SOCIAL CONTROL

UNIT 6
 MEANING OF SOCIAL CONTROL
The survival and smooth functioning of society are possible only when there exist in it social harmony, social
solidarity, and social order.
Social harmony or solidarity is not an automatic development. Individual members of society must strive and
struggle to bring it about. Members of society are able to bring about social harmony only when they conform to
certain accepted standards of behavior or norms.
Conformity to norms must prevail over the self-seeking impulses of the people. Group welfare or societal welfare
must take precedence over individual pleasures. An individual by himself cannot do this. Hence society exercises its
force or control over the individual members.
Thus, social control refers to the control of society over the individual. Social control implies a system of devices
through which society controls the activities of individual members.
E.A. Ross was the first American sociologist to deal with the concept of social control in his famous book "Social
Control" published in 1901. In fact, he was the first to use the concept of 'social control' in sociological discussion.
Since then, the concept has become quite popular.
According to Ross, the individual has deep-rooted sentiments that help him to cooperate with other fellow members
to work for social welfare. These sentiments are sympathy, sociability, and a sense of justice. But these sentiments by
themselves are not enough to suppress the self-seeking impulses of the individual.
Society has to make use of its mechanisms to accomplish the necessary order and discipline. Ross has stressed the
roles of public opinion, law, belief, suggestion, religion, ideals, ceremony, etc., in establishing social control.
DEFINATIONS OF SOCIAL
CONTROL
Fairchild: "Social Control is the sum total of the processes whereby society, or any subgroup within
society, secures conformity to expectations on the part of its constituent units, individuals, and
groups."
E. A. Ross: "Social Control refers to the 'system of devices whereby society brings its members into
conformity with the accepted standards of behavior'."
Manheim: "Social Control is the sum of those methods by which a society tries to influence human
behavior to maintain a given order."
Ogburn and Nimkoff: Social control refers to "the patterns of pressure which a society exerts to
maintain order and established rules."
J.S. Roucek: 'Social Control' is a collective term used to refer to "those processes planned or
unplanned, by which individuals are taught, persuaded, or compelled to conform to the usages
and life-values of groups."
G.A. Lundberg and others: Social control designates "those social behaviors which influence
individuals or groups toward conformity to established or desired norms."
 NATURE OF SOCIAL CONTROL
1. Social Control denotes some kind of influence. The influence may be exercised in various ways by
means of public opinion, coercion, religion, morality, ideology, leadership, etc.
2. The influence is essentially exerted by society or community. The influence is exerted at various
levels. It may indicate the entire society's influence over all the innumerable smaller groups, sub-
groups, and individuals. It may denote the influence of a dominant group over several smaller
groups. It may signify the group's dominance over the individual members. It may reflect, in some
cases, the influence of a few extraordinary individuals over other ordinary individuals.
3. The influence is exercised for promoting the welfare of all individuals or of the group as a whole.
Social Control is not aimless. It is there to serve the general interests of all and to curb the
dangerous selfish interests of those who try to satisfy them.
4. The influence of society has been there since times immemorial. Social Control is as old as human
society. It is an essential condition of human society. In the absence of social control, no society can
ever hold together its members for any length of time.
5. The influence is universal. Where there is society, there is social control. It is there even in the so-
called uncivilized, barbaric, and cannibalistic societies.
 PURPOSE OF SOCIALCONTROL
1. Social Control brings about social conformity. This is the main purpose of social control. Since the modern complex
society is a multi-group society, differential norms will have to co-exist. As a result, behavioral patterns of different
groups differ significantly. But these differences should not be allowed to exceed the limits of tolerance. People must be
made to feel the need for security. For the sake of security, they are obliged to accept conformity. Social Control thus
provides for conformity.
2. Social Control brings about solidarity. The second main purpose of social control is to create in the minds of people the
feeling of identity and of solidarity. For the proper and smooth functioning of society, the different organizations and
institutions of the social system must be properly integrated. Otherwise, in this competitive world, the weaker group
may be completely exploited by the stronger one, or equally powerful groups may clash among themselves and spoil
peace and order. Some groups may even develop anti-societal attitudes and pose a permanent danger to the
organization of society. It becomes necessary for society to establish a reasonable balance or equilibrium between
different groups and institutions. This would repose confidence among people. Society does this through various means
of social control.
