2.1 - Explain forms of social control Flashcards
Definition of internal forms
Controls over our behaviour that come from within ourselves, often from our personalities or values
Examples of internal forms
Rational ideology - committing crime is a choice based on rational calculations of consequences, links to rational choice theory
Tradition - can come from culture or religion, transmission of customs/beliefs through generations, leads to following certain morals
Internalising social rules and morality - we internalise the ideal of society at a young age which then teaches us what is right/wrong, acting as a moral compass, links to Freud’s theory of the superego
Definition of external forms
When agencies of social control ensure that we conform to society’s expectations through fear of punishment
Examples of external forms
Coercion - the use of threat of force in order to make someone do or stop doing something, can inform physical or psychological violence, example of Birmingham 6 as police used physical violence/ threats to coerce them into admitting t crime, criminal gangs often coerce young/ vulnerable people into committing crime
Fear of punishment - can be a form of coercion where there’s a threat of force, people have a fear of being caught/punished so we decide to obey the law to avoid this (deterrence)
Agencies as external forms
Family - instil own values through positive/negative sanctions (told off/ grounded)
Peer groups - different subcultures have own morals they instil, (threat of losing friends, praise for following)
Police - give out negative formal sanctions by handing out fines or arresting
CPS - charge the defendant (deterrent)
Judges/ magistrates - use sentencing as negative formal sanction based on laws made by society
Prison service - reward prisoners with good behaviour like not fighting through token economy, those who go against (solitary)
Control theory - reasons to not commit crime
Travis Hirschi - 4 reasons to not commit crime
Attachment - the more attached we are to others the more we care about their opinion so respect their norms (such as following the law)
Commitment - the more committed we are to a conventional lifestyle the more we risk losing by committing crime, have a good job etc
Involvement - the more involved we are in law abiding activities (studying) the less time and energy we have to commit crime
Beliefs - if we have been socialised to believe it’s right to obey the law we are less likely to rebel as we have a strong moral guide so our conscience stops us
