STORCHAK VLADIMIR M.

The theoretical and practical aspects of the concept of «tradition» in the context of the category of «social institution» are analyzed in the article. The authors emphasize that it has ambiguous interpretation in both foreign and domestic sociological literature nowadays. Various sociological points of view concerning this problem are presented in the paper; active, normative, organizational and other approaches are considered. The authors propose the most acceptable definition of «social institution» as a set of officially recognized and shared by the activity subjects norms due to which their actions become anticipated, anonymous and predictable in certain conditions, ensuring the achievement of the set goals. The study identifies the main types of social institutions comprising the concept of «tradition». The article presents some key substantive aspects of tradition: common and historical rules and regulations, an order and manner of actions fulfilled by virtue of established habits, stereotypical ways of behavior, etc. The authors analyze the institutional aspect of customs - social institutions (the sensual-emotional sphere which concerns social phenomena). These include feelings of unity, solidarity, integrative senses of solidarity, organic connection with each other, ideological proximity, connectedness by moral obligations etc. Tradition reinforces a sense of intimacy of the social group of people (relatives, employees, ethnic groups, religious community) linking them by the certain social relations. This gives confidence to an individual, making its existence more meaningful.