what is social control
persuading, compelling people to conform to society norms, laws and expectations
internal form social control with 3 examples
controls of our behaviour that come from ourselves eg personalities/values that lead us to conform to society rules
1.moral conscience/supergo
2.tradition/culture
3.internalisation of social rules and morality
how is our moral conscience a form of social control
moral conscience/superego- freuds pyschoanalytic theory says we conform to society expectations because our superego tells us to,supergo tells us what is right/wrong/inflicts guilt (internalised ‘nagging parent’) and develops through our early socialisation within family, restricts selfish ‘animal’ urges of the id to exercise self control
how is tradition/culture social control
through socialisation we accept cultures values and traditions as part of our identity so then we conform to these traditions as it affirms our identity and accepts us into the community
eg muslims fasting during ramadam
how is internalisation of social rules and morality a form of social control
supergo/tradition starts as outsider factors and in both we use our rational ideology to internalise social rules and use them to tell us right and wrong eg parents/wider groups therefore society moral code becomes our own personal rules so we come to conform to social norms(but starts as outside factors)
what are external forms of social control with 4 examples
formal/informal agencies which aim to ensure we conform
1. informal agencies eg parents/peers
2.criminal justice system (formal)
3.coercion
4.fear of punishment
how are agencies a form of social control
-organisations impose rules to get a desired behaviour through positive or negative sanctions
-echoes skinners operant learning theory of behaviour reinforcement (punishments deter vs rewards encourage)
-eg can be inform family/peers or formal eg schools/criminal justice system
how is the criminal justice system a form of social control
-agencies have the power to use formal legal sanctions to make individuals conform can be positive of negative eg good behaviour can get people privileges/earlier parole
-uses coercion (threat of force) in order to pressure someone do something eg cjs uses coercion to prevent offending eg prison
-also uses fear of punishment (form of coercion) to achieve social control by threat of disobeying the law (right realists argue this acts as a deterrence)
what is control theory and how does it link to social control
focuses on why people obey the law rather than why people commit crime so society can focus on these factors
-bonds to society
-parenting
-feminists
what are control theorists bonds to society
-theorist eg travis hirschi says its because of their bonds to society (split into 4 elements) that stops deviating
1. attachment (more=less likely to break them)
2.commitment (more committed to conventional lifestyle eg education/job=more to loose by being involved in crime)
3.involvement(more conventional activities eg studying/sports =less time for criminal activities)
4.beliefs (socialised to believe right to obey law=less likely to break it)
what are control theorists beliefs on parenting
-(linked to bonds to society) emphasise role of parenting in creating bonds that prevent young people from offending
-gottfredson+hirschi argue low self control is a cause of delinquency (inconsistent parental discipline/poor socialisation)
-riley+shaw argue lack of parental supervision is a cause of delinquency (parents should be involved in teens lives/take interest/show disapproval of criminality and consequences-external containment)
-walter reckless argues we have psychological tendencies that lead to criminality but effective socialisation provides internal containment and builds the self control to resist temptation
what are control theorists beliefs on feminists
use control theory to explain womens low rate of offending
-argue patriarchal society controls females closely = harder for them to offend
eg domestic duties=less time to offend outside
-argue offending women often failed to form attachment to parents eg abuse/care
