Sociological Terms Of Social Control

In sociological terms social control is a concept by which an individual’s behaviour is measured and regulated within society to ensure that they follow key norms and values. This is enforced in a number of ways preferably through socialisation, but in more serious cases the state will interfere are order imprisonment. In more casual terms social control has been described as ‘society’s way of telling you not to get too comfortable.’ Scholar, Stanley Cohen has described social control as a ‘Mickey Mouse’ concept (Cohen 1985) in that it is poorly and also widely defined as any way in which conformity may be achieved throughout a person’s life time.
There are formal and informal ways of controlling members of society so that they fulfil their

Examples of social control by informal sanctions include criticism, embarrassment, disapproval and sometimes even social discrimination or rejection. Informal control differs between social groups and individuals, where in one society or culture a certain type of behaviour may be praised, it may be frowned upon in another. Primary and secondary socialisation is where formal control is first introduced. Through these two elements of socialisation a child adapts so that they learn how to act in a way that is appropriate in different situations. Schools and peer groups have an important influence on an individual during the earlier stages of a person’s life as they learn to form relationships independently, without familial guidance. At any point in a person’s life they may have to re-socialise as part of a

His theory focuses largely on society’s reaction to behaviour as opposed to the individual them self. For labelling theorists, deviance is a social construct which therefore must be socially controlled. ‘Social groups create deviance by creating rules and applying them to particular people whom they label as ‘outsiders.’ In other words an act is not seen as deviant until it is labelled by others. Some argue that social control agencies such as the police force, education system and the courts label certain social groups based on stereotypical themes such as gender, race, ethnicity, age, attitudes (Becker 1963).
Furthermore it is often thought that by labelling an individual or group as deviant, makes them more so by ‘living up’ to their label, supporting Merton’s self – fulfilling prophecy theory (Merton 1948). Some people commit crimes that are not publically labelled and often don’t get caught, these people often do not see themselves as acting in a deviant way. Labelling someone as a ‘criminal’ or an offender carries stigma and others may see that person purely as their label. This can result in social exclusion and settles as the individual’s master status by which a person’s identity can be emotionally