2.1 forms of social control

types of social control

internal

external

control theory

what is social control

persuading people to conform to society’s norms, laws & expectations

example of internal social control - freud

freud suggests we conform to society’s rules because of superego - develops through early childhood socialisation

inflicts feelings of guilt if we fail to use self control

restrains selfish behaviour caused by the id leading to criminal behaviour

example of internal social control - tradition and culture

conforming to traditions and culture through socialisation - learn to accept society’s values and norms

what is socialisation

internalise rules through socialisation from parents, religion etc

what is rational ideology

internalise social rules & use them to tell us what’s right and wrong

society’s rules and moral code become our own personal rules & moral code - makes us conform

what is external social control

police, schools etc impose rules to make us behave, eg teachers giving detention

works under skinner’s operant learning theory of behaviour reinforcement

what is coercion

use of threat of force to make someone do or stop doing something

what is fear of punishment & theory

deterence - right realists argue fear of being caught and punished encourages people to obey the law

labelling theory

if someone goes to prison they will be labelled even if they don’t reoffend, making it harder to get a job

hirschi’s control theory

people are controlled by 4 bonds to society keeping them from deviating;

Beliefs - socialised by family to believe it’s right to obey law, less likely to break it

Attachment - if more attached to others, care what people think so respect their norms, less likely to commit crime

Commitment - committed to conventional goals eg. job not going to risk getting caught committing crime

Involvement - people are move involved in the community, they have less time to commit crime. eg youth clubs designed to keep young people off the streets

feminists view on control theory

patriarchal societies control females more, domestic jobs at home so less likely to commit crime - explains women’s low offending rate