Social control and sanctions Cambridge IGCSE Sociology revision
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In plain words
Most people do not steal, and it is rarely the police who are stopping them. Society keeps us in line with a raised eyebrow far more often than with a prison cell. Social control is the name for both.
8 things to know
- Social control is the set of ways in which society persuades or forces people to follow its norms and laws. Following them is called conformity.
- Formal social control is carried out by official agencies with written rules and set punishments, such as the police and the courts.
- Informal social control is carried out by people around us in everyday life, through approval and disapproval, such as family and friends.
- A sanction is a reward or a punishment. Positive sanctions reward conformity, such as praise, a prize or a promotion. Negative sanctions punish deviance, such as a telling-off, a fine or a prison sentence.
- Effectiveness. Informal control works for most people most of the time, because they have taken society's norms inside themselves and want the approval of others. Formal control is the back-up for when that fails. Neither works completely, since crime exists everywhere.
- The consensus view, from functionalism: social control benefits everyone. It protects shared values and keeps order.
- The conflict view, from Marxism: social control benefits the ruling class. Laws protect their property, and the working class is policed more heavily.
- The conflict view, from feminism: social control keeps women in their place. Girls are supervised more strictly, and women are judged more harshly for breaking expectations.
Worked example
Classify each sanction as formal or informal, and positive or negative: a medal from the president; friends ignoring someone; a speeding fine; a parent's hug.
- A medal from the president: formal and positive.
- Friends ignoring someone: informal and negative.
- A speeding fine: formal and negative.
- A parent's hug: informal and positive.
Tips and tricks
- Formal or informal is about who applies the sanction. Positive or negative is about whether it rewards or punishes. Every sanction has one of each.
- Do not say informal control is weak. For most people, fear of what family and friends will think is a stronger control than the law.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
Social control and sanctions: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
What is conformity?
Social control aims to produce it.
Which is an agency of formal social control?
Courts apply written laws and set punishments.
Which is a positive sanction?
It rewards behaviour.
Which is an informal negative sanction?
It punishes, and it comes from people around you.
Which view sees social control as good for all members of society?Stretch
It is the consensus view.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
3 questions, 10 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
Social control and sanctions
Cambridge IGCSE Sociology 0495 · 10 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
What is meant by the term "sanction"?[2]
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A reward or a punishment used to encourage conformity to norms.
Describe the difference between formal and informal social control.[4]
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Formal social control is carried out by official agencies, such as the police and courts, using written rules and laws. Informal social control is carried out by groups such as family and peers in everyday life, through approval and disapproval.
Explain the Marxist view of social control.[4]
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Marxists see social control as serving the ruling class. Laws are made to protect the property and interests of the wealthy. The police and courts focus on the crimes of the working class, and ideology persuades people to accept the system as fair.
Answers: Social control and sanctions
- 1. A reward or a punishment used to encourage conformity to norms.
- 2. Formal social control is carried out by official agencies, such as the police and courts, using written rules and laws. Informal social control is carried out by groups such as family and peers in everyday life, through approval and disapproval.
- 3. Marxists see social control as serving the ruling class. Laws are made to protect the property and interests of the wealthy. The police and courts focus on the crimes of the working class, and ideology persuades people to accept the system as fair.