B.A.

PART- I (SOCIOLOGY)
Paper- SOC CC 101
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY

Topic- SOCIAL CONTROL

By: Dr. Ramjit Kumar

Department of Sociology
Patna Women’s College
Patna (Bihar)
 The Need of Society
 Society is a collectivity of groups and individuals. Individuals have various
needs, wants, desires, and ambitions. For this human beings are depended
each other. They seek fulfillment of their goals through mutual helps and
cooperation.
 The mutuality is possible to sustain by adjustment of varied and
contradictory interests. However, the mechanism of social control comes
into play to coerce, constrain, and mold patterns of human behavior and
actions.
 It is believed that the social structure continue to exist because of its inbuilt
mechanism to shape human thought and sanction system. Through the
help of social control social regulation is possible in a society.
 Social Control
 No society can exist without social control. However, the ways or the
forms in which social control is used and applied in society vary from
one social situation to another.
 When we use the term social control, we are essentially referring to
the processes and means through which it limits deviations from
social norms.
 Social control refers to the various means used by society to bring its
untruly members back into line. This is the means by which society
gets it members to confirm to standard values and exacted behavior
in society.
 Understanding Social Control
 Social control is the term sociologists often apply to those
mechanisms by which any society maintains a normative social
system. It refers to all the ways and means by which society enforces
conformity to its norms.
 Regardless of its source, the goal of social control is to maintain
conformity to established norms and rules.
 Social control is typically employed by group members in response to
anyone it considers deviant, problematic, threatening, or
undesirable, with the goal of ensuring conformity.
 Social Control

 Social control is the study of the mechanisms, in the form of

patterns of pressure, through which society maintains for social
order and cohesion.
 Regardless of its source, the goal of social control is to maintain
conformity to established norms and rules.
 A broad definition of social control is all of the formal and
informal mechanisms and internal and external controls that
operate to produce conformity.
 Social Control

• Social control means that society is regulated and maintained by

established social standards, rules, and regulations.
• Social control is inevitable, omnipotent and a gradual process that
encourages discipline and reciprocity of mutual behavior and
discourages conflict, animosity and violence in any society.
• Social control is one the basic unit of sociology that maintain that
society is a social system that has its own inbuilt mechanism to
restore order, structure, and stability in society.
 Social Control

• The objectives of social control is achieved through the

mechanism of socialisation, the process of
internalisation of values, and formal rules and
regulations.
• Social control seeks conformity in society.
• To ward off internal revulsions and external dynamics
society, and to maintain the fine balance between
continuity and change the method of social control is
employed in society.
 Social Control

• Hence, enforcement of agencies of laws and regulation is

a necessary part of social control.
• However, the effectiveness of social control is a matter of
change. This depends on not only the social context but
also the appropriate coordination of the accepted means
of social control.
 Meaning of Social Control

• In commonsense of the term social control is nothing

but control of society over individuals.
• In order to maintain the order of the society, there is a
need to maintain control over the people living in the
society. This control is necessary in order to achieve
certain result.
• The ends of social control include to maintain social
harmony , order, and stability in society.
 Social Control

• In order to develop and maintain certain social qualities among

the people society certainly coerce and push them to mold the
behavior in accordance with the social ethos of the society.
• In fact, any deviation from the standard set patterns of social
behavior laid down by society attracts social punishment in form
of scolding, screaming, rebuking, boycotting, banning etc.
• Hence, in order to value social system and social structure the
mechanism of social control is applied.
 Socialisation as a Social Control
• In the process of socialisation a child go through the learning process of values, ethos
and cultural of the society.
• In the process of growing up a child acquaint themselves with social groups and its
members; they also came to know about various social codes of conduct, and finally they
become immersed in the society as a member of the social group.
• This process of internalisation of values takes time ; hence, they make errors, mistakes,
and also deviations. To correct or rectify them, mechanisms of social control is evolved
that works by imposing both positive and negative sanctions.
• Hence, sanctions, both positive (Rewards) and negative (Punishment) are applied to
control the behavior of the individual and to bring con-conformists into line.
• Social control, as Lapiere says , is thus a corrective measure of inadequate socialisation.
 Social Control

