Types OF Social Control PDF

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To keep the social order, every society exercises control over its members. Due to inherent differences in their cultural backgrounds, the nature of personal relations, social relations, and social conditions, forms of social control are not uniform in all societies. Because members of society have ...

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TYPES OF SOCIAL CONTROL To keep the social order, every society exercises control over its members. Due to inherent differences in their cultural backgrounds, the nature of personal relations, social relations, and social conditions, forms of social control are not uniform in all societies. Because members of society have different goals, interests, and ideologies, regulating their behaviour through a single set of social control mechanisms is nearly impossible. There are urban and rural societies, as well as closed and open societies, traditional and modern societies, and societies that follow democratic and autocratic norms. As a result, differences in the types of social control are to be expected. Society maintains control over its members by rewarding and punishing them at different times. At times, society uses formal and organised methods to exercise its power, while at other times it uses informal and unorganised methods. The following types of social control are described based on various authors' classifications.

Informal Social Control

This is also known as primary social control because it is more effective in primary groups, as defined by sociologists. The primary groups are more homogeneous, small, compact, and intimate than the secondary groups. Personal feelings of loyalty bind members to one another and to the group. A family, playgroups, neighbourhood, rural community, and a primitive society are just a few examples of compact social groupings. Every individual in such societies is constantly surrounded by extremely powerful and subtle social control mechanisms. Individuals are under the control of their parents and other family members within a family. Family is in turn under the control of neighbourhood or kinship groups, which are in turn under the watchful eye of society as a whole. As a result, no individual or group is immune to social control. In such social settings, social control can be described as a set of concentric circles encircling individuals and groups. The fact that it is informal, spontaneous, and unplanned are all important characteristics of this type of control. Typically, the group

expresses its disapproval of the deviant member through ridicule, opprobrium, criticism, ostracism, and, on rare occasions, the use of physical force and coercion. Because the group is small, ties are strong, members are well-known, and the individual has limited options for joining another group. He can't afford to ignore his groups' disapproval, so he has to conform to their expectations. Such control methods are effective not only in primitive societies where primary groups and relationships abound, but also in modern complex societies like ours, particularly within secondary groups (such as voluntary associations, clubs, and trade unions, for example), where informal controls are effective in achieving the organization's goals.

Formal Social Control

Because it is usually found in larger, secondary social groups, it is also known as secondary social control. Such social groupings can be seen in modern complex societies like ours. We find a large number of groups in such societies, all of which are characterised by impersonal relations and are focused on specific goals. Some examples include a political party, a trade union, a factory, an office, and a student organisation. Members' relationships in these secondary groups are more formal and less intimate. Because of their relationships, informal controls such as ridicule, criticism, or 'gossip' do not exist. Informal groups do form within formal organisations, which is a well-known sociological fact. Certain cliques' informal controls are more effective in a university or college. The point is that informal groups that form within formal organisations can either hinder or facilitate formal secondary controls, affecting the organization's performance.

In general, informal controls take the place of formal controls in secondary groupings. This type of control employs both positive and negative sanctions, such as rewards and honour, as well as punishments, expulsion, and other measures. Law, police, courts, prisons, and other law enforcement agencies are examples of such controls in larger society. Apart from these more visible forms, formal control mechanisms also include well-organized propaganda delivered through the mass media in order to

'engineer' social control in society. Informal controls are weakened in large secondary groups due to growing anonymity, mobility, and conflicting norms and values. Intimacy deteriorates, and members have no personal or emotional feelings for one another. They switch from one place to another or from one group to another on a regular basis. As a result, they can easily elude the control of a particular group. Furthermore, in a complex society, there is always a clash of different groups' norms and values. One group may approve of behaviour that is frowned upon by another. In such circumstances, formal social control agencies are called upon to intervene.

