What is Social Control?

Definition: Social control refers to the ways in which society regulates

and influences individual and group behavior to maintain conformity
with established norms, values, and rules. It helps maintain order and
coherence within a society, either through accepted practices or
through the use of force.
How Social Control Works
1. By Following Accepted Norms and Values: People follow the rules
and guidelines that the society agrees upon. For instance, in a
classroom, everyone follows the rule of raising hands before
speaking.
2. Through the Use of Force: Sometimes, rules are enforced using
laws and authority. For example, the police maintain order by
ensuring people don’t break laws.

Examples:
 Traffic Rules: Imagine the chaos on the roads if there were no
traffic rules or signals. Rules help maintain order, prevent
accidents, and ensure efficient traffic flow.
 Family Values: Families teach their younger members traditions,
values, and accepted behaviors, contributing to the regulation of
behavior.
Purpose of Social Control
1. Maintaining Order and Unity: Social control helps maintain the
existing social order and ensures uniformity within a group or society.
  Example: Families pass down traditions and values to younger
generations, preserving the established order.
2. Regulating Individual Behavior: Individuals have diverse interests
and behaviors, and social control helps regulate these behaviors
according to established norms for group solidarity.
 Example: School rules guide students' behavior, ensuring a
structured and disciplined environment.
3. Preventing Cultural Maladjustment: Rapid societal changes can lead
to the destabilization of the existing social system. Social control helps
distinguish between positive and negative changes, ensuring a balanced
society.
 Example: Society collectively decides what behaviors are
acceptable, preventing harmful changes from taking root.
Forms of Social Control
1. Internalization of Norms and Values: Individuals absorb and adopt
societal norms and values, shaping their behavior according to the
accepted standards.
2. External Sanctions (Positive and Negative):
 Positive Sanctions: Such as rewards, approval, and promotions for
adhering to societal norms.
 Negative Sanctions: Like criticism, disapproval, or punishment for
deviating from societal norms.

Informal Social Control

Definition: Informal social control refers to the unwritten, implicit, and unofficial
means by which a society influences and guides individuals' behaviors, often
through customs, norms, and traditions.
Characteristics and Mechanisms:
 Socialization through Norms: Individuals unconsciously absorb and
internalize societal values without explicit statements of rules.
 Sanctions and Reactions: Conformity to societal norms is encouraged
through peer pressure, community response, and informal sanctions such
as ridicule, ostracism, or disapproval.
 Varied Nature of Controls: Informal controls can vary between individuals,
groups, and societies. They can be positive (smiles, nods of approval) or
negative (frowns, criticism).
Types of Informal Social Control:
i. Folkways:
 Definition: Unwritten norms observed as a matter of custom.
 Examples: Dress, food habits, forms of worship, and social greetings.
 Observation: Folkways are not enforced by law but are customary and
culturally accepted practices.
ii. Mores:
 Definition: Moral standards that regulate social relationships.
 Examples: Conduct between spouses, parents and children, and general
moral principles like honesty, hard work, and truthfulness.
 Importance: Mores consciously aim to preserve and maintain social order.
iii. Customs:
 Definition: Long-established spontaneous practices that bind people
together.
 Observation: In the past, customs were potent forms of social control, but
in modern times, individualism has weakened their influence.
iv. Religion:
  Influence of Religion: Religion plays a vital role in social control by
ingraining concepts of sin, virtue, and morality from an early age.
 Regulation by Religious Institutions: Religious practices influence marriage,
family relations, property, and inheritance rules, thereby regulating
individual behaviors.
 Community Building: Religious institutions organize events and celebrations
to bring believers together, reinforcing common belief systems and guiding
individual behavior.
Conclusion
Informal social control is a system of influence that operates without explicit rules
and regulations. It encompasses a wide range of societal mechanisms, including
norms, traditions, customs, and religious practices that guide individual behavior
and maintain social order.

Formal Social Control

Definition: Formal social control refers to the explicit, official, and structured
mechanisms enforced by institutions such as government, laws, and education,
utilizing legal power and coercion to regulate behaviors within a society.
Elements and Mechanisms:
 Government and Law Enforcement: Use of legislative mechanisms, law
enforcement, and legal sanctions such as fines and imprisonment to
regulate behavior.
 Legislation and Control: Laws are created through elected representatives
and enforced by the state to ensure uniformity and conformity in societal
behavior.
 Coercive Nature: Formal control exerts coercive power to compel
individuals to adhere to laws and regulations.
Components of Formal Social Control:
i. Law:
  Evolution from Informal Mechanisms: In modern, diverse societies, the
traditional informal means of control—folkways and customs—have
become inadequate.
 Role of Laws: Laws are established by the state, and backed by legal,
administrative, and political frameworks, to ensure social order and control
behavior.
 Differences from Customs: Laws are distinct from customs as they possess
a coercive character, have a more general nature, and entail punishment for
non-compliance.
ii. Education:
 Role in Social Control: Education prepares individuals for social living and
imparts values of discipline, cooperation, and integration, serving as an
agency of formal social control.
 Transmission of Values: Education communicates shared history, culture,
norms, and values, promoting moral and social etiquette for societal
adherence.
iii. State:
 Role in Social Order: The state maintains order and security by exercising
legal power and force, ensuring adherence to laws within territorial
boundaries.
 Governance and Social Services: Modern nation-states strive to be welfare
states, providing social services like education, healthcare, and pensions,
contributing to social control through the co-operation of individuals and
collective efforts of various institutions.
Formal vs. Informal Social Control:
 Differences in Enforcement: Formal control relies on legal power and
coercion, while informal control operates through societal norms,
traditions, and values.
 Nature of Influence: Formal control utilizes legislation and laws, whereas
informal control leans on societal traditions and acceptance.
Conclusion: Formal social control involves the use of explicit legal mechanisms
and institutional power to regulate behaviors within a society, ensuring adherence
to laws and maintaining social order. It works in tandem with informal social
control to guide and shape individual and collective behaviors.

