Final answer:
The term refers to foundational social structures and institutions such as laws, morals, and religious beliefs that maintain social norms and regulate conflict. These formal norms are fundamental to various social institutions that socialize individuals, and religion is a key institution found in all societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term you're looking for refers to foundational social structures and institutions which play a key role in the maintenance of social norms and the regulation of conflict. Across the 'life' of sociology as a discipline, fields such as laws, morals, values, religious beliefs, customs, fashions, rituals, and all of the cultural rules that govern social life are a primary focus. These are supported by formal norms, which include established, written rules that are present in every society, and are most strictly enforced, despite having varied degrees of enforcement.
These institutions, such as the military, criminal justice and healthcare systems, and public schools, are integral in the socialization process, teaching individuals societal expectations through interaction with both formal and informal institutions. Religion is also a key social institution and is considered a cultural universal found in all societies, which includes beliefs and practices serving the needs of society. Notable sociologists like Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Karl Marx have all studied religion from different sociological perspectives, adding to our understanding of social structures.