Issues of Social Control

Question 1

Obedience as a use of Social Control

Answer 1

When an authority figure gives an order it is a means of changing behaviour. If it is understood why the order is given, following it is easy. Milgram said that being in the agentic state was essential to maintain a stable society

Question 2

Prejudice as a use of Social Control

Answer 2

Prejudiced behaviour may not be a deliberate attempt to control others but attempts to reduce prejudice involve intentional social control. Imposing beliefs and behaviours of one group on another is done by boosting self esteem or arranging for in/out group members to work together to achieve a goal; as seen in robbers cave.

Question 3

Improving Mental Health as a use of Social COntrol

Answer 3

Systematic desensitisation and flooding show social control as the therapist controls the behaviour of the client.

mental health policies advocate using drugs to control the symptoms of people with mental illness. Only qualified clinicians can administer drugs but the client may feel the clinician is being controlled by their doctor.

Question 4

Obedience as a Misuse

Answer 4

Principles that maintain a stable society can also distort it. By wearing a uniform a person can induce obedience in others. In Milgram’s obedience studies, procedures are described which enable one individual to control the behaviour of another based on the situation. The social control is powerful even if they know it is destructive they may still follow it.

One military strategy is to reduce moral strain by using dehumanising language like neutralising collateral damage, enabling soldiers to commit acts like torture when ordered to.

Question 5

Treating Mental Illness as a Misuse

Answer 5

In mental health or prison settings, posititve reinforcement and shaping can help rehabilitation by rewarding desirable behaviour. This is behavioural modification and can be seen as unethical. They may only reward cooperative behaviour to make life easier rather than to help patients/inmates.

Drugs can be misused. Rosenhan’s pseudopatients were wrongly diagnosed and given drugs, an example of how patients could be unnecessarily socially controlled.

Question 6

Operant Conditioning as a Misuse

Answer 6

Rewards and punishments are used to regulate behaviour. Skinner went further and described his ideal fictional world in which behaviour was controlled by tightly controlled reinforcement. This level of social control would infringe on personal freedoms. An example is shops using points to keep customers coming back.