Which of the following is one of the essential tasks performed by social institutions?

The essential task performed by social institutions includes teaching new members of society and preserving social order. This function is fundamental because social institutions—such as family, education, religion, economy, and government—are responsible for imparting society's values, norms, and knowledge to individuals, particularly those who are new or younger members of the community.

By educating individuals about societal expectations and promoting social cohesion, institutions help maintain stability and continuity within society. This process involves socialization, where individuals learn the behaviors and morals deemed acceptable by their culture, as well as mechanisms for enforcing societal rules and norms to ensure order. Such functions contribute to the overall functionality and structure of society, allowing it to coexist harmoniously.

The other options focus on aspects that, while potentially relevant to social institutions, do not encapsulate their core purpose as decisively. For example, creating emotional bonds or encouraging competition are secondary effects that might arise from specific institutions but do not reflect the fundamental responsibilities of those institutions in maintaining societal stability and education. Facilitating leisure activities, while beneficial for community engagement, is not a primary function of social institutions when compared to the critical roles of teaching and preserving order.