External Forms of Social Control

How does society ensure that we conform to its expectations and keep to its rules?

Through agencies of social control.

1a. What are agencies of social control?

These are organisations or institutions that impose rules on us in an effort to make us behave in certain ways.

1b. What do agencies of social control include?

They include the family, peer group and education system.

1c. What are examples of negative sanctions (punishments)?

For example, parents may send a naughty child to bed, friends may shun someone who tells tales and teachers may give a disruptive student a detention.

1d. What are examples of positive sanctions (rewards) for those who conform?

For example, a teacher might give a hardworking student praise and gold stars.

1e. What do sanctions help to do and what theory does this echo?

Both positive and negative sanctions help to impose social control. This echoes Skinner’s operant learning theory of behaviour reinforcement - punishments deter undesired behaviour and rewards encourage acceptable behaviour.

2a. What can agencies of social control within the criminal justice system do?

The criminal justice system contains several agencies of social control, each with the power to use formal legal sanctions against individuals in an attempt to make them conform to society’s laws.

2b. What powers do the police have?

They have powers to stop, search, arrest, detain and question suspects.

2c. What powers do the CPS have?

The CPS can charge a suspect and prosecute them in court.

2d. What powers do judges and magistrates have?

Judges and magistrates have powers to bail the accused or remand them in custody, and to sentence the guilty to a variety of punishments.

2e. What powers do the prison service have?

The prison service can detain prisoners against their will for the duration of their sentence, and punish prisoners’ misbehaviour (such as by putting them in solitary confinement).

2f. What positive sanctions (rewards) do the justice system have?

The justice system has positive sanctions that it can use to control behaviour. For example, assisting the prosecution is likely to earn an offender a lower sentence, while good behaviour by prisoners may earn them more privileges and earlier parole.

3a. What is coercion?

Coercion involves the use or threat of force in order to make someone do (or stop doing) something.

3b. What force may be involved in coercion?

Force may involve physical or psychological violence, or other forms of pressure.

3c. What can the negative sanctions of the justice system be seen as and what is an example of this?

The negative sanctions of the criminal justice system can be seen as coercion: for example, sending someone to prison for stealing is a form of coercion aimed at preventing further offending (if only for the period that the thief is in jail).

4a. What does fear of punishment do?

Fear of punishment is one way of trying to achieve social control and make people conform to the laws.

4b. What does fear of punishment involve?

In effect, fear of punishment is a form of coercion, because it involves the threat that force will be used against you if you do not obey the law.

4c. What is an example of what will happen if you commit an offence?

For example, if you commit an offence you may be arrested, charged, convicted and jailed - all against your will.

4d. What do some theorists argue about fear of punishment and what it acts as?

Some theorists, such as right realists, argue that fear of being caught and punished is what ensures that many would-be criminals continue to obey the law. In other words, fear acts as a deterrent.