AC 2.1 Flashcards
What are the 3 forms of internal social control?
Rational ideology
Tradition
Internalisation of social rules and morality
what is social control?
persuading/compelling members of society to conform to norms and laws
What theory does rational ideology link to ?
rational action theory - we choose whether or not to conform to laws and social norms of behaviour.
What is rational ideology?
Our conscience compels us to follow legal rules and social norms. The behavior of societies results from the behavior of individuals, each of whom makes their rational decisions and exercises individual choice.
What is tradition?
The influence of religion and culture ensures that we are socialized to accept and conform to values and norms of behavior.
What is socialization?
describes how we come to understand social norms of behaviour : the lifelong process of inheriting, interpreting and disseminating norms, customs and ideologies
How does tradition become forms of social control?
We internalise traditions so that these become forms of internal social control.
Conformity with traditions affirms our identity and our membership of e.g. a religious community and helps to ensure that we internalise these norms.
What is Internalisation of social rules and morality?
The process by which people develop a psychological need or motive to conform to a set of shared norms . Through socialisation, societies rules become our rules. Therefore, we see conformity as desirable and appropriate and conform willingly to social norms. Knowing what is right or wrong based upon social values, e.g. queue jumping or failing to return excess change makes us feel guilty.
what theory does Internalisation of social rules and morality link to?
We feel guilt /shame at the prospect of behaving in a deviant way. This links to Freud’s idea of the superego which releases the defence mechanism of guilt to remind us not to break the law.
What are the 3 types of external social control?
Coercion
Fear of punishment
Control theory
What are the 2 types of coercion?
Physical coercion to ensure conformity
Non-physical measures
what is an example of physical coercion to ensure conformity?
death penalty , prison
what is an example of Non-physical measures
fines
how do police help to achieve social control?
have the power to restrict a person’s liberty (freedom) by arresting suspects.
What theory opposes the role of cohesion in controlling society?
DURKHEIM suggested that social norms themselves have coercive power. Norms are social facts: rules that guides behaviour among members of a society or group – and moreover, they exist in society, independently of individuals. Therefore, norms shape our thoughts and behaviour and therefore exert coercive power. So, on this basis, could we argue that society doesn’t need prisons and other formal punishments because our norms are so powerful that people fall in line and obey them without the need to threaten people with punishments?
