Sociology Practice: Social Control and Perspectives

Flashcards based on lecture notes covering formal and informal social control, consensus views, and conflict perspectives including Marxism and Feminism.

Social control

Ways members of the society are made to conform to norms and value.

Informal social control

Ways of controlling behaviour imposed by people without any formal role.

Formal social control

Ways of controlling behaviour imposed by people or organisation who have authority.

Consensus view on social control

The perspective that informal social control, such as family and education, is positive and essential for the stability of the society.

Emile Durkheim

A sociologist who believes that a society needs a set of shared values to hold the society together and prevent anomie.

Anomie

The chaos that occurs when individuals cannot regulate their behaviour because there are no norms to guide them.

Conflict view (Marxism)

The perspective that social control is a way the ruling class maintain their power over the working class.

Ideological state apparatus

Informal institutions like religion, media, and school that teach people what is right or wrong to suit the ruling class and maintain their power.

Conflict view (Feminism)

The perspective that women are socially controlled by men, with family expectations reinforcing traditional gender roles of women as mothers and house wife.