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Edexcel GCSE Sociology
5. Crime and Deviance
5.4 Social Control
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Cards (23)
Social control is the way society regulates individual and group
behavior
Informal social control is enforced through social pressure, shame, and
ostracism
Formal social control maintains order through enforcement of
laws
Informal social control is enforced by family, friends, and the
community
Formal social control is enforced by official institutions like the
government
What is the primary goal of social control in a society?
Maintain order and conformity
Formal social control uses laws, rules, and regulations enforced by official
institutions
Formal mechanisms of
social control
aim to maintain order in society.
True
Informal social control relies on interpersonal mechanisms to shape
behavior
What is an example of a positive sanction?
Receiving a promotion at work
Sanctions reinforce social control by shaping behavior according to
societal
expectations.
True
What is a contemporary challenge of informal social control?
Increased individualism
Formal social control uses laws and regulations enforced by official
institutions
Match the type of social control with its examples:
Formal social control ↔️ Criminal laws
Informal social control ↔️ Peer pressure
Informal social control relies on laws enforced by official institutions.
False
What are the two main types of social control?
Formal and informal
Informal social control relies on social pressure, shame, and ostracism.
True
Formal social control ensures legal conformity, while informal social control shapes social behavior through
community values
.
True
What is an example of formal social control?
Criminal laws
How is informal social control enforced?
Social pressure and ostracism
Positive sanctions reward conformity to norms, while negative sanctions punish
deviance
.
True
The criminal justice system is sometimes criticized for being overly punitive and disproportionately impacting certain
groups
Policymakers are grappling with how to balance social order with concerns over
civil liberties
in modern society.
True