TOPIC 3 - FORMS OF SOCIAL CONTROL

Question 1

What are internal forms of social control?

Answer 1

• controls over our behaviour that come from within us - forms of self-control

Question 2

What 3 areas does internal forms of social control include?

Answer 2

• internalised social rules and morality
• rational ideology
• tradition

Question 3

Core knowledge of internalising society’s rules and morals

Answer 3

• comes from the process of socialisation - primary socialisation is the process of learning what is acceptable in society from what we are taught be our family
• Through this, we internalise the rules and morals society sets out, through our own internal rule book
• therefore, society’s rules become our own personal rules and moral code
• by following our personal rules, we automatically follow those of society and are therefore socially controlled

Question 4

What is an example of a moral code taught by our families through primary socialisation?

Answer 4

• not to be violent, or retaliate to violence
• would make children less likely to be criminals when they are older

Question 5

What is the expanded knowledge of internalising society’s rules and morals

Answer 5

• secondary socialisation is the process of learning wider values, norms, customs and expectations of society from institutions outside of our families - peer groups, media, education
• secondary socialisation further helps people internalise the rules + morals of society as it is inescapable as we are constantly surrounded by institutions that are teaching us how to behave which encourage us to abide and not deviate

Question 6

Rational ideology core knowledge:

Answer 6

• rational decision making is the process of doing something which makes logical sense, which has considered different outcomes and comes to a conclusion.
• Rational ideology is the idea society wants us to be rational through correctly internalising society’s rules through effective socialisation, we develop the ability to make rational decisons
• Those who do not, may make irrational decisions - if we are rational we will not commit crimes as we know it is not right

Question 7

Rational ideology expanded knowledge:

Answer 7

• Rational choice theory suggests humans are rational beings, who weigh up the costs and rewards of an action when deciding how to behave
• According to this theory, criminals choose to behave criminally - they think the benefits of committing a crime outweigh the cost of getting caught
• therefore, most people do not commit as the costs outweigh the benefits
• the inadequate socialised, fail to ddevelop rational thinking processes and are therefore more likely to be deviant

Question 8

Core knowledge of tradition:

Answer 8

• the culture we belong to becomes part of us and the way we behave - through socialisation
• we come to accept the norms, values and traditions of the culture as part of our identity - we behave in a certain way due to the traditions we have been raised with
• confirming to these traditions is a way of being accepted as a member of the community
• they help bind us to society and we therefore want to preserve that society and our position in it
• committing crimes would almost be like committing a crime to society and so people are more likely to conform to social norms

Question 9

Tradition - expanded knowledge

Answer 9

• while all internal forms of social control are internalised from people and institutions around us, specific traditions are the clear signposts in our lives that reaffirm the morals and values we conform to
• these normally come from things such as religion or nationality
• For example; christmas acts as a reminder that people should care for one another and treat people well - the opposite of deviant behaviour + law breaking

Question 10

What are external forms of social control?

Answer 10

• come from outside of yourself, from others in society
• society externally controls our behaviour through agencies of social control - organisations that impose rules on us to make us behave and use sanctions if we do not conform

Question 11

Which 2 areas can external forms of social control be broken down into?

Answer 11

• coercion
• fear of punishment