All societies practice social control, the regulation and enforcement of norms. The underlying goal of social control is to
maintain social order, an arrangement of practices and behaviors on which society's members base their daily lives
.
According to Kimball Young the aims of social control are to
bring about conformity, solidarity and continuity of particular group or society
.
Examples of formal social control include
the government
. The government uses laws and courts to exercise social control. The government tries to protect those following the rules and capture and punish those who do not. Governmental social control goes beyond the legal system.
The most effective form of social control is not laws, police, and jails. Rather, it is
the internalization of the moral codes by the members of society
. … If a society is able to indoctrinate all of its members to accept its moral code, it will not need to use police or other external means of social control.
Social control is exercised through individuals and institutions, ranging from the family, to peers, and to organizations such as the state, religious organizations, schools, and the workplace. Regardless of its source, the goal of social control is
to maintain conformity to established norms and rules
.
For an orderly social life social control is necessary. The aims of social control are
to bring out conformity, solidarity and continuity of a particular group or society
. … Social control regulates behavior in accordance with established norms which brings uniformity of behavior and leads to unity among the individuals.
- (a) Direct social control:
- (b) Indirect social control:
- (a) Organised social control:
- (b) Unorganised social control:
- (c) Spontaneous social control:
- (d) More spontaneous social control:
- (a) Positive social control:
- (b) Negative social control:
Nye focused on the family unit as a source of control and specified three types of control:
(1) direct control, or the use of punishments
and rewards to incentivize particular behaviors; (2) indirect control, or the affectionate identification with individuals who adhere to social norms; and (3) internal control, or …
According to Gillin and Gillin (1948), the main function of social control is to realize certain purposes of the group,
including maintaining the social equilibrium for the continued existence of society
. Functionalists contend that people must respect social norms if any group or society is to survive.
- It is an influence exerted through social suggestions, public opinion, religion and appeal.
- Influence is exercised by society bitterly than a single person or individual, such groups may be in the form of a family, union, club etc.
Social control refers to societal and political mechanisms that regulate individual and group behaviour in an attempt to gain conformity and compliance to the rules of a given society, state, or social group. Sociologists identify two basic forms of social control –
informal control and formal control
.
Agents of social control could be defined generally as
any person or group of persons who attempts to manipulate the behavior of others through the use of formal or informal sanctions or rewards
. The importance of social control in any society is obvious.
Two Types of Social Control
Social control tends to take two forms:
informal or formal
. Informal social control involves conformity to the norms and values of society as well as adoption of a belief system learned through the process of socialization. … Rewards and punishment enforce informal social control.
This regulation of conduct is known as social control. … Methods of social control could either be
formal or informal
. Law is a formal method of social control while informal methods include ostracism, ridicule, gossip and censure.
Social control
may be enforced using informal sanctions
, which may include shame, ridicule, sarcasm, criticism and disapproval. Social control may also be enforced using formal sanctions. Education may maintain social control through various mechanisms, such as indoctrination, informal sanctions and formal sanctions.
Why do we need order in society?
Social order is a necessary feature of any society and it is deeply important for building a sense of belonging and connection with others. At the same time, social order is also
responsible for producing and maintaining oppression
.
