FORMS OF SOCIAL CONTROL Flashcards
(17 cards)
What is social control and why do we need it
Social control involves persuading or compelling people to conform to society’s norms, laws and expectations. Social control enables society to function smoothly as people behave as others would expect them to.
What are the INTERNAL forms of social control
- Rational Ideology
- Tradition
- Internalisation of social rules and morality
Outline INTERNAL forms of social control :
Rational Ideology
We internalise social rules and use them to tell us what is right and wrong and this enables us to keep within the law. Rational ideology argues that your internal conscience with feelings of GUILT, ANXIETY or WORRY guides us to reach solutions to our problems without breaking the law.
Outline INTERNAL forms of social control :
Tradition
The culture in which we belong to instils traditions, norms and values through the process of socialisation.
We accept these traditions as part of our identity and conforming to these traditions is important for being accepted. Traditions act as powerful forms of internal social control as we don’t want to disappoint our community with our behaviour.
Outline INTERNAL forms of social control :
Internalisation of social rules and morality
Through socialisation, we internalise social rules which guide us to behave morally. Agents of PRIMARY socialisation such as family, and agents of SECONDARY socialisation such as school and religion ensure that societal rules and moral codes become our own personal rules and morals. As a result, we willingly conform to social norms.
Explain the theory linking to RATIONAL IDEOLOGY
Freud’s psychoanalytic theory argues we have a tripartite personality. While our ID urges us to act on our impulses, our SUPEREGO is part of our personality which acts as our MORALITY. This tells us right from wrong and it inflicts guilt if we fail to behave in a socially acceptable way.
Explain the theory linking to TRADITION
Ghuman studied the traditions of south Asian families and found that they emphasise the importance of family and religion when creating socialisation.
Explain the theory linking to INTERNALISATION OF SOCIAL RULES and MORALITY
Anne Oakley argues that the FAMILY ensures INTERNALISATION of social rules and morality. She used the term CANALISATION to describe how children are ‘channelled’ into gendered behaviours with girls being more strictly controlled in terms of moral behaviour than boys, who are encouraged to be ‘brave’ and take risks.
What are the EXTERNAL forms of social control
- Coercion
- Fear of punishment
Outline EXTERNAL forms of social control :
Coercion
Involves the use of threat or force to make someone do or stop doing something. Force may include psychological or physical violence.
Coercion is expressed through agencies of social control:
- FAMILY uses negative sanctions such as grounding
- SCHOOL uses negative sanctions such as detention
- CJS, POLICE have stop and search, arrest and detain powers / JUDGES & MAGISTRATES enforce various punishments in court / PRISONS detain prisoners and punish their bad behaviour.
Outline EXTERNAL forms of social control :
Fear of punishment
This is a way of achieving social control by making people conform to the law. FoP is a form of coercion because it involves threat of force in order to deter people from breaking the law.
INDIVIDUAL DETERRENCE - fear of further punishment should the individual commit further crime, e.g. suspended sentences where further crimes result in prison time.
GENERAL DETERRENCE - fear of punishment that aims to prevent others from committing crimes, e.g. mandatory minimum sentences such as life for murder.
Explain the theory linking to COERCION
Bowles and Gintis are MARXISTS who argue schools play a key role in socialising us into blindly obeying those in power. They use the term HIDDEN CURRICULUM to describe how schools use coercion through acts like detention to ensure that children learn to do as they are told.
Explain the theory linking to FEAR OF PUNISHMENT
RIGHT REALISTS argue that the fear of being caught and punished is what ensures that many ‘would be’ criminals continue to obey the law, i.e. Fear is a deterrent.
What are the control theories
- Travis Hirschi : Bonds of attachment
- Walter Reckless : Containment
- Frances Heidensohn : Control
Outline control theories :
Hirschi
Argued ‘delinquency occurs when an individual’s bond to society is weak or broken’. This has four elements:
ATTACHMENT: more attachment to others means we care more about their opinions so we respect their norms and values
COMMITMENT: more commitment to a conventional lifestyle means we risk losing more through committing crime which increases conformity
INVOLVEMENT: more involvement in conventional, law abiding activities such as sport, the less time and energy we have to be involved in crime
BELIEFS: if socialised to believe it is right to obey the law, we are less likely to break it
Outline control theories :
Reckless
Highlights importance of parenting and socialisation. We have psychological tendencies that can lead to criminality, e.g. affectionless psychopathy, but effective socialisation can provide INTERNAL CONTAINMENT by building the self control to resist the temptation to offend
Outline control theories :
Heidensohn
Feminists like Heidensohn used control theory to explain women’s low rate of offending. Patriarchal society controls females more closely, making it harder for them to offend. E.g. Women have domestic duties and care for children and so have LESS opportunity to engage in crime.
In 2021, 79% of individuals dealt with by the CJS were male and 21% were female. This has decreased for women from 26% in 2017.
