social control

Examples of social control in the following topics:

• 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:
  • 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
  • societal protection - finally, some argue that the motivation for formal social controls is nothing more than removing the deviant members of society from the non-deviant members

• Social Control

  • Schools can further goals of social control by socializing students into behaving in socially acceptable ways .
  • In any case, the social values that are present in individuals are products of informal social control.
  • Social control may also be enforced using formal sanctions.
  • By means of social control, students are taught the boundaries of acceptable behavior.
  • Schools can further goals of social control by socializing students into behaving in socially acceptable ways.

• 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

  • 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.
  • This is example of a social situation controlling an individual's emotions.
  • Give examples of the difference between informal and formal means of social control

• Social Control Theory

  • Social control theory argues that relationships, commitments, values, and beliefs encourage conformity.
  • Social control theory describes internal means of social control.
  • Social control theory seeks to understand how to reduce deviance.
  • Ultimately, social control theory is Hobbesian; it presupposes that all choices are constrained by social relations and contracts between parties.
  • Prior to this period, government achieved social control by the mere regulation of bodies.

• 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.
  • 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.
  • A peer group is a social group whose members have interests, social positions, and age in common.

• Control Theory

  • Control theory explains that societal institutions without strong control of society can result in deviant behavior.
  • If the individual has strong social bonds with positive influences, deviant behavior is less likely than for another individual who has no family or friends.
  • These social bonds have four elements: opportunity, attachment, belief, and involvement.
  • An example of mixed control is clan control, which contains both centralized and decentralized control.
  • Moreover, control theory is met with some resistance for its compliance to a conservative view of the broader social order.

• The Role of Socialization

  • Socialization prepares people for social life by teaching them a group's shared norms, values, beliefs, and behaviors.
  • The role of socialization is to acquaint individuals with the norms of a given social group or society.  
  • Socialization is also important for adults who join new social groups.
  • First, socialization teaches impulse control and helps individuals develop a conscience.
  • The term "socialization" refers to a general process, but socialization always takes place in specific contexts.

• Bandura's and Rotter's Social-Cognitive Theories of Personality

  • Social cognition is basically social thought, or how the mind processes social information; social-cognitive theory describes how individuals think and react in social situations.
  • How the mind works in a social setting is extremely complicated—emotions, social desirability factors, and unconscious thoughts can all interact and affect social cognition in many ways.
  • Albert Bandura is a behavioral psychologist credited with creating social learning theory.
  • Individuals who grow up in circumstances where they do not see hard work pay off, as well as individuals who are socially disempowered (such as people in a low socioeconomic bracket), may develop an external locus of control.
  • Examples of locus of control can be seen in students.

• Social Movements

  • Social movements are broad alliances of people who are connected through their shared interest in social change.
  • Social movements can advocate for a particular social change, but they can also organize to oppose a social change that is being advocated by another entity.
  • Sociologists draw distinctions between social movements and social movement organizations (SMOs).
  • A social movement organization is a formally organized component of a social movement.
  • Discover the difference between social movements and social movement organizations, as well as the four areas social movements operate within