Washington

With globalization challenging nation states and societies, it becomes necessary to ask fundamental questions: what knits people together; what ensures the continuity and sustenance of communities; and what are the deeper forces that either accelerate or slow social change? This means returning to fundamental concepts such as social institutions, organizations, and relations in order to advance our knowledge of the profound changes taking place. The global challenges of today harken back to other moments in social history when intellectual figures emerged to offer compelling interpretations and explanations for the nature of the human condition, the character of social change and the emergence of a new social order. The Social Institutions, Organizations, and Relations Section of Global Perspectives welcomes such interpretations, and invites “big ideas” essays addressing deeply humane inquiries that shift paradigmatic views of the meaning of social institutions, organizations and relations.

Please visit the Social Institutions, Organizations, and Relations section page.