2.2 How does society control us?

2026 Syllabus Objectives

By the end of this subtopic, you should be able to:

2.2.1 Social control:

  • Understand the difference between formal and informal types of social control
  • Explain positive and negative sanctions
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of these in producing social conformity

2.2.2 The debate between consensus and conflict views of social control:

  • Explain the Functionalist perspective on social control
  • Explain the Marxist perspective on social control
  • Explain the Feminist perspective on social control

2.2.3 The effectiveness of agencies of formal social control:

  • Understand the role of Government
  • Understand the role of Police
  • Understand the role of Courts
  • Understand the role of Penal system
  • Understand the role of Armed forces

2.2.4 Methods of control used by formal agencies in achieving social conformity:

  • Explain law-making as a method of control
  • Explain coercion as a method of control
  • Explain digital surveillance as a method of control
  • Explain arrest as a method of control
  • Explain sentencing as a method of control
  • Explain imprisonment as a method of control

2.2.5 The effectiveness of agencies of informal social control:

  • Understand the role of Family
  • Understand the role of Education
  • Understand the role of Peer group
  • Understand the role of Media
  • Understand the role of Religion
  • Understand the role of Workplace

2.2.6 Methods of control used by informal agencies in achieving social conformity:

  • Explain positive and negative sanctions used by informal agencies
  • Understand ostracism as a method of informal control
  • Understand parental rewards as a method of informal control
  • Understand social media 'likes' as a method of informal control
  • Understand religious rewards/sanctions as a method of informal control
  • Understand school punishments as a method of informal control
  • Understand dismissal from a job as a method of informal control

2.2.7 Resistance to social control through protest groups and sub-cultures:

  • Explain reasons why some people join protest groups and sub-cultures
  • Understand deviant and non-conformist behaviour
  • Provide examples of protest groups
  • Provide examples of online sub-cultures
  • Provide examples of youth sub-cultures
  • Provide examples of religious sub-cultures

🔑 Understanding Social Control

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What is Social Control?

Most people conform to most norms most of the time. They conform because, through socialisation, they have internalised the norms and values of their culture. There is a value consensus in society, where most people agree on shared values and on the norms related to those values.

Value consensus: When most people in a society agree on shared values and on the norms related to those values.

Even criminals often disapprove of the actions of other criminals, suggesting that criminals share part of the overall value system, even though they break its rules. However, societies need ways of ensuring social conformity through social control.

There are two types of social control:

  • Formal social control
  • Informal social control

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