Social Control

Question 1

How are we socially controlled?

Answer 1

Formal and informal sanctions.

Question 2

What are the primary agents of social control?

Answer 2

Family.

Question 3

What are the secondary agents of social control?

Answer 3

Education, Media, Peer Group, Religion, Criminal Justice System.

Question 4

How may the media influence social behaviour/identity?

Answer 4

Informal sanction- media ridicules those who are on job seeking allowance, causing them to view themselves as lower class ‘benefit scroungers’ compared to others.
Influences gender roles through imitation of role models. For example, successful women are often sexualised in the media, causing some women who look up to them to copy the way they dress.

Question 5

How might the peer group influence social behaviour/identity?

Answer 5

Through imitation of role models, the ‘cool’ member of the group who is the most popular.
- Informal sanctions transmit norms and values of the group, peer pressure on those who do not go out and socialise and they are mocked by their friends.

Question 6

How might the workplace influence social behaviour/identity?

Answer 6

• Imitation of role models, transmit the norms as those who are successful at work lead an example.
• Formal sanctions transmit social roles for example through disciplinary meetings, employees who disrespect employers getting sacked.

Question 7

How might religion influence social behaviour/identity?

Answer 7

• Imitation of role models transmits the norms and values, young Catholic boys and girls follow parental and religious figures who waited until marriage before having sex.
• Informal sanctions establish social roles and social control, disapproving looks abd being talked about by religious community.