Social control: meaning

  • Social control is a concept that refers to the ways in which people’s thoughts, feelings, appearance and behaviour are regulated in a social system.

 

Forms and mechanisms of social control

a. Internal Social Control

  • Refers to the internalization of societal norms through socialization.
  • Individuals accept norms as valid and guide their own behavior accordingly.
  • Guilt acts as a psychological deterrent when violating norms.
  • However, when some people reject societal norms, external social control is needed.

 

b. External Social Control

  • Society’s method of bringing deviants back into conformity.
  • Operates through a system of sanctions:
  • Positive sanctions = Rewards (e.g., praise, promotions)
  • Negative sanctions = Punishments (e.g., fines, imprisonment)
  • Often coercive and repressive, relying on force and punishment.

 

c. Informal Social Control

  • Based on interpersonal reactions and social cues like:
  • Smiling, frowning, criticism, praise, shunning, etc.
  • Carried out by individuals or social groups without formal authority.
  • People adjust behavior to gain approval or avoid disapproval from others.
  • In larger societies, informal control is less effective, requiring formal methods.

 

d. Formal Social Control

  • Enforced by agents of the Criminal Justice System (CJS):
  • Police, courts, correctional institutions.
  • These agents have legitimate power and authority to enforce laws.
  • Operate within bureaucratic organizations with legal sanctioning power.
  • Can work simultaneously with informal control (e.g., police arrest + community avoidance).

 

e. Semiformal Social Control

  • Government-administered noncriminal, non-penal control systems.
  • Handles troublesome behaviour not dealt with directly by the CJS.
  • Involves Professional Controllers like:
  • Social workers, psychiatrists, truant officers, mental hospital staff, unemployment officers, etc.
  • They cannot arrest or jail, but can influence formal CJS actions.
  • Their role reflects bureaucratic intervention in social control.
  • Despite this, informal control remains the foundation of everyday social life.
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