AC2.1 Flashcards
what is social control?
involves persuading or compelling people to conform to society’s norms, laws and expectations.
what are internal forms of social control?
controls over our behavior that come from within ourselves.
e.g. personality or values
also forms of self control
moral conscience or superego - Freud
according to Freud’s theory, we conform to society’s expectations and obey its rules because our superego tells us to do so.
our superego is developed between 4-6 years and is the morality principle.
our superego tells us what is right and wrong and inflicts guilty feelings if we fail to do as it urges.
tradition and culture
it may be your own traditions, customs or norms that ensure you conform to rules.
it can also be through your upbringing and how you have been socialised by parents.
what is socialisation?
the process through which people learn social norms, values and behaviour through the interaction with others, such as family, teachers and friends.
what are agents of socialisation?
-family
-teachers
-peers
-mass media
why is family an important agent of socialisation?
because they teach values, cultures and traditions they believe in and follow.
why are schools important?
they teach life skills such as communication, being punctual, manners, obeying authority.
this is known as the hidden curriculum.
what impact do peers have?
our peers influence us as their norms and values are different to ours.
therefore, peer pressure forces us to decide which values to follow, meaning we can go against our own values.
what is the difference between wealthy and less fortunate parents?
wealthy parents encourage their children to question authority whereas less fortunate parents teach their children to obey authority. This may lead to them not expressing their own thoughts and opinions.
what impact does mass media have on socialisation?
it reinforces stereotypes
what are external forms of social control?
controls over our behaviour through social agencies
e.g. education and family
what is rational ideology?
this is an idea or belief to achieve social control.
your conscience with feelings of guilt, anxiety or worry from within guides you to reach a solution or follow rules and laws.
this is how we internalise social rules.
what is coercion?
involves the threat or use of physical force to make someone stop doing/do something.
e.g punishments = prison, fines etc
used in school, at home and at work
fear of punishment controls behaviour.
acts a deterrent to committing crimes.
right realists strongly believe that to control crime, it is important to have strong deterrents.
Control Theory - Travis Hirschi = why do people obey the law?
attachment
- the more attached to others we are, the more we care about their feelings and opinions. This can socially control our behaviour. This is strong towards parents and teachers.
commitment
- we want to achieve certain goals. (e.g succeeding in education/work). Also makes us obey the law in general to achieve societies success criteria. Committing crime risks losing things.
Involvement
- the more we engage in conventional activities in society, the less likely we are to commit crime. (e.g studying, sports = less time for criminal activities).
Beliefs
- if we are socialised to obey the law, the less likely we are to break it.