Conscious and Unconscious Control The forms of social control have been classified as conscious and unconscious by American sociologists C.H. Cooley and L. L. Bemard. Human behaviour can be divided into two categories: conscious and unconscious. Human beings' conscious behaviour refers to deliberate and planned acts and actions, such as when a subordinate employee does not sit in his boss's chair and remains alert and attentive while speaking with his boss. On the other hand, some human actions are performed unconsciously, and the individual is unaware of why he is doing so because a repeated behaviour pattern has become ingrained in his personality, for example, when we put on our clothes, we follow a specific pattern (eg. we put on our undergarments first and not after having put on upper garments). In other words, conscious social control refers to situations in which we behave cautiously and deliberately, whereas unconscious social control refers to situations in which we act spontaneously and unconsciously. Within the caste system, we can include common eating and drinking patterns, untouchability, and marriage as examples of the first type. We can include the control exercised under the influence of traditions, sanskars, and religious prescriptions in the latter category.

Direct and Indirect Control

The direct and indirect forms of social control have been discussed by Karl Mannheim. It is a direct type of social control when very close people, such as parents, friends, teachers, neighbours, and so on, exercise control over human behaviour. The control exerted by the social and physical environment, as well as various groups and institutions, is referred to as indirect social control. The impact of direct social control is greater and lasts longer, whereas the impact of indirect social control is less and lasts less.

Positive and Negative Social Control

Positive and negative forms of social control have been described by Kimball Young. Positive social control is contingent on the individual's willingness to conform. The promise of rewards, ranging from tangible material benefits to social approval, can be used to exert this type of control. Individuals' internalisation of social norms, value, and role expectations during the socialisation process is a more fundamental form of positive social control. Individuals who believe in social norms are more likely to follow them. Kissing babies by parents for understanding their signals a=, examples of positive social control. Appreciation letters given to students teams on their success in the examinations/games, conferring of gallantry awards to soldiers vigilantly engaged in guarding national boundaries against enemies from across the borders, conferring of gallantry awards to soldiers vigilantly engaged in guarding national boundaries against enemies from across the borders, kissing babies by parents for understanding their signals a=, examples of positive social control.

Individuals' deviant behaviour is discouraged and punished in the process of negative forms of social control. Violations of societal rules and regulations frequently attract the wrath of law enforcement agencies, with penalties ranging from simple threats to the threat of death, imprisonment, and fines. Negative social control can be very effective because people know that if they are caught, they will be severely punished. Negative social control includes punishment, ridicule, criticism, excommunication, imprisonment, fines, and the death penalty.

Organised, Unorganised and Automatic Social Control

Organized, unorganised, and automatic forms of social control have been discussed by Gurvitch and Moore. Human behaviour is influenced by a set of social agencies with clearly defined 'do's and 'don'ts' for individuals in the process of organised social control. This type of social control is exercised by educational institutions, families, the state, and others. Through rites and rituals, customs and traditions, folkways and mores, and other forms of unorganised social control, people's personalities are influenced. Individuals are motivated to act in order to meet their felt needs in the automatic social control system. People take charge of their immediate and long-term needs based on their own experiences, values, ideals, thinking, and mores. Religious prescriptions are an example of this type of social control that is not imposed on people but is willingly and automatically accepted. This type of control is long-lasting. Autocratic and Democratic Social Control

Autocratic and democratic forms of social control have been identified by Lapiere. When an administrative agency or authority uses force to achieve goals that are not defined and recognised by society, it is referred to as an autocratic form of social control. Authorities frequently exploit material and human resources to further their own vested interests, and they are not afraid to commit atrocities. Military-run states led by despotic rulers are living examples of autocratic social control, in which people's wishes are suppressed. The democratic social control takes effect when the control is exercised by agencies or authorities established by the people themselves, and their wishes are taken into account when framing rules and regulations. People are encouraged to act in accordance with democratic principles. In democratic social control, persuasion, motivation, discussion, consultation, and participation are commonly used techniques, whereas in autocratic social control, compulsion, intimidation, exploitation, threat, and torture are frequently used techniques....