A social institution can be said to be a collection of roles, hierarchies, positions, responsibilities and people belonging to that institution that is a fundamental part of society and helps it to function. The institution can have its own goals and objectives and these can be different from the goals and aspirations of its individual members. There are five major social institutions in our society: family, government, religion, economy and education. Each of these institutions contribute to the social structure in their own ways and is considered to be a fundamental aspect of every society.