Formal means of Control

Examples of Formal means of Control in the following topics:

• Formal Means of Control

  • Formal means of social control are generally state-determined, through the creation of laws and their enforcement.
  • Formal means of social control are the means of social control exercised by the government and other organizations who use law enforcement mechanisms and sanctions such as fines and imprisonment to enact social control.
  • The mechanisms utilized by the state as means of formal social control span the gamut from the death penalty to curfew laws.
  • Our understanding of formal control is enhanced by social theorist Max Weber's work on the state's use of violence.
  • Explain the relationship between formal means of social control and state authority

• Informal Social Control

  • An example of affect control theory in practice is how people behave at funerals.
  • Sociologists identify two basic forms of social control - informal control and formal control.
  • Formal social control typically involves the state.
  • Informal social control has the potential to have a greater impact on an individual than formal control.
  • Give examples of the difference between informal and formal means of social control

• Social Control

  • The ruling class uses schools, along with the media and other means of communication, to disseminate ideas that will support its continued rule.
  • Social control may also be enforced using formal sanctions.
  • This form of control usually takes the form of government action.
  • By means of social control, students are taught the boundaries of acceptable behavior.
  • Discuss the use of school system and media as a means of exercising social control within a given society

• Social Control Theory

  • Social control theory describes internal means of social control.
  • This interpretation suggests the power of internal means of control, such as one's own conscious, ego, and sensibilities about right and wrong, are powerful in mitigating the likelihood that one will deviate from social norms.
  • This stands in contrast to external means of control, in which individuals conform because an authority figure (such as the state) threatens sanctions should the individual disobey.
  • An internal understanding of means of control became articulated in sociological theory in the mid-twentieth century.
  • Nye carried on the tradition of studying juvenile delinquency as a means of theorizing about deviance and social control.

• Social Control

  • Social control refers to the various means used by a society to bring its members back into line with cultural norms.
  • There are two general types of social control:
  • formal social control refers to components of society that are designed for the resocialization of individuals who break formal rules; examples would include prisons and mental health institutions
  • Some researchers have outlined some of the motivations underlying the formal social control system.
  • rehabilitation - some argue that formal social controls should work to rehabilitate criminals, eventually turning them into productive members of society

• Feedback, Concurrent Control, and Feedforward

  • Bureaucratic control uses formal systems to influence employee behavior and help an organization achieve its goals.
  • Bureaucratic control is the use of formal systems of rules, roles, records, and rewards to influence, monitor, and assess employee performance.
  • The biggest advantage of bureaucratic control is that it creates a command and control cycle for the business leadership.
  • This means that bureaucratic control can narrow the scope of possible ideas and plans.
  • While software development may benefit from a more autonomous structure, for example, other industries benefit from the tight controls and tall hierarchies of bureaucratic control.

• Informal Means of Control

  • Informal social control refers to the reactions of individuals and groups that bring about conformity to norms and laws.
  • As with formal controls, informal controls reward or punish acceptable or unacceptable behavior.
  • Informal social control—the reactions of individuals and groups that bring about conformity to norms and laws—includes peer and community pressure, bystander intervention in a crime, and collective responses such as citizen patrol groups.
  • The social values that are present in individuals are products of informal social control.
  • As with formal controls, informal controls reward or punish acceptable or unacceptable behavior.

• Pros and Cons of Sole Proprietorship

  • The sole proprietorship structure has the benefit of simplicity and control but the drawback of unlimited liability.
  • A large advantage of the sole proprietorship structure is its ease of filing incorporation and tax documents as well as having uninterrupted control of the business.
  • The sole proprietorship is one type of business structure in the US that does not require formal incorporation, meaning that sole proprietors do not need to formally file articles of incorporation, hold regular meetings, or elect an advising or directing board.
  • Sole proprietors also have control over the aspects of their business without the involvement of elected board members.
  • With sole proprietorships, like some forms of partnership, owners can be personally liable for business losses, meaning their personal assets are not protected against the claims of creditors.

• Sanctions

  • As opposed to forms of internal control, like norms and values, sociologists consider sanctions a form of external control.
  • Internal controls are a form of social control that we impose on ourselves.
  • Sanctions are mechanisms of social control.
  • As with formal controls, informal controls reward or punish acceptable or unacceptable behavior, otherwise known as deviance.
  • To maintain control and regulate their subjects, groups, organizations, and societies of various kinds can promulgate rules that act as formal sanctions to reward or punish behavior.

• Fulfilling the Organizing Function

  • It is a set of formal tasks assigned to individuals and departments.
  • Formal reporting relationships include lines of authority, decision responsibility, number of hierarchical levels, and span of managers' control.
  • Accountability means that those with authority and responsibility must report and justify task outcomes to those above them in the chain of command.
  • Line authority: Managers have the formal power to direct and control immediate subordinates executing specific tasks within a chain of command, usually within a specific department.
  • Flat structure: A management structure characterized by a wide span of control and relatively few hierarchical levels, loose control, and ease of delegation.