Agencies of Social Control: Family, Neighbourhood, and Public Opinion

1. Family:
 Role in Socialization: The family is a fundamental agency for social
control. Children learn etiquettes, values, and attitudes from family
members, shaping their personality and values.
 Village Context: In villages, families play a significant role in
determining an individual's status and shaping their attitudes and
lifestyle. Marriages are often arranged by elders, seen as an alliance
between families.
 City Context: In cities, nuclear families prevail due to industrialization
and limited space, resulting in increased focus on individualism. The
family's role in socialization is complemented by secondary
institutions like schools, peer groups, and the media. Marriages
increasingly involve individual choice, and marriages outside caste or
religion are rising.
2. Neighbourhood:
 Village vs. Urban Neighbourhood: Villages have intimate and formal
relationships among neighbors, and these bonds extend to larger
kinship groups. In contrast, urban neighborhoods have weaker ties,
marked by fewer interactions, especially in big cities.
 Role in Social Control: Village neighborhoods participate in daily
family activities, ensuring uniformity, correcting deviant behavior, and
maintaining social control. In cities, while not closely monitoring
individual behaviors, neighbors are watchful and might express
disapproval for actions affecting the community.
 3. Public Opinion:
 Definition and Formation: Public opinion represents the collective
views individuals hold about matters affecting the community. It is
shaped by newspapers, radio, television, films, legislation, and word
of mouth.
 Village vs. Urban Influence: In remote villages, access to television
and newspapers is limited, relying more on word of mouth and radio.
However, with the introduction of television, it's increasingly
influential. In cities, visual and print media significantly influence
public opinion, with television gaining more prominence over
newspapers.
Summation
Family, neighborhood, and public opinion play distinct roles in social control
across varied settings, such as rural and urban environments. While the family
primarily shapes individual values and attitudes, the neighborhood contributes to
social control by monitoring actions, and public opinion, influenced by media and
interpersonal communication, shapes collective perspectives and community
norms. The dynamics of these social agencies differ based on the societal context,
influencing individual behavior and community cohesion.

