Lecture 4
Social Control:
Social control: All societies practice social control, the regulation and enforcement of norms.
Social control can be defined broadly as an organized action intended to change people’s
behaviour (Innes 2003). Social control, within sociology, refers to the many ways in which our
behavior, thoughts, and appearance are regulated by the norms, rules, laws, and social structures
of society. Social control is a necessary component of social order, for society could not exist
without it.
Social order: The underlying goal of social control is to maintain social order, an arrangement of
practices and behaviours on which society’s members base their daily lives.
One means of enforcing rules are through sanctions. Sanctions can be positive as well as
negative.
Positive sanctions Positive sanctions are rewards given for conforming to norms. A promotion
at work is a positive sanction for working hard.
Negative sanctions; Negative sanctions are punishments for violating norms.
Both types of sanctions play a role in social control.
Types of social control systems in Nigeria,
Formal and Informal social control
Sociologists also classify sanctions as formal or informal.
Informal social control refers to our conformity to the norms and values of the society, and
adoption of a particular belief system, which we learn through the process of socialization. This
form of social control is enforced by family, primary caregivers, peers, other authority figures
like coaches and teachers, and by colleagues.
(Although shoplifting, a form of social deviance, may be illegal, there are no laws dictating the
proper way to scratch one’s nose. That doesn’t mean picking your nose in public won’t be
punished; instead, you will encounter informal sanctions. Informal sanctions emerge in face-to-
face social interactions).
Formal sanctions, on the other hand, are ways to officially recognize and enforce norm
violations. Formal social control is that which is produced and enforced by the state
(government) and representatives of the state that enforce its laws like police, military, and other
city, state, and federal agencies. In many cases, a simple police presence is enough to create
formal social control.
If a student plagiarizes the work of others or cheats on an exam, for example, he or she might be
expelled. Someone who speaks inappropriately to the boss could be fired. Someone who
commits a crime may be arrested or imprisoned. On the positive side, a soldier who saves a life
may receive an official commendation, or a CEO might receive a bonus for increasing the profits
of his or her corporation.