3. Social Control assures the continuity of social group or society. Societies not only struggle for stability and solidarity but
also for their own survival or continuity. Continuity is the bedrock on which the future of society depends. Society
maintains its continuity by controlling effectively its people and their groups. Due to this continuity, the means of social
control become, in the course of time, a part of culture. As a part of culture, they are transmitted from one generation to
another. Thus, various means of social control function endlessly to maintain the continuity of society
TYPES OF SOCIAL CONTROL
Society makes use of various means of social control depending upon the time and social
situation for the realization of its purposes. It is left to the discretion of the group to decide what
means must be used at what time and in what social situation.
In some primitive communities, magic and superstitious beliefs are enough to exercise control.
In a rural society, means such as folkways, mores, customs, traditions, beliefs are enough to act
as social pressures on individual behavior.
But in modern urban society, radio, television, newspapers, schools and colleges, police force,
etc., may be used for enforcing conformity. In fact, societies have developed consciously or
unconsciously various devices for the purpose of controlling the behavior of their members.
Formal and informal control represent two kinds of devices: Formal and Informal Control.
Social Control can thus be classified into two major types on the basis of the means of social
control that are employed. They are: (i) Formal control, and (ii) Informal control.
 FORMAL CONTROL
The state makes use of law, legislation, military force, police force, administrative devices, etc., for the
purpose of social control. Similarly, different political, religious, economic, cultural, and other associations
and institutions also institute formal control over their members.
 Formal control is deliberately created. Various rules are established to make it specific: The necessity of
following formal control or rules is clearly stated by associations and institutions.
Violators of formal control are given punishments depending upon the nature and type of violation.
The organization that makes use of formal control may even create a body of officials vested with power
to enforce control, as we find in the case of the state which has established the police, military force, etc.
In brief, an association, whether it is a state, a bank, an army, a factory, or anything else, has its own
norms through which it controls the behavior of its members. All these come under formal control.
Formal control has become a necessity in modern complex societies in which interaction is mostly
impersonal in nature
 INFORMAL CONTROL
Informal Control includes gossip, slander, resentment, public opinion, sympathy, sense of justice, folkways, mores, customs,
religion, morality, and other such agents. These are not purposefully created. Nothing could be said with certainty regarding their
origin.
They arise in their own way and in the course of time gain currency and popularity. They become deep-rooted within people in
their practices. No specific punishment would be given to the violators of informal control. Still, they are more effective than formal
control.
They do not require any extra staff to enforce them as it is in the case of formal control. They do not have the physical force to
enforce conformity to them. Hence, people may not observe them or go against them without being physically punished for the
same.
Faith in religion, moral convictions, public opinion, artistic standards, and the general state of enlightenment are found to be more
important in informal control.
Informal control is more effective in primary social groups such as family, neighborhood, tribe, rural community where interaction
takes place on a personal basis. Whenever the group or the society becomes larger (in terms of population) and more complex, the
informal devices of control become less effective.
Simple gossip, slander, and censure can correct an erring ruralite but not an urban citizen. The anonymity of city life, which has
added to the confidence of the individual that he could commit an offense without being noticed or caught by others who are
mostly engaged in their own business, contributes to the non-effectiveness of informal control.
Hence informal methods have given place to the formal ones such as law, education, coercion, and codes, though less effective
informal control still plays a significant role
AGENCIES FOR SOCIAL CONTROL
FORMAL INFORMAL

SCHOOL FAMILY
WORKPLACE PEER
RELIGION MASS MEDIA
LAW STATE NEIGHBORHOOD
EDUCATION
PUBLIC OPINION
FASHION
Law
Law is a powerful method of control.
The state runs its administration through the government.
In primitive societies, the groups followed similar occupations
and individuals shared a direct and personal relation among
themselves.
These folkways, mores and customs sufficed in controlling the
individual behavior. There was almost unquestioned
compliance with the formal mechanism of social control.
In short, law is an important formal means of Control to
regulate the individual behaviour in society
State:
State has a vital role in administering social control.
State functions through the government. Modern nation-states strive to be
welfare states, i.e. they seek to provide to the citizens a wide range of social
services like education and medical care.
In modern societies, State has become increasingly important as an agent of
social control.
Education
Education in modern times is a very powerful means of social
control. It prepares the child for social living and teaches him the
values of discipline, cooperation, tolerance and integration.
Educational institutions at all levels(i.e. school, college, university,
etc.) impart knowledge as well as ethics through formal structured
courses and behavioral inputs. The child learns many things from
the Education institutions, which he cannot learn from other
sources.
It is education, which makes all efforts to discipline the mind of the
student in the school so that he can realize the importance of
social control.
Folkways
Folkways are norms to which individuals conform. It is customary to do so. Conformity to
folkways is not enforced by law or any other agency of the society.