• Apart from these, social control also promotes

reciprocity and mutual assistance among the members
of the society. People, with time, started to share deep
and mutual bonds to help each other.
• The idea of shared feeling and reciprocity is based on the
sense of sociability and justice, but always not enough
and adequate to handle social conflicts and contestations
in society.
 Social Control

• The self seeking behavior, desires, and ambitions of human beings

remain untrammelled in the absence of social regulations and
framework. That’s is why there is the need of social control acting
in both informal and formal ways.
• This is why Ogburn and Nimkoff have said that social control
refers to the patterns of pressure which society exerts to maintain
order and established rules” whereas Ross defines, “Social control
as the system of devices whereby society brings its members into
conformity with the accepted standard of behavior”.
 Social Control

• Gillin and Gillin suggest that social control is the system

of measures, suggestions, persuasion, restrain and
coercion by which society brings into conformity to the
approved pattern of behavior whereas according to
Maclver, social control is the way in which entire social
order coheres and maintains itself and operates as a
whole, as a changing equilibrium.
 Few other definitions by Sociologists

Hence, social control may be defined as any influence

which the society exerts upon its members for the
purpose of providing the welfare of the group.
It is the way in which our social order coheres and
maintains itself. It is that mechanism by which a
community or group operates as a whole and maintains
a changing equilibrium.
 Social Control
 The need of social control arises because of the maintenance of
normative social order in society. Without social control the
organisation of society may get disturbed. Some of the objectives of
social control can be listed as follows:
Maintaining social order and stability in society
Promoting mutual assistance and cooperation in society
Maintaining social regulation and social codes of conduct
Maintaining social order and stability in society
Utilizing social sanctions
Establishing peace, harmony and solidarity in society
 Types or Forms of Social Control
 Karl Mannheim has categorised social control into Direct and Indirect
social control.
In primary group relationships, social control is often direct.
For example, an individual gets directly controlled by his
parents, friends, teachers, or neighbors. Such type of social
control is exercised in informal ways.
Though informality of social control does not in matter effect
its efficacy. Example of such types of social control are ridicule,
ostracism, praise, or other informal rewards.
 Direct Social Control
 directly regulates and controls the behavior of the individual
 In this type of control parents, neighbors, teachers, classmates etc.,
keep direct control over the behavior of the individuals.
 This is found in institutions, like, family, neighborhood, play-groups
and other types of primary groups.
 Indirect social control

In this type of social control distant factors keep control

over the behavior of the individual.
Such a type of control is exercised by secondary groups
through customs; traditions, rationalised behavior etc.
and public opinion.
 Types of Social Control
 According to Gurvitch social control can be categorised into following
four types:
 (a) Organised social control
 In this type of social control, the behavior of the individual is
regulated either through voluntary means or through democratic
ways. This is done through natural ways of social control.
 (b) Unorganized social control
 This social control is exercised by values of culture and usages,
traditions, fashion, symbol etc. This is an elastic type of social
control and is related to day-to-day life.
 Types of Social Control

(c) Spontaneous social control: This type of social

control is exercised by ideas, rules and regulations,
values, norms etc.
(d) More spontaneous social control: Social control
that is exercised by direct social and group experience,
such as, aspirations, decisions, desires, etc., is called
more spontaneous social control.
 Types of Social Control
 Kimball Young has categorised social control into
 (a) Positive social control: In this type of social control positive steps
such as reward, the policy of appreciation etc. are used for keeping the
person under control. As a result of these steps man tries to behave in
the best possible manner in the society.
 (b) Negative social control: This is just reverse of the positive form of
social control. In this form of social control individual on the fear of
punishment and derecognition by the society is made to behave in
conformity with the values of the society.
 Hayes’s classification of social control

