Social control Flashcards
What is social control?
The term given to various methods used to PERSUADE or FORCE individuals to conform to the dominant social norms and values of a society
What are sanctions?
- Mechanisms to control and reinforce behaviour
- Positive sanctions= positively reinforce behaviour to encourage it
- Negative sanctions= negatively reinforce behaviour to discourage iy
What are the mechanisms of social control?
FORCE (formal)
PERSUADE (informal)
What is formal social control?
- Directly and explicitly control the behaviour of society
- Military-style tactics to control the population at times of civil unrest
- Formal elements of education= legal requirements of attendence, behaviour codes
- Formal elements of the workplace= official disicplinary procedures, code of conduct
What are the formal mechanisms of social control?
- Police
- Courts
- Criminal justice system
- The military
- Governments
- (Education/workplace)
What are some examples of sanctions used by formal social control?
Positive-
- Promotion
- MBE/knighthood
- Certificates
Negative-
- Prison sentence
- School exclusion
- Dismissal from work
- Police cautions/warnings
- Fines
What is informal social control?
- Mechanisms that persuade individuals to conform to the norms and values of society
- Subtle control of our behaviour
What are the informal mechanisms of social control?
- Family
- Peers
- Media
- Education
- Workplace
What are some examples of sanctions used by informal social control?
Positive-
- House points
- Reward chart
- Applause/smiling
Negative-
- Being grounded
- Being ignored
- Get phone taken away
- Gossiping/spreading rumours
What do functionalists think about social control?
Ensures people are correctly socialised into society’s norms and values. ensures that dysfunctions are properly dealt with and social order is restored
What do marxists think about social control?
If individuals deviate from ruling class values, they are severely punished by formal social control