It is the informal acceptance of established practices in each group or society.
Folkways are manifested in matters of dress, food habits, observance of rituals, forms of worship
and methods of greeting etc
Mores
‘Mores’ represent another category of norms. Mores are
considered to be essential for group welfare.
Mores seek to regulate the relationship between individuals
in defined situations, viz. between wife and husband, parents
and children, student and teacher, etc.
They may also refer to general social relationships in terms of
honesty, truthfulness, hard work and discipline, etc
The positive mores prescribe behavior patterns while the
negative mores or taboos prescribe or prohibit behavior
patterns.
RELIGION
Religion serves as a potent agent of social control in many societies around the world. It influences behavior, shapes morals, and regulates
social interactions through its teachings, values, and rituals. Here's how religion acts as an agent of social control, illustrated with an
example:
Moral Guidance: Religious teachings often provide a moral framework that governs individual behavior and societal norms. For instance, in
Christianity, the Ten Commandments outline moral principles such as not stealing, not killing, and honoring one's parents. These
commandments serve as guidelines for adherents, shaping their conduct and interactions within society.
Community Cohesion: Religious communities foster a sense of belonging and unity among their members. Through shared rituals, prayers,
and gatherings, religion strengthens social bonds and encourages cooperation. For example, in Islam, the practice of congregational prayers
(Salat) brings Muslims together multiple times a day, reinforcing their sense of community and collective identity.
Social Norms and Expectations: Religious doctrines often dictate specific behaviors and roles within society. These norms guide individuals
in their interactions with others and help maintain social order. For instance, Hinduism prescribes the concept of dharma, which
encompasses one's duties and responsibilities based on their social status and stage of life. Adhering to these duties contributes to social
harmony and stability.
Fear of Divine Punishment: Many religions emphasize the consequences of disobedience or sin, both in this life and the afterlife. The fear of
divine punishment serves as a deterrent against deviant behavior and encourages adherence to religious laws and societal norms. For
example, in Buddhism, the belief in karma, the law of cause and effect, motivates individuals to act morally and ethically to avoid negative
consequences in future lives.
Social Control Mechanisms: Religious institutions often have established mechanisms for enforcing conformity and disciplining deviant
behavior within their communities. These may include religious leaders, councils, or judicial systems tasked with interpreting religious laws
and resolving disputes. For instance, within Judaism, the religious court system (Beit Din) adjudicates matters of religious law and communal
disputes, ensuring compliance with religious norms.
Administration
Administration is very powerful and the most effective instrument of social
control.
It forces the individual to obey social control. The administrations punish the
violators with the help of the police, the army etc
Family
Family is a very important instrument agency of social control. Family prescribes rules and regulations that the members have to
follow. These rules and regulations form a part of social control.
The family socializes the child into the norms, values, traditions and customs of the group. Thus, family has predominant role in
the shaping of the personality of the child. Family teaches the child to conform to the norms of the society. It exercises control
over its members to bring about the desired action.
Family is one of the most important agencies of social control. Every child learns from her / his immediate environment, which is
first provided by the family. Etiquettes, habits and attitudes are first learnt from the immediate role models (e.g. parents,
siblings, kin groups, etc.). The family socializes the child into the norms, values, traditions and customs of the group. Thus, family
has predominant role in the shaping of the personality of the child. In villages, an individual gets her / his status from her / his
family. The elders have a dominant role in the shaping of the personality of the child. This is manifested in the individual‟s
attitudes, interests, lifestyles, etc. Marriages are mostly arranged by the elders and seen as an alliance between families rather
than two individuals. In cities, the family continues to play a predominant role in the shaping of an individual‟s personality.
However, industrialization, paucity of income and space have contributed to the prevalence of nuclear family. This is very
different from what is encountered in villages. Hence, families tend to focus upon themselves. This results in an increased accent
on individualism as opposed to collectivism common in villages. The function of socialization that a family carries out is
complemented by other secondary institutions such as the classroom, playground, peer group and the media. Unlike in rural
surrounding, the individual derives her / his social status partly from her / his family but more importantly from her / his
personal achievements. Parents and elders still largely arrange marriages in cities. However, the consent of the girl and the boy is
sought. Marriages outside caste and religion are also on rise. Thus, we see that individual choice is becoming increasingly
important. However, owing to the absence of the strong family support on both sides, individual disagreements are more likely
to lead to separation and divorce as opposed to the rural setting where the family network provides a readily available conflict
resolution mechanism.