Social Deviance and Tolerance

Understanding Social Deviance: Social deviance refers to actions or
behaviors that go against the established norms in a society. These
norms can be formal (like laws) or informal (like customs). Deviance can
be minor, such as not following everyday traditions, or more severe,
such as committing crimes.
Types of Social Deviance:
1. Formal vs. Informal Deviance:
  Formal Deviance: Involves violations of established laws or
regulations.
 Informal Deviance: Relates to breaches of unwritten social
rules or customs.
2. Voluntary vs. Involuntary Deviance:
 Voluntary: Actions consciously deviating from norms, such as
criminal behavior.
 Involuntary: Conditions or traits, like disabilities, that may
not conform to societal standards.
Deviance and Social Control:
 Social Norms: Guidelines defining acceptable behaviors in society.
 Reactions to Deviance: Responses to deviant behavior can be
external (pertaining to legal action) for formal norms and internal
(within an individual's feelings) for informal norms.
Deviance as Violation of Norms:
 Definition of Deviance: Failure to conform to cultural norms,
which can vary across different societies.
 Interpretation of Deviance: What's seen as deviant in one society
may be acceptable in another due to differing norms.
Deviance as a Reactive Construction:
 Perception and Reaction: Deviance is influenced by how society
views and reacts to certain actions or beliefs, changing based on
social context and time.
Functions of Deviance:
  Role in Society: Deviance can challenge societal norms, affirm
cultural values, clarify moral boundaries, and at times, instigate
social change.
Difference Between Deviance and Deviants:
 Deviance vs. Deviants: Deviance signifies behavior that violates
norms, while a deviant refers to a person labeled as deviating
from these norms. Not all engaging in deviant behavior are seen
as deviants by society.
Causes of Social Deviation:
1. Lack of Socialization: Inadequate socialization by institutions, like
family, contributing to increased social deviation.
2. Rigidity in Culture: Resistance from newer generations against
inflexible societal norms.
3. Unpopular Laws: Opposition and protest against laws not serving
the public's interests.
4. Extraordinary Exploitation: Groups protesting against extreme
exploitation to draw attention and support.
5. Cultural Invasion: Adoption of invading culture due to heavy
external influence leading to deviation from indigenous cultural
practices.
Understanding social deviance and tolerance involves recognizing the
diversity in behaviors, norms, and societal reactions shaping what's
deemed acceptable or not within a specific community or culture. It
involves a complex interplay between norms, reactions, and the fluid
nature of societal definitions of what is right or wrong.
Methods of Social Control
Social control refers to the ways a society maintains order and regulates
behavior. It involves various methods, broadly categorized into internal
and external controls, which can be further classified as formal,
informal, and semi-formal methods.
1. Internal Social Control
Internal social control works within individuals, shaping their behavior
to follow accepted societal norms. It occurs through socialization, the
process of learning and accepting societal norms. The primary agents of
internal control are:
Agents of Socialization:
 Family: Teaches children societal norms. For instance, families
teach children manners, morals, and values.
 Schools, Peers, Mass Media: Reinforce societal norms learned
from the family.
Example: A child learns to say "please" and "thank you" at home and
then practices the same behavior at school and among friends.
2. External Social Control
External social control intervenes when individuals do not adhere to
societal norms. It uses rewards and punishments to encourage
conformity to norms.
Positive and Negative Sanctions:
 Positive: Rewards for conforming to norms.
 Negative: Punishments for deviating from norms.
Example: A person getting a promotion for exceptional work (positive
sanction) or facing a fine for breaking a traffic rule (negative sanction).
3. Informal Social Control
Informal control operates through interpersonal interactions within a
community. People express approval or disapproval of behavior through
actions like criticism, praise, or shunning.
Informal Agents:
 Act unofficially, without specific authority.
 Influence behavior through expressions of approval or
disapproval.
Example: Friends showing disapproval of someone's rude behavior by
frowning or expressing approval by smiling.
4. Formal Social Control
Formal social control involves the enforcement of societal norms
through institutions like the Criminal Justice System (CJS), such as
police, courts, and correctional facilities.
Formal Agents:
 Have the authority to enforce laws.
 Operate within structured organizations, like the police force.
Example: Police arresting someone for committing a crime, followed by
a court trial and potential imprisonment.
5. Semi-Formal Social Control
Semi-formal control addresses non-criminal behavior through
bureaucratic entities like social welfare, mental health institutions, and
educational systems.
Professional Controllers:
 Individuals in these institutions work to manage problematic
behavior.
 Lack arrest powers but can recommend actions like therapy or
intervention.
Example: Social workers providing counseling to address behavioral
issues or truant officers working with students to prevent school
absenteeism.
In essence, societies rely on a combination of these methods to
maintain social order, employing both formal structures and informal
interactions to shape individual behavior and ensure adherence to
established norms.

The Role of School in Developing Social Control

Introduction to School as an Educational Institution In modern times,
schools are vital places for learning and development. The word 'school'
comes from the Greek word 'Skhole,' which originally meant leisure, but
now represents a significant part of a person's life. Schools are crucial
for individuals and the nation's growth, serving as a structured
institution for education.
Main Functions of Schools
1. Conservation and Promotion of Culture: Schools preserve and
promote the culture, traditions, and values of a society, passing
them on to future generations.
 Example: Teaching historical events, cultural practices, and
values in social studies classes.
2. All-round Development of the Individual: Schools offer a range of
programs to nurture a child's diverse skills and abilities.
 Example: Encouraging participation in sports, arts, and
academic activities to develop various talents.
3. Development of Higher Values of Life: Schools instill important
values like truth, empathy, cooperation, etc., through interactions
and moral teachings.
 Example: Teaching empathy through community service or
cooperative group projects.
4. Development of Social Responsibility: Schools act as a miniature
society where children learn social duties, responsibilities, and
empathy towards others.
 Example: Promoting teamwork and understanding among
students from different backgrounds.
5. Citizenship Training: Schools teach children about their rights and
responsibilities as responsible citizens.
 Example: Civic education classes discussing democracy,
rights, and responsibilities.
6. Adjustability in Society: Schools prepare children to face societal
challenges and encourage adaptability.
 Example: Teaching problem-solving skills and conflict
resolution techniques.
7. Vocational Training: Schools offer training in different vocations
and instill the value of dignity in labor.
 Example: Providing technical and vocational courses for
various career paths.
Expanding Role of Schools The role of schools has been expanding over
time. They are considered the center of learning and are crucial for a
nation's overall development. Schools are essential in shaping
individuals and society as a whole.
Role of Teachers in Socialization:
 Socializing Influence: Teachers play a significant role in the social
and emotional growth of students. Their guidance and
interactions within the classroom setting contribute to shaping
behavior and attitudes.
 Social Change Agents: Teachers not only impact students but also
act as agents of change within their communities. They can
educate and influence communities on issues like health, literacy,
and civic responsibilities.
Teacher's Role in Social Control:
 Refractive Role: While the broader socialization process operates
through norms and sanctions, the role of teachers in social control
might operate differently.
 Change Agents: Teachers, being educated and conscious
individuals, have the potential to drive positive changes not only
within the classroom but also in communities lacking awareness
and education.
In summary, schools and teachers play pivotal roles in educating
individuals, shaping their values, and contributing to social control by
fostering responsible citizenship, promoting cultural preservation, and
driving positive social change.