Social Control

• Social Control


  Strategies for preventing deviant behaviour
• Society is encouraged to conform to the law
• Any action that helps to achieve conformity to the law is a form of social control
• Forms of Social Control


  Action that tries to persuade or compel members of society to conform to the rules
• Internal Forms of Social Control


  • Regulation of our own behaviour in accordance with the accepted norms
  • Rational Ideology
  • Tradition
  • Internalisation of social rules and morality
• Rational Ideology


  The idea that a person's own conscience, with feelings of guilt, anxiety or worry, guides them to reach a solution or follow laws and rules
• Tradition


  Our own traditions, customs or norms that ensure conformity to rules. Sometimes religion, culture or your upbringing ensures that you do not break the law or rules
• Internalisation of social rules and morality


  Working out what is the right thing to do and knowing what is right or wrong based upon social values
• External Forms of Social Control

  • The Police
  • Use of Coercion
  • Fear of Punishment
• The Police


  The most obvious and visible form of external social control, exercised by people and organisations empowered to enforce conformity to laws
• Use of Coercion


  • Physical coercion (physical injury, imprisonment, death penalty)
  • Non-violent coercion (striking, boycotting, non-cooperation)
• Fear of Punishment


  The use of punishment as a threat to stop people from offending, called deterrence. Includes individual deterrence and general deterrence
• Control Theory


  Tries to explain why people do not commit crimes, supporting the view that people require nurturing in order to develop attachments or bonds that are key in producing internal controls, such as conscience
• Control Theory


  • Reckless' Theory of Containment
  • Hirschi's Bond Theory
• Crime is the result of insufficient attachment and commitment to others