2.2: How Does Society Control Us Notes:

SOCIAL CONTROL

Formal vs. Informal

• Formal social control: enforced by official agencies (government, police, courts, armed forces).

• Informal social control: enforced by everyday groups (family, peers, media, religion, workplace).

Sanctions

• Positive sanctions: rewards for conformity (praise, promotion, awards).

• Negative sanctions: punishments for deviance (fines, imprisonment, criticism).

Effectiveness

• Sanctions encourage social conformity by rewarding obedience and discouraging deviance.

• Effectiveness depends on consistency, severity, and legitimacy of the control.

CONSENSUS VS CONFLICT VIEWS:

Functionalism (consensus):

• Social control maintains order and cohesion.

• Inadequate socialisation → deviance.

• Effective control → value consensus.

Marxism (conflict):

• Social control enforces capitalist ideology.

• Agencies reproduce class inequality.

• Laws favor ruling class interests.

Feminism (conflict):

• Social control reinforces patriarchy.

• Gender role socialization into masculinity/femininity.

• Media, family, education perpetuate stereotypes.

EFFECTIVENESS OF FORMAL AGENCIES

• Government: creates laws, policies, regulations.

• Police: enforce laws, maintain public order.

• Courts: interpret laws, deliver justice.

• Penal system: punish offenders, deter crime.

• Armed forces: protect national security, enforce state authority.

• Effectiveness depends on fairness, legitimacy, and public trust.

METHODS OF FORMAL CONTROL

• Law‑making: establishes rules for society.

• Coercion: use of force or threat to ensure compliance.

• Digital surveillance: monitoring online activity, CCTV.

• Arrest: detaining suspected offenders.

• Sentencing: legal penalties (fines, community service, prison).

• Imprisonment: restricts freedom, deters crime.

EFFECTIVENESS OF INFORMAL AGENCIES

• Family: teaches norms/values, rewards/punishes behavior.

• Education: hidden curriculum, discipline, achievement.

• Peer group: peer pressure, conformity.

• Media: shapes attitudes, stereotypes, role models.

• Religion: moral codes, collective identity.

• Workplace: enforces professional norms, sanctions misconduct.

• Effectiveness varies by stage of life and cultural context.

METHODS OF INFORMAL CONTROL

• Positive sanctions: praise, rewards, social media “likes,” religious blessings.

• Negative sanctions: ostracism, parental punishments, school detentions, dismissal from job, religious sanctions.

• Everyday reinforcement ensures conformity without formal law.

RESISTANCE TO SOCIAL CONTROL

• Reasons for joining protest groups/sub‑cultures:

• Opposition to inequality, injustice, or authority.

• Desire for alternative identity or belonging.

• Deviant/non‑conformist behaviour: rejecting mainstream norms, challenging authority.

Examples:

• Protest groups (climate activists, political movements).

• Online sub‑cultures (hacktivists, gaming communities).

• Youth sub‑cultures (punk, goth, hip‑hop).

• Religious sub‑cultures (sects, alternative practices).

NOTES DONE BY FARIDA SABET

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