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Socialisation - Social Control - Coggle Diagram
Socialisation - Social Control
Definitions
Social control
– The process by which society ensures that people conform to its culture, and the mechanisms by which it deals with deviance
Formal social control
– Official means of dealing with deviances – usually focussed on legal rules
Informal social control
– Unofficial means of deviance control – usually dealing with “unwritten rules”
Surveillance
– Using CCTV cameras social control is strengthened as the cameras will most likely make the people being surveyed want to behave to avoid disciplinary action
Sanctioning
You cannot have social control without the use of sanctions - social control is exercised through the use of sanctions
Sanctions are exercised day in day out – not only are they applied to us – we apply them to other people as well – often sub consciously
There are
four types of sanctions
exercised which ensure we conform to the expectations of society:
1) Formal Positive Sanctions
2) Formal Negative Sanctions
3) Informal Positive Sanctions
4) Informal Negative Sanctions
Social Control
Formal Social Control
Formal social control is implemented by authorised agents including police officers, employers, military officers, and others
These institutions are referred to as
organisations or systems
that exercise rigid rules, ideologies and morals that we are often compelled to obey
It is carried out as a last option at some places when the desired behaviour is not possible through informal social control
Informal Social Control
It is exercised by a society without stating any rules or laws. It is expressed through norms and customs
Social control is performed by informal agents on their own in an unofficial capacity
Traditional societies mostly embed informal social control culture to establish social order
Shame, sarcasm, criticism, ridicule and disapproval are some of the informal sanctions. Social discrimination and exclusion are included in informal control at extreme deviant cases
Formal Social Control
Formal Positive Sanctions
These are sanctions that are
exercised by a group (or groups) that fall under the concept “formal social control”
- they are sanctions that are exercised by the law or by education
Notice the word “positive” – this means that rather than the sanction being a punishment, it is a reward for good behaviour / achieving something desirable
For example: Winning a medal in a sporting contest, getting a Certificate after finishing a course, receiving a cash prize for reporting a suspected criminal
Formal Negative Sanctions
The sanction comes in the form of a punishment for bad behaviour / undesirable behaviour rather than a reward
For example: Receiving a prison sentence, being ordered to pay a fine, being given detention in school
Informal Social Control
Informal Positive Sanctions
Sanctions that are
applied by groups in society that we are most likely to turn to for guidance
– hence they are groups that fall under the term “informal social control” e.g. family, peer groups
For example:
A bunch of flowers from a friend for helping her out, a present from your family on your birthday, praise for doing well on a task
Formal Negative Sanctions
Agents of informal control also provide punishments as well as rewards
For example: A friend telling you off for doing wrong, parents grounding a child or sitting them on the ‘naughty step’, a work colleague telling you to pull your weight