 Hayes has classified social control under the two heads: (a)
Control by sanction, (b) Control by socialisation and education.
 (a) Control by sanction: In this type of social control, those who
act according to the values of the’ society are rewarded, while to
those who act against the norms of the society are punished.
 (b) Control by socialisation and education: Through education and
socialisation, the child is taught to act according to the norms of
the society.
Cooley’s Classification of Social Control
 According to Cooley there are two forms of social control: (a) Conscious. (b)
Unconscious.
 C H Cooley stresses that social control may be operative both at the
instinctive (unconscious level) or at the conscious level.
 Through conscious form or social control, society compels an individual to act
according to its accepted objectives. Law, Propaganda, Education are such
forms.
 Through unconscious method, social institutions such as religion, customs,
traditions, etc. keep control over the behaviour of the individual.
 General Forms of social control
Generally social control is classified under the following two forms:
 (a) Formal social control: This type of social control is exercised by
known and deliberate agencies of social control, such as law,
punishment, army, Constitution etc. Man is forced to accept these forms
of social control. Generally these forms are exercised by secondary
groups.
 (b) Informal social control: These agencies of Social Control have grown
according to the needs of the society. Folk ways, mores, customs, social
norms etc. fall under this category of social control. Generally primary
institutions exercise this type of social control.
 Means of Social Control
 Social control has always been there, though its operational character
has changed from age to age.
 Means of social control can be exploitative such as punishment and
constructive such as education.
 Kimball Young analyses them as positive and negative and Karl
Mannheim speaks of them as informal such as norms, values folk ways,
mores customs, belief system, ideology and public opinion and, formal
which includes among others education, law and coercion.
 Formal Means of Social Control

1. Education
2. Law
3. Coercion
 Informal Means of Social Control

 1. Norms
 2. Value
 3. Folk ways
 4. Custom
 5. Belief System
 6. Ideology
 7. Social Suggestions
 8. Religion
 9. Art
 Norms: Informal Means
• Norms are rooted in the institution. They provide the standard of behaviour
and are regulatory in character. The choice of individual for striving towards
the cultural goal is limited by institutional norms. These provide the guideline
for action. The norms give cohesion to the society.
• They influence attitude of individuals. Broom and Selznick described norms, as
blueprint for behaviour, setting limits within which individuals may seek
alternate ways to achieve their goals. A social norm operative in one social
system is not equally operative in the other.
• Conformity to norms is qualified in view of the socially defined situation.
Violator of norm may invite loss of prestige, social ridicule or even a more
severe punishment.
 Value: Informal Means

• It consists of culturally defined goals. It is held out as a legitimate object

of realisation for all or for diversely located members of the society.
• It involves various degrees of “sentiments and significance”.
• These may consist of inspirational reference. Values are “goals worth
striving for”. These are basic, though not exclusive.
 Folk Ways: Value: Informal Means
• Folk are a people with a community sense. They have a uniform and a
common way of living. This constitutes the folkway. These are,
according to F.B. Renter and C.W. Hart, “simple habits of action
common to the members of the group; they are the ways of folk that are
somewhat standardized and have some degree of traditional sanction
for their persistence”. These in the interest of communal life and
uniformity are accepted binding. Disregard shown to these brings forth
disapprobation.
 Mores: Value: Informal Means

• Mores are such folkways as are based on value judgement and are
deeply rooted in the community life. Any disregard shown to these
invokes sanction. According to Green, mores are “Common ways
of acting which are more definitely regarded as right and proper
than the folkways and which brings greater certainty and severity
of punishment if violated…”
 Custom
• Custom is “a rule or norm of action.” It is the result of some social
expediency. It is followed as it involves sentiment based on some
rational element. It is automatic in character; no special agency is
required to enforce it.
• It cannot be stretched to meet the changing requirements. It may with
the change of circumstances fade into nonexistence.
• Custom is the handiwork of time. As a blueprint for specific social
purpose it develops over the time.
• Custom is still a strong force in group ways. But, in general, custom has
not the automation to adjust to the requirements of the fast changing
society.
 Belief System
 Belief system has deeply influenced man’s behaviour. It has provided the
sanction to the social norms and conditioned the growth of culture. It
has worked as a means of informal social control.
 Some of the beliefs hold a significant place in the social system. Belief in
the existence of the unseen power has been with man from the
primitive age. The feeling of fear made him believe that he is being
watched. This seems to be the spirit behind the prayer and meditation.
 The raising of hands in supplication, the kneeling before the symbol of
faith or such other practices and ceremonials are indicative of it.
 The belief in the theory of incarnation is motivated by the faith in the
continuity of life.
 Persuasion

- an important method of social control. This may work

though several ways like writing pamphlets, notices,
graffiti, through street plays, etc., this also include
writings and speaking in many forms.
 Ideology

Our social thinking has been always influenced by social

context in which we are born into. Politically, social
control is maintained by celebrating ideas like, unity in
diversity and vasudhav kutumbkam.
 Religion

 One of the pervasive medium of maintaining belief system.

