FORMS OF SOCIAL CONTROL

Question 1

What is social control and why do we need it

Answer 1

Social control involves persuading or compelling people to conform to society’s norms, laws and expectations. Social control enables society to function smoothly as people behave as others would expect them to.

Question 2

Outline INTERNAL forms of social control :
Rational Ideology

Answer 2

We internalise social rules and use them to tell us what is right and wrong and this enables us to keep within the law. Rational ideology argues that your internal conscience with feelings of GUILT, ANXIETY or WORRY guides us to reach solutions to our problems without breaking the law.

Question 3

Outline INTERNAL forms of social control :
Tradition

Answer 3

The culture in which we belong to instils traditions, norms and values through the process of socialisation.
We accept these traditions as part of our identity and conforming to these traditions is important for being accepted. Traditions act as powerful forms of internal social control as we don’t want to disappoint our community with our behaviour.

Question 4

Outline INTERNAL forms of social control :
Internalisation of social rules and morality

Answer 4

Through socialisation, we internalise social rules which guide us to behave morally. Agents of PRIMARY socialisation such as family, and agents of SECONDARY socialisation such as school and religion ensure that societal rules and moral codes become our own personal rules and morals. As a result, we willingly conform to social norms.

Question 5

Explain the theory linking to RATIONAL IDEOLOGY

Answer 5

Freud’s psychoanalytic theory argues we have a tripartite personality. While our ID urges us to act on our impulses, our SUPEREGO is part of our personality which acts as our MORALITY. This tells us right from wrong and it inflicts guilt if we fail to behave in a socially acceptable way.

Question 6

Explain the theory linking to TRADITION

Answer 6

Ghuman studied the traditions of south Asian families and found that they emphasise the importance of family and religion when creating socialisation.

Question 7

Explain the theory linking to INTERNALISATION OF SOCIAL RULES and MORALITY

Answer 7

Anne Oakley argues that the FAMILY ensures INTERNALISATION of social rules and morality. She used the term CANALISATION to describe how children are ‘channelled’ into gendered behaviours with girls being more strictly controlled in terms of moral behaviour than boys, who are encouraged to be ‘brave’ and take risks.