2.1 Flashcards
(16 cards)
What are the 3 internal forms of social control?
- rational ideology
- tradition
- internalisation of social rules and morality
what are the 2 forms of external social control?
- coercion
- fear of punishment
Explain rational ideology as an internal form of social control
- This is an idea or belief to achieve social control such as an individual’s conscience, feelings of guilt, anxiety or worry from within.
- It guides people to follow laws and rules of their own volition (choosing). It’s an ideology based on the assumption that individuals choose a course of action that is most in line with their personal preferences.
- these choices and preferences may be a result of upbringing. Your guilt is how, subconsciously, you’re taking personal responsibility for your misbehaviour.
- For example, stealing a pen from school is something people would not do as a person’s conscience guides them to follow the rules, creating anxiety at the thought of doing it.
Explain tradition as an internal form of social control
- This could relate to religion or culture.
- It may be that a person’s upbringing in a religion or certain culture ensures they follow rules and as a result are less likely to break laws.
- For example, religions which ban consumption of alcohol. Following these traditions becomes part of a person’s socialisation into a law-abiding culture.
Explain internalisation of social rules and morality as an internal form of social control
- The rules and traditions we follow become part of our inner self and personality, but they start out as things outside of us.
- The internalisation of social rules and morality is working out what is the right thing to do and therefore knowing what is right or wrong.
- This in turn is based upon social values built from our socialisation through parents and tradition/cultures.
- For example, queue jumping, is something most people will not do as they believe the right thing to do. Is wait your turn. This internal process is all rooted in our socialisation and this begins at a very early stage.
What is coercion as an external form of social control?
- An external form of social control where individuals are compelled to act in a certain way through force or the threat of force
What is individual deterrence?
- Individual deterrence refers to the specific effect of a punishment aimed at discouraging an individual offender from reoffending in the future.
What is general deterence?
- General deterrence refers to the use of punishment as a means to discourage the general public from committing similar crimes by creating a fear of legal consequences.
What is fear of punishment as an external form of social control?
- the deterrent effect that punishment, particularly the threat of it, can have on individuals, preventing them from committing crimes
Explain Travis Hirschi’s control theory
Travis Hirschi stresses the importance of the individual’s bond to society in determining conforming behaviour.
There are four key bonds a person that must be formed to prevent them from committing a crime.
They are attachment, commitment, involvement and belief. If they form these bonds they will not commit crime and therefore abide by the law.
Explain Walter C. Reckless’s control theory
Walter C. Reckless argued that a combination of internal psychological containments and external social containments prevents people from deviating from social norms and therefore abide by the law.
Inner containments come from our upbringing especially the family.
Outer containment refers to the influence of social groups including the laws of society in which we live.
Explain police as an external form of social control
Coercion is the use of force to achieve a desired end. It may be physical or non-violent. Physical coercion may take the form of bodily injury, imprisonment and in some countries the death penalty. Non-violent coercion consists of strike, boycott and non-cooperation. The police and prison services have the power to restrict liberty of person. The police have rights of arrest and detention mainly under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
Fear of punishment is inherent in deterrence where punishment is used as a threat to deter people from offending. The concept of deterrence has two key assumptions, individual deterrence, and general deterrence.
Individual deterrence is punishment imposed on offenders to deter them from committing further crimes. For example, a suspended prison sentence or conditional discharge, where there are other, more serious consequences for further offending. General deterrence is the fear of punishment that prevents others from committing similar crimes. For example, a lengthy prison sentence or heavy financial penalty allows others to see the potential consequence and are deterred from committing the same action.
The police can act as a general deterrent. Their presence on the streets can prevent a person from committing a crime. They have the power to stop and search and individual they have a suspicion of meaning people are less likely to commit a criminal offence. They act as a general deterrent as potential offenders may know someone who has had dealings with the police and could therefore avoid criminal activity.
Explain the cps as an external form of social control
Coercion is the use of force to achieve a desired end. It may be physical or non-violent. Physical coercion may take the form of bodily injury, imprisonment and in some countries the death penalty. Non-violent coercion consists of strike, boycott and non-cooperation.
