Social control

Question 1

What is social control?

Answer 1

When the agents of socialisation are used as mechanisms of social control as they control our behaviour through positive and negative sanctions.

Question 2

What is formal social control?

Answer 2

Controlling citizens by authorised agencies or groups that give out written, formal sanctions to deter certain behaviours. Groups involved in formal social control include the police, courts, and the government. This social control occurs through laws passed and enforced to citizens. This is also true for education, that provides sanctions like detentions for behaviour that goes against the written school rules.

Question 3

Give examples of formal social control

Answer 3

• the police
• laws
• education systems
• the government
• religion
• the legal system
• the military

Question 4

What are positive sanctions?

Answer 4

These are rewards or positive consequences given in response to desired, idealised or normative behaviour

Question 5

What are negative sanctions?

Answer 5

These are punishments or other negative consequences given in response to violating the norms

Question 6

What is resocialisation?

Answer 6

The process in which one’s sense of social values, norms and beliefs are re-engineered usually through the workplace.

Question 7

How do Marxists view formal social control?

Answer 7

• These agencies only support the ruiling class and that they are hostile outside forces that doesn’t support the local community
• To control and criminalise the powerless in society addressing the social construction of crime

Question 8

How do Functionalists view formal social control?

Answer 8

Formal agencies of social control help to reinforce value consensus and they work on behalf of the community

Question 9

What is Feeley’s opinion on social control?

Answer 9

Feeley discusses how primary socialisation socialises us to believe in the authority of formal agents of social control

Question 10

What is Burger’s opinion on social control?

Answer 10

Burger believes that organisations of formal social control are trained to implement and reinforce society’s expectations

Question 11

What is informal social control?

Answer 11

Controlling citizens in a more subtle way, by controlling their norms and values as opposed to their behaviours. Agencies of socialisation appear in the informal social control, such as: peer groups, family etc. Informal social control can be seen through means such as social exclusion, disappointed reactions, etc.

Question 12

Give examples of informal social control

Answer 12

• canteen culture in workplaces
• the media
• families
  -education and peer groups
• living your life to a religious text