SOCIAL CONTROL

SOCIAL CONTROL

• Social control means the processes from which the behavior of individuals or groups is
regulated (controlled).

• Social control is the mechanisms by which social norms are upheld and enforced.

• There are two types of social control: formal social control and informal social control.
• Another word for social control is social
sanctions.

• Sanctions means permission (approval) for

certain actions.

• Without a strong sense of informal social

sanctions, then formal social sanctions will not
work (they rely on each other).
• Sanctions can be positive.

• Sanctions can also be negative.

AGENTS OF SOCIAL CONTROL
• Parents and family

• Peers, friends, romantic partners

• Teacher, coaches and school officials

• Colleagues

• Police and court officials

• (most importantly) YOU

FORMAL SOCIAL CONTROL
• Rules or laws prohibit deviant (unaccepted) criminal
behavior

• Law makers get the opinions and input of society

members and use this information with the laws of
their society.

• These laws are carried out by law enforcement such

as police and court officials
 LAW ENFORCEMENT
• Helps enforce the formal social sanctions.

• Example
Police officers patrol the streets at night to look out for social deviance. If they need to convict
anyone of a crime they take the person to a court of law where the court would declare their
punishment. The, a sentence is served ( example fine, community service and prison time).
 RULES ON SIGNS

Rules on sign are also examples of formal social sanctions.

INFORMAL SOCIAL
CONTROL
• Informal social controls are the unwritten
and sometimes unspoken rules of a social
group.

• Socialisation helps us understand and

remember, these unspoken rules of
society.

• Forms of informal social sanctions

include ridicule, sarcasm, disgust,
criticism and neighborhood watches.
 LUNCHEON OF THE BOATING PARTY
BY PIERRE-AUGUST RENOIR
• This is an example of an informal sanction.

• Everyone is looking at someone but no

two people are looking at each other.

• Everyone is being watched by someone

and observing someone else.

• Everyone is looking to see what everyone

else is doing.
 RIDICULE AND MOCKERY
• This is an example of an informal social sanction
because this person is being mocked in what would have
been the town’s square.

• A more modern version of this would be, ridiculing on a

social media platform the deviant (unaccepted behavior)
of another person for all to see; and others would join in
the commenting sections.
 CRITICISM AND DISGUST
• Criticism and disgust are also examples of informal
social sanctions.

• A teacher might criticize your work in the hope that

you will do it right the next time and find a solution.

• When a person sees the face disgust on someone else

in the room they will probably not repeat what they
would have done. That person will learn from their
mistake and try to remember not to do it again.
 NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME
WATCH
• Also an example of informal social control where
neighbors get together and decide to keep an eye
out for crime and other suspicious activities.

• This may also include a grandma looking out her

kitchen window and watching people passing by
and keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.