Fear of punishment is inherent in deterrence where punishment is used as a threat to deter people from offending. The concept of deterrence has two key assumptions, individual deterrence, and general deterrence.
Individual deterrence is punishment imposed on offenders to deter them from committing further crimes. For example, a suspended prison sentence or conditional discharge, where there are other, more serious consequences for further offending. General deterrence is the fear of punishment that prevents others from committing similar crimes. For example, a lengthy prison sentence or heavy financial penalty allows others to see the potential consequence and are deterred from committing the same action.
Explains courts as an external form of social control
Coercion is the use of force to achieve a desired end. It may be physical or non-violent. Physical coercion may take the form of bodily injury, imprisonment and in some countries the death penalty. Non-violent coercion consists of strike, boycott and non-cooperation. The Ministry of Justice (via the magistrates and judges) uses sentencing policies to use coercion to control crime. For example, mandatory minimums such as life for murder, 7 years for 3rd drug offence and 3 years for 3rd burglary.
Fear of punishment is inherent in deterrence where punishment is used as a threat to deter people from offending. The concept of deterrence has two key assumptions, individual deterrence, and general deterrence.
Individual deterrence is punishment imposed on offenders to deter them from committing further crimes. For example, a suspended prison sentence or conditional discharge, where there are other, more serious consequences for further offending. General deterrence is the fear of punishment that prevents others from committing similar crimes. For example, a lengthy prison sentence or heavy financial penalty allows others to see the potential consequence and are deterred from committing the same action.
The courts will impose sentences to prevent people from committing further crimes. For example a suspended sentence or a conditional discharge acting as in individual deterrent because of the threat of further consequences. The Ministry of Justice (via judges and magistrates) use sentencing policies to use the fear of punishment to control crime. For example, mandatory minimums such as life for murder, 7 years for 3rd drug offence and 3 years for 3rd burglary act as a general deterrent.
Explain probation as an external form of social control
Coercion is the use of force to achieve a desired end. It may be physical or non-violent. Physical coercion may take the form of bodily injury, imprisonment and in some countries the death penalty. Non-violent coercion consists of strike, boycott and non-cooperation. Probation uses coercion to achieve a desired result using a threat of future punishment for the law breaking.
Fear of punishment is inherent in deterrence where punishment is used as a threat to deter people from offending. The concept of deterrence has two key assumptions, individual deterrence, and general deterrence.
Individual deterrence is punishment imposed on offenders to deter them from committing further crimes. For example, a suspended prison sentence or conditional discharge, where there are other, more serious consequences for further offending. General deterrence is the fear of punishment that prevents others from committing similar crimes. For example, a lengthy prison sentence or heavy financial penalty allows others to see the potential consequence and are deterred from committing the same action.
Probation orders could be seen as a general deterrence by members of society. This includes the fear that a probation order be given together with the restrictions and conditions it imposes. People can envisage the potential consequences of breaking the law. There is an individual deterrence with a continued threat of custody for future breaking of the law, including a breach of the terms of the order.
Explain prison as an external form of social control
Coercion is the use of force to achieve a desired end. It may be physical or non-violent. Physical coercion may take the form of bodily injury, imprisonment and in some countries the death penalty. Non-violent coercion consists of strike, boycott and non-cooperation. HM Prison Service provides coercion or force to achieve the desired result of incarceration by enforcing a detention period on the offender.
Fear of punishment is inherent in deterrence where punishment is used as a threat to deter people from offending. The concept of deterrence has two key assumptions, individual deterrence, and general deterrence.
Individual deterrence is punishment imposed on offenders to deter them from committing further crimes. For example, a suspended prison sentence or conditional discharge, where there are other, more serious consequences for further offending. General deterrence is the fear of punishment that prevents others from committing similar crimes. For example, a lengthy prison sentence or heavy financial penalty allows others to see the potential consequence and are deterred from committing the same action.
Prison also acts as a deterrent, as some people fear it. For example the sentence imposed on a convicted murderer acts as a general deterrent as it carries a mandatory minimum of 25 years imprisonment. It also acts as an individual deterrent because the experience of imprisonment may mean they are not going to offend again.
