Abstract
Inherent in any culture are given social categories or subcultures—race or ethnicity, social class, gender, position in the life cycle, among others. Equally basic in the functioning of any society or culture are the social institutions. The most universal or indispensable are how we make a living or the economy and socializing agencies, predominantly the family, and in more advanced societies the educational institution. A means of control is the political institution. Religion and recreation provide for the satisfaction of still other needs. As explained in chapters 1 and 3, Latin American social institutions stem mainly from European and indigenous ingredients, with an African heritage in areas such as Brazil and the Caribbean. As in most of the world, subcultures and institutions alternate between stability and change. In this chapter we analyze ethnicity, social class, the economy, and the political order. Later chapters will explore other institutions.
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© 2006 Robert C. Williamson
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Williamson, R.C. (2006). Society, Economy, and Government. In: Latin America. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-09592-3_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-09592-3_4
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