The concept of social control

Social control involves the methods societies use to deter deviant or unacceptable behaviour and reinforce conformity to established norms and rules.

Social control operates through agencies, which are groups or institutions that enforce it. These agencies apply sanctions, which are rewards or punishments designed to influence behaviour. Sanctions can be positive, encouraging desired actions, or negative, deterring unwanted behaviour.

Formal agencies of social control

Formal agencies of social control are official institutions that enforce laws created by governments. These agencies include the police, the criminal justice system, security services, the military, and the government itself.

Role of the police

The police are responsible for upholding laws fairly and equally across all groups in society. However, some sociologists suggest that certain groups, such as ethnic minorities, may experience unfair targeting, for instance through higher rates of stop and search.

Police powers include:

• Issuing warnings, formal or informal.
• Arresting individuals suspected of committing a crime.
• Detaining people for up to three days before charging them.
• Using a military style of forceful policing when dealing with demonstrations, football fans, or rioters.

Role of the courts and criminal justice system

If someone is arrested and charged, they appear in court for a trial, which might be handled by a magistrate or a judge and jury.

Courts can impose various punishments on those found guilty, including:

• Fines.
• Prison sentences.
• Community service.

In some countries, such as China or Pakistan, more severe sanctions like capital punishment (the death penalty) are used for crimes including murder, drug trafficking, blasphemy, or political dissent.

Informal agencies of social control

Key informal agencies and their methods

• Families - Parents shape children's behaviour by praising or rewarding positive actions and using criticism or punishment for negative ones.
• Peer groups - Friends or social circles reward members with acceptance and friendship for following group values. They may punish non-conformity through exclusion, bullying, or ridicule.
• The media - Traditional and social media criticise behaviours, like calling out celebrities for being too 'fat', while praising others for positive actions, such as charity work.
• Religion - Religious leaders promote adherence to beliefs by offering rewards, such as promises of an afterlife, and punishments, like excommunication or threats of eternal damnation.
• Education - Schools and teachers encourage good behaviour with praise, high grades, merit badges, prizes, or placement in top classes. They deter rule-breaking with detentions, suspensions, lower class placements, or exclusions.
• The workplace - Employers reward productive workers with promotions or recognition, while punishing those with poor attitudes through warnings, denial of advancement, or dismissal.

Interactions between formal and informal controls

Formal and informal agencies can sometimes conflict.

Examples of clashes

• In Scotland, parents who smack children as a form of discipline could face prosecution for assault, as such physical punishment is now illegal. However, in other countries, smacking is viewed as a valid informal control method.
• Informal agencies can overlap with formal powers: employers have the legal right to dismiss workers for gross misconduct, and schools can formally exclude pupils.