AC 2.1

• Norm - An accepted standard or a way of behaving or doing things that most people agree with
• Deviant - Used to describe a person or behaviour that is not usual and is generally considered to be unacceptable
• Norms

  All societies have norms (rules about what members of that society should and should not do). Some apply in specific situations, some apply only to the behaviour of people in certain groups. Some apply to everyone

  Norms imply that those who violate them will be punished or sanctioned in some way
• Social control

  Control of the society over individuals. Control is necessary in order to have desired behaviour from the individual and enable him to develop social qualities
• Social control

  Social control can be defined as the ways in which our behaviour, thoughts and appearance are regulated by the norms, rules, laws and social structures of society
• Social control

  Social rules of conduct fall into the realm of 'good manners' or 'morality'. Other times they are not optional and are enforced by the law
• Edward Ross

  Described several means that have been used by social groups throughout human history to keep individuals under control.

  This important among them are public opinion, law, customs, religion, morality, personality.

  Shows the importance of both internal and external controls
• Internal factor of social controls

  Rational ideology - Based on the idea that we think about the consequences before we act - costs and benefits of our actions

  Again our perception of the costs and benefits comes from our sense of guilt, worry, anxiety which develops through satisfication
• Traditions and culture also pay in our socialisation
• Internalisation of social rules - Learn through rules socialisation in schools and families and later through media, religion, workplace, peers

  Some people do not accept the legitimacy of the norms and therefore do not feel the need to follow them. As a result, we also need external forces of social control
• External forms of social control

  Refers to how authority figures motivates us to conform to rules by threatening sanctions.

  Sanctions can be informal. Criticism by parents or shunning by peers. Could be formal. Punishments imposed by the criminal justice system through police, judges, prison guards
• Coercion

  • Defied as 'the action or practice or persuading someone to do something by using force or threats
  • Can be constrasted with persuading someone to do something by appealing to their reason
• Coercion

  • Coercion can be physical (imprisonment, physical punishments or even the death penalty in some countries)
  • May be non - violent like suspended sentences. Persuade an individual to comply with the law because they know that they are likely to get a custodial sentence if they break the law again
• Coercion

  EGs of coercion include economic sanctions or social ostracisation
• Fear of punishment

  • people may comply with rules because of the fear of being punished if they do not do so. - Deterrence
  • Deterrence can be divided into two types: Individual deterrence and general deterrence
• Individual deterrence

  • Sentence imposed on an individual who has been convicted of a crime to stop that individual from committing further crimes
  • EG of sentences. Heavy fine, prison sentence or suspended sentence
• General deterrence

  • Where a harsh sentence is given to an offender to deter other people from committing similar offences
  • Tends to be used where there has been a large type of crime
  • (Whitton) where a football hooligan was sentenced to life imprisonment
• General deterrence

  • Sentences for 2011 London Riots
  • Heavy sentences for mobile thefts
• Hirschi's bonds to society - Control theory

  • Attachment, involvement, commitment and belief
  • Believes we need social bonds to prevent criminal behaviour
• Walter Reckless - Control theory

  • Resist committing crime due to inner and outer Control
  • Inner Control comes from upbringing
  • Study of boys in a high delinquent environment not delinquent