UCSP | Social Controls

William Graham Sumner

the first to write about the distinctions between different types of norms in his book “Folkways: A Study of the Sociological Importance of Usages, Manners, Customs, Mores, and Morals” (1906), a framework sociologists still use

Social Controls/Norms

mechanisms established by encouraging individuals to conform and obey social norms through formal and informal means

Folkways

they mark the distinction between rude and polite behavior to exert social pressure that encourages us to act and interact in certain ways but they do not have any moral significance, with rare serious consequences or sanctions for violating them

Mores

determine moral vs ethical, structuring the difference between right and wrong; exacts a greater coercive force in shaping our values, beliefs, behavior, and interactions

Taboos

a strong negative norm as a prohibition of a certain behavior; violating it results in extreme disgust and expulsion from the group or society

Laws

are formally inscribed at the state and federal level and are enforced by police and other government agents; violation leads to a sanction imposed by a state authority, ranging from a fine to imprisonment