Religion is powerful agency of social control. It controls man’s
relations to the forces of his physical and social environment.
However, the extent to which religion controls the behavior of
men depends upon the degree to which its adherents accept its
teachings
 This includes customs, rituals, prohibitions, standard of conduct
and roles primarily concerned with or justified in terms of the
supernatural and the sacred.
 Art

It is a method of sublimation and redirection of the

instinct of an individual. It is a combination of religion,
morality, ideal and so many things.
Art is an indirect and inadvertent manner which trains
the child or an individual for either way of life.
 Education
 Education is a great vehicle of social control. After the family, it is the class
room, the peer group and the leaders which exercise influence on a child by our
ancients.
 Education inculcates moral, intellectual and social values in individuals. It
imparts a sense of continuity. It links one to one’s heritage and sets a
perspective before him. It gives the social vision of uniformity to the individual
and fits him for social role.
 The crisis of character that we experience today is no less due to the system of
education, not rooted in our heritage, and is culturally alienating, socially non-
collective, and politically factious. With the increase in the social role of
education attention is being given to it at all levels – primary and adult, literary
and technical.
 Law
 Law is for all practical purposes, as observed by Professor Holland “a general
rule of external action enforced by a sovereign political authority”.
 It is the general condition prescribed by the State, and the members of body
politic are expected to follow it in given conditions. It is uniform and is meant
for all.
 Law is a comprehensive term and includes common law, which is mostly based
on custom and is enforced like law by the courts and statutory law, which is
made by the Parliament.
 Another branch of law is the Constitutional law, that is the law as provided in
the Constitution. The law of the Constitution determines the authority of the
organs of the Governments in an appropriate manner.
 Agencies of Social Control
 There are various agencies through which social control is exercised. By
‘agencies’ of social control we mean those arrangements through which
values and norms of society are communicated.
 They are definite entities through which the institutional norms can be
operative in a society. They are ‘executive’ agencies through which
norms function effectively.
 They are the institutions for procedural’ operation. The family, the
school, State, and Public opinion an important agencies of social control.
 Agencies of Social Control
 Examples include:
1. Family
2. State
3. Educational Institutions
4. Neighborhood
5. Public Opinion
6. Propaganda and Press
7. Economic Organisation
 Family
• Family is a very important instrument agency of social control. On the
one hand it socialises an individual and on the other it trains him about
social behaviour.
• Family prescribes rules and regulations that the members have to
follow.
• These rules and regulations form a part of social control. Family teaches
the child to conform to the norms of the society. It exercises control over
its members to bring about the desired action.
 State
• The state, as the society’s overall regulative system, is the chief agency of
social; control. It exercises control over its members through
legislations, the police, the armed forces and the prisons. Really
speaking, emergence of secondary group is a gift of modern complicated
social order.
• In such a social order the State exercises control through rules and
regulations in! a more effective way.
• State is the agency of society that exercise its social control in the most
effective manner.
 Educational Institutions
 The educational institutions – schools are powerful agencies of social
control and these institutions are committed to the moulding of citizens.
Formal education in modern societies communicate ideas and values
which play a larger part in regulating behaviour.
 Education teaches to conform to the norms of the society. Education
provides a conscious teaching programme that assist society in
socialising children so that they will absorb its values, beliefs and norms.
 As Gillin and Gillin say, “The only sense, therefore, in which education
can be used as a means of social control is that in teaching people how
to arrive at truth, it trains them in the use of their intelligence and thus
enlarges the scope of control through feelings, customs and traditions”.
 Public Opinion

