AC 2.1 Flashcards
What are the three different forms of social control?
Internal forms
- rational ideology
- tradition
- internalisation of social rules and morality
External forms
- coercion
- fear of punishment
Control theory
- reasons for abiding by the law
What is social control?
Any strategy which prevents deviant human behaviour. Everyone in society is encouraged to confirm to the law and any course of action which achieves social control. It is therefore actions which try to persuade or compel member of society to comply with the rules
What are the internal forms of social control?
- rational ideology
- tradition/religion
- internalisation of social rules and morality
Define rational ideology?
the internalisation of social rules that enable us to behave in accordance with society’s expectations
What is rational ideology?
- your conscience, and moral compass
- our feelings of guilt and worry which steer you away from an ‘incorrect’ course of action towards one that fits with laws and rules
According to Freud, what part of the personality is this ‘rational ideology’? When does it develop?
- It is our superego
- it tells us what is right and wrong and inflicts guilt or anxiety if we fail to do as it urges
- this develops through early socialisation as our internalised ‘nagging parent’ telling us how to behave
- superego allows us to exercise social control and behave in a socially acceptable way
How is tradition/religion a form of social control?
- the culture we belong to becomes part of us through socialisation
- we accept its norms, values and traditions as part of our own identity
- people will fear being hated or excluded if they don’t conform to these expectations
- for example, amir khan being trolled for celebrating christmas
how is the internalisation of social rules and morality a form of social control?
- when we internalise rational ideology and tradition, it forms our moral code
- we internalise these rules through socialisation
- they are taught us to by parents (early socialisation) and then secondary socialisation
What does Bandura’s social learning theory say the process of internalising social rules is?
- people learn from consequences
- positive rewards encourage behaviour and negative sanctions discourage behaviour
- therefore, we internalise the consequences and forms our values and moral code
What are the external forms of social control?
- coercion
- fear of punishment
How is coercion a form of social control?
persuading someone to do something using force and threats
- teaches people that the behaviour is wrong
How is fear of punishment a form of social control?
- the use of punishment to stop people from offending is called deterrence
- individual deterrence is punishment imposed to deter the individual from further offending eg conditional discharge
- general deterrence creates fear of severe punishments, therefore prevention others from committing similar crimes
Which theory links with the fear of punishment being a form of social control?
- Right realists as they advocate for zero tolerance policing by putting harsh punishments to deter others from committing crime and making crime less appealing in terms of the rational choice
What are the agencies in the criminal justice system that have the power to use formal sanctions in an attempt to make people conform?
- police - can stop + search, arrest, detain and question
- the CJS - can charge and prosecute
- Judges and magistrates - bail or remand in custody, can sentence
- the prison service - detain prisoners against their will
What are the positive sanctions the criminal justice system give, as a form of social control?
- lower sentencing for assisting the prosecution, early parol, privileges in prison for good behaviour
