Social Control Flashcards
Social Control
The enforcement of conformity by society upon its members, either by law or by social pressure.
Shapes human behaviour to maintain order in society, and to establish desired norms.
Enforced by individuals, groups and institutions.
Two types of Social Control
Formal
Informal
Formal Social Control
The process of making sure that we adhere to social rules which are implemented and enforced by laws, regulations and statutes and consequently there are sanctions and punishments for individuals who deviate from these rules and guidelines.
-Enforced by the Police, Government Departments and the Courts
Informal Social Control
Ensuring individuals conform and comply to social rules and standards but these rules are unofficial and set by our peers family and friends rather than the government, police, educational bodies.
Sanctions and Punishments
The sanctions and punishments are based on the reaction of society and are not clearly pointed out or written down.
The sanctions and punishments incurred through the process of formal social control is clearly set out and specific.; for example if an individual is caught parked illegally they would expect a fine as by law you have to adhere to traffic laws.
Example of Formal Social Control (Tenancy Agreement)
A tenancy agreement is a form of control as is stipulates terms and conditions needed to be adhered to, in order to maintain occupancy of the property
Once signed it is a legally binding document, making this a form of formal control.
The agent who enforces this control is the landlord of the property.
Lack of compliance can result in termination of your tenancy additionally sanctions set against you can lead to eviction.
Example of Formal Social Control (Smoking Ban)
In accordance with the Health Act 2006, a smoking ban that was passed as law in 2007, declaring it illegal to smoke tobacco indoors. Written in law so a formal type of control and the agents are first and for most the Home Office, police, owners of premises but also us as individuals.
The sanctions which may be incurred in this situation would be a fine, eviction from premises, criminal charges and in some cases prosecution.
Example of Informal Social Control (Age Gaps)
- Relationships have many unwritten rules, who, why and how we choose to date differs from person to person, but generally one of these rules is dating of people within your age bracket.
- The media plays a big part in maintaining this informal control through magazines, movies and publications, also the values we learn marginally through primary and eventually secondary socialization set the boundaries when choosing a partner, making the media, press, public, friends and families agents of this informal control.
Example of Informal Social Control (Giving Up a Seat)
- Universal understanding that women, children and the impaired should be given priority as regards to seating, especially on public transport.
- The agents of control in this instance are the public service transport providers, the people that use this service and society in general.
- Despite this universal understanding, some people deviate from the social norm in turn sanctions can be used to persuade conformity, sanctions such as being confronted, questioned even asked to vacate the seat causing personal embarrassment, tension even anger.
Agents of Social Control: Family
Children learn norms and values from their parents and develop personalities by imitating their behaviour and actions.
They set guidelines and rules such as obedience and children learn by trial and error by their parent’s reaction whether it be positive or negative by punishments or rewards.
Parents reward children by praise and rewards consequently children also learn by sanctions and punishments they receive from parents such as verbal reprimanding, change of body language and some parents also use physical punishment such as smacking.
Agents of Social Control: Education
Formal or informal as education is compulsory by law
Education gears us for life, teaching us about cultures such as language, history; additionally we learn practical and technical skills including maths, sport and people’s skills.
Not only do we start to learning and conforming through this set curriculum we also learn from a ‘hidden curriculum’ which are unofficial back round norms and values that we learn through the school system such as learning the importance of hard work by exams.
Education has a huge bearing on whether you are to a degree ‘socially acceptable’, despite education being in place for our benefit it can also isolate us as not achieving the expected grade or not behaving like a model pupil we are then labelled and categorised as failures, dropouts; so the need to succeed is paramount, which in time helps us to conform, comply, set and achieve goals through life/
Agent of Social Control: Mass Media
Influencing us as children due to the vast amount and variety of mass media which we are subject to through television, internet and computerized teaching methods.
The media influences our parents, therefore, we will copy and replicate similar norms and values our parents and family which may or may not be influenced by the media.
We copy trends we see through the media as acceptable in regards to fashion, music, lifestyle and sexual preferences even what we eat.
Agents of Social Control: Religion
Religion uses informal means of social control.
From a young age, religion teaches us a set of moral values even if we are not that religious.
Through traditions such as Christmas, we learn about sacrifice, goodwill and generosity, rituals such as prayer and confession gives us comfort and faith that there is a higher power watching over us which enable us to set and stick to the learned moral values, also someone/something to turn to in times of need.