 Opinion of the people is the most important method of social

control in a democratic set up. Every man tries to escape from the
criticism and condemnation by the society.
 He therefore, tries to act according to public opinion and public
sentiments. In a democratic set up, public opinion is more
effective and important than any other agency
 Propaganda and Press

• Propaganda is the deliberate effort to control the

behaviour and relationships of social groups through the
use of methods which affect the feelings and attitudes of
the individuals who make up the group. Radio,
television, press and literature not only influence the
ideas of the people but also bring about the changes in
the way of life and way of thinking
 Economic Organisation

• With the rise of modern industrial organisation, the

increase in the size of communities, a shift in the
distribution of social control among the major
institutions has occurred.
• The agencies which have risen to the forefront of social
control are economic organisation, education and
Government. The fear of losing a job compels an
individual to follow the rules and regulations of the
industry.
 Social Control
 The concept of social control although a self-explanatory term, is widely
used in sociology. This was introduced by Albian Small and George
Vincet. However, it was E. A. Ross who started a systematic study of
the process of social control.
 The need of social control arises because of it is instinctive nature of
human being i.e., to be restless, aggressive, and aspiring. Hence, there is
a need of a mechanism that can regulate human behavior.
 Talcott Parsons was of the view that social control is the useful way of
controlling and regulating human affair. Hence, social control mostly
succeed in nipping the deviant tendencies in the bud.
 Social Control
 Social control tends to take two forms: informal or formal.
 Informal social control involves conformity to the norms and values of
society as well as adoption of a belief system learned through the process of
socialization.
 Social control may be enforced using informal sanctions, which may include
shame, ridicule, sarcasm, criticism and disapproval.
 Social control may be enforced using formal sanctions. Education may
maintain social control through various mechanisms, such as
indoctrination, informal sanctions and formal sanctions.
 Socialisation as Social Control
 Socialisation is the process by which an individual, from childhood,
learns and acquires the cultural characteristics of one’s group. He is
thus able to participate as a member of the group of society.
 The individual internalizes social norms and these become part of their
personality. Social control and socialisation are mutually related,
supplementing each other towards the ultimate objective of ensuring
conformity to group norms, and maintenance of social order.
 Self-control is also a form of social control. From this point of view we
can also maintain that both self-control and social control are closely
related to yet another process−socialisation.
 Talcott Parsons

Talcott Parsons developed one of the earliest sociological

perspectives on social control.
Parsons argued that conformity is not just produced by
external agencies through the means like, punishment,
etc. It is also produced through individuals internalizing
norms and values through socialization.
 Thomas Hobbes

 The concept is often traced back to the seventeenth century

Philosopher Thomas Hobbes who argued that in a society of self-
interested individuals a power like, the State is needed to prevent
things deteriorating into a war of all against all.
 Individuals agreed to give up some of their individual freedoms by
promising to obey the laws of the State, and in return the State
promised to protect individuals.
 Importance of social control
 Social control is necessary for maintaining social order in the
society.
 It is necessary for every society or group to maintain its social
order and this is possible only when its members behave in
accordance with that social order.
 An important objective of social control is to maintain the old
order. Émile Durkheim argued that punishment not only helps
guarantee conformity among those who would violate a culture’s
norms and values but also vividly reminds others what the norms
and values are.
 Methods of Social Control
 Social control can be classified under the following two
forms-
a) Formal social control
 This type of social control is exercised by known and
deliberate agencies of social control.
b) Informal social control
 These agencies of social control have grown according to
the needs of the society.
 Goals of Social Control
 There is an element of influence, persuasion or compulsion in control.
The individual or a group is directed to act in a particular way.
Conformity is expected or imposed irrespective of whether one likes it
or not.
 The two most important goals sought to be achieved by social control
are : a) Conformity to norms and expectations of the group and b)
Maintenance of order in society.
Conformity
Uniformity
Solidarity
Continuity
Social Change
 Functionalist’s View on Social Control

Functionalists contend the main function of social

control is to realize certain purposes of the social group.
This include maintaining the social structure, social
values, norms, and other social attributes.