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Theories of Social Control: Understanding the Mechanisms of Conformity and Obedience, Thesis of Sociology

Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra LeoneSociology

An in-depth exploration of social control theories, focusing on both macro and micro perspectives. Social control is the mechanism by which society ensures its members adhere to norms, and this lecture delves into the origins of social control theories, their differences, and the role of formal and informal mechanisms in shaping human behavior. Macro theories examine formal systems of control, such as laws and law enforcement, while micro theories focus on informal mechanisms, like social bonds and inner containment. Essential for students of sociology, criminology, and psychology, providing valuable insights into the complexities of social control.

Typology: Thesis

2020/2021

Uploaded on 01/14/2024

ivan-benjamin
ivan-benjamin 🇸🇱

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Theories of Social Control Lecture 6.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We are the looking at social control. We have looked at
stratification. But this morning, I want to continue our discussion on social control, specifically,
looking at the theories of social control.
You must understand that penology, the main discipline under which we study social control, is
the science of sanctions, which involves the application of the knowledge of the causation of
crime to the treatment of criminals and the prevention of crime. The call justification for the
treatment of criminals is to inculcate in them the will to lead conforming lives after their
treatment or to equip them to do So.
Social control is the broad mechanism within which society ensures that its members do not
deviate from the norms.
we want to Look quickly at the theories of social control because this is key for understanding
of the topic itself, social control. We must know that generally, theories explain and predict
behavior. Social control theories focus on techniques and strategies that regulate human
behavior and lead them to Conformity or obedience to society's rules. For example, the
influence of family and school, religious beliefs, moral values, friends and even beliefs about
government,the more involved and committed a person is to the conventional activities and
values of his rural community or Society such as folkways, mores, laws, ideologies, and
customs, and the greater the attachment to parents, loved ones and friends, the less likely is
the situation for this individual to violate society's rules and to jeopardize relationships and
aspirations.
ORIGIN OF SOCIAL CONTROL THEORIES
Well, social control theories originated around the turn of the 20th century in the writings of
Ross, one of the founders of American sociology. According to Ross's belief, belief universally
serve to control systems, rather than specific laws, that guide what people do or the way they
behave. In other words, the value of social control lies in its representation of mechanism by
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Theories of Social Control Lecture 6.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We are the looking at social control. We have looked at stratification. But this morning, I want to continue our discussion on social control, specifically, looking at the theories of social control. You must understand that penology, the main discipline under which we study social control, is the science of sanctions, which involves the application of the knowledge of the causation of crime to the treatment of criminals and the prevention of crime. The call justification for the treatment of criminals is to inculcate in them the will to lead conforming lives after their treatment or to equip them to do So. Social control is the broad mechanism within which society ensures that its members do not deviate from the norms. we want to Look quickly at the theories of social control because this is key for understanding of the topic itself, social control. We must know that generally, theories explain and predict behavior. Social control theories focus on techniques and strategies that regulate human behavior and lead them to Conformity or obedience to society's rules. For example, the influence of family and school, religious beliefs, moral values, friends and even beliefs about government,the more involved and committed a person is to the conventional activities and values of his rural community or Society such as folkways, mores, laws, ideologies, and customs, and the greater the attachment to parents, loved ones and friends, the less likely is the situation for this individual to violate society's rules and to jeopardize relationships and aspirations. ORIGIN OF SOCIAL CONTROL THEORIES Well, social control theories originated around the turn of the 20th century in the writings of Ross, one of the founders of American sociology. According to Ross's belief, belief universally serve to control systems, rather than specific laws, that guide what people do or the way they behave. In other words, the value of social control lies in its representation of mechanism by