 Neighborhood
Neighbourhood is a simple and specific part of a community. It has a feeling or
sentiment of local unit. There may be more than one Neighbourhood in a
community.
The neighbourhood is the first community with which the individual comes into
contact with. It exists, a deep influence on its members as an agency of social
control.
Public Opinion
Public 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. 
Newspapers, radio, television, motion pictures, legislations, pamphlets, etc. mould public
opinion.
Fashion
Fashion may be defined as ‘permitted range of variation around a norm’.
People want to be like their associates and friends and also want to be different from them.
They help us to express our individuality without going against norms.
Thus no woman want to attend a dinner party in a night dress.
People want to eat fashionable foods, wear fashionable dresses, read fashionable books, enjoy
fashionable amusements, etc.
SCHOOL
When the child comes to the school, his formal indoctrination into the culture of the society
begins. He is exposed to a wider background than hitherto known to him. He is formally
introduced to the lore and the learning, the arts and the sciences, the values and the beliefs, the
customs and taboos of the society from a wider circle, his teachers play a very significant role.
The child may admire, respect and love some of his teachers. The impression which they make
during this impressionable age lasts almost throughout his life.
In literate societies another important agency of socialisation is the printed word in books and
magazines. Our cultural world—experiences and knowledge, values and beliefs, superstitions
and prejudices—is expressed in words.
PEER
As the child grows older, his contemporaries begin to influence him. He spends most of his spare
hours outside his work and study schedule with his peers in the playground and places outside
his home. The attraction of peers is virtually irresistible to him.
He learns from them and they also learn from him. With the passage of time, the peer group
influence surpasses at of parents significantly. It is not surprising that teen age is the age of
parent-child misunderstanding.
In the socialisation of the child, the members of the family, particularly those who exercise
authority over him, and the members of his peer group exercise two different kinds of influence
upon him. Both authoritarian relationships (typified by the former) and equalitarian
relationships (typified by the latter) are equally significant to him.
He acquires the virtues of respect, constraint and obedience from the first type of relationships,
and the virtues of co-operation based on trust and mutual understanding from the second.
Continue……………
The importance of authoritarian element in the socialization process may be explained thus. First, the pattern of behaviour expected of
a child in a society does not usually or in all cases correspond to the innate inclinations of the child. On the contrary, on many occasions
he is taught to act contrary to biological inclinations and follow the prescriptions as well as the proscriptions of society.
Those who are mature and can command his respect and attention are obviously the proper persons to initiate the process of
socialisation. Secondly, many cultural elements—both prescriptive and prescriptive— are not always amenable to reason. The child will
naturally resent being asked to behave in a manner contrary to what his natural inclinations prompt him to do.
In cases like this, the authority of those who are responsible for reproducing and maintaining a child are in a unique position to make
him accept their instructions without questioning the logic and the necessity of the contents of those instructions. He has to accept
these simply because his superiors lay them down for him.
The importance of equalitarian element in socialisation process rests on altogether different grounds. There is free and spontaneous
interaction, instead of coercion, among those who have equalitarian relationships. They view “the world through the same eyes,” share
the same subjective attitudes and, consequently, have perfect “understanding” of one mother.
This applies to age mates, sex mates and class mates. They learn from one mother “small folkways, shades of meaning, fads and crazes,
secret modes of gratification, and forbidden knowledge.” Some such knowledge is “often socially useful and yet socially abooed”.
Kingsley Davis has given the example of knowledge of sex which is supposed 10 remain a closed book until marriage. If this were
followed, the problems of maladjustment and aberration of many kinds would not have been infrequent Fortunately, such knowledge
is “transmitted as a part of the lore that passes from child to child”.
MASS MEDIA
Apart from newspapers which carry printed words, the two other mass media, viz., the radio and
television, exercise tremendous influence in the socialisation process. They “assault our ears” and
communicate directly their messages and these messages also “contain in capsule form the
premises of our culture, its attitudes and ideologies”.
The role of television, in particular, is very significant. It communicates directly to both our ears
and eyes and thus leaves a strong impression.
In individual cases, of course, the importance of these influences varies. Different people react to
the same suggestion differently. Responses vary in terms of their natural predilections. “Some of
us respect tradition; others fear the opinion of their peers; and still others prefer to listen to the
‘thousand tongues’ of conscience”.
David Riesman has characterised the first group as ‘tradition-directed’, the second as ‘other
directed’ and the third as ‘inner-directed’. While discussing the nature and impact of socialisation
process, one cannot afford to ignore these innate characteristics of human nature.