which society regulates the behavior of its members. According to this View, Social control defines what is considered deviant behavior, what is right or wrong, Or what a violation of the law is. Why is social control conceptualized in such different ways? This is so because the concept has been examined from both macro sociological and micro sociological perspective. If you could recall the definition given by Rusek, he suggested that social control is the collective term for those processes planned and unplanned by which individuals thoughts are persuaded, or coerced to conform to the usages and life values of groups. The planned and unplanned processes represent the formal and informal mechanisms of control. The macro sociological theories explore formal systems of control of the general society, as a whole, and the significant groups in the society. While the micro sociological theories explore the informal mechanisms. MACRO SOCIAL THEORIES These categories of theories explore the formalized or institutionalized systems for the control of groups through the legal system; namely, laws and particularly through law enforcement( Police). Through powerful groups in socio-identifiable groups which perform social, structural functions and without these Social Services, the society might grind to a halt. equally also, through social and economic derivatives of government or private groups which are often discriminatory or coercive in nature. Law enforcement; Law enforcement basically connotes the implementation of decisions, laws or regulations enacted by government or a legislative authority. To be able to carry out these decisions, require the ability to do so. This ability resides in power. Power Is therefore defined as the ability to abstain ones will or goals even against the resistance of others, in the words of Max Weber. Power can be exercised at two levels, at the micro and macro levels. Micro politics refers to the exercise of power at everyday level, as an employer may do over his employees or

2.Democracy; is a government whose authority derives from the people. It is a government of the People by the people for the people. A democracy can be direct Or indirect. A direct democracy is one in which eligible voters meet together, express their opinions and vote publicly. This was possible only in city states where populations Were smaller. And all the eligible Voters could meet as in a small town hall, and take relevant decisions. But as populations increase, direct democracies are no longer feasible and are replaced by representative democracy which involve the election of Representatives to make decisions and govern on-behalf of those who elected them. 3.Dictatorships; Dictatorships often occur in countries where a single leader or individual or small group seizes power through a coup or imposes his or her way on the people. Usually, a government run by a single person who has seized power is known as a dictatorship. If such power was seized by a small group, It is known as oligarchy. Monarchies, democracies, dictatorships use of the police as the legal law enforcement agency, but they very in the amount of control they exert over the people. In Nazi Germany, for example, Hitler kept the populace in very tight control through the use of the ruthless secret police, the Gestapo. And the network of spies who even watch how movie-goers react to news reels. Documented news events usually played before the main film big began, and arrested those who did not act appropriately. Religious belief as a mechanism of social control. Remember what Ross said with reference to which control mechanism actually works. According to Ross, the belief system, rather than specific laws, guide what people do and usually serve to control behavior. Belief, as a social control mechanism, applies in all the categories of States identified. Impact of a person's belief system on his behavior derives directly from the fear of punishment associated with the violation of the relevant doctrines of the religion, or the desire to be a beneficiary of the blessings associated with conformity to the

doctrines. The activities of true Christians are governed by the Decalogue, the Jewish Ten Commandments in the Old Testament or by the centrality of loving God and loving ones neighbour as preached by Jesus Christ. These doctrines act as a source of persuasion Or by inculcating in Christians the fear of the displeasure of God as a deterrent against wrongdoing, or the desire to be blessed by him as an inducement to conformity. Micro sociological theories. Micro sociological theories, these are theories that focus on the informal mechanisms that induce conformity. Travis Hershey has been the spokesperson for micro sociological perspective, since his publication of discuss of delinquency in 1969. He is not, however, the first scholar to examine the extent of individual social control and its relationship to delinquency. Toby and Reckless also discuss informal mechanisms that regulate the individuals behavior. Social bonds. Hershey proposed for social bonds that promote socialization and conformity. These are attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. The stronger of these bonds, the less likely the occurrence of delinquency. In the study of 4077 Junior and high school students in California, Hershey found that weakness in any of the bonds was associated with delinquent behavior that enforced them. The results of Hershy's survey led to the conclusion that if young people no longer believe that laws are fear, they are bond to society weakens and the probability that they will commit delinquent acts increases. Containment Theory;