Social control

The ways society encourages conformity to its norms and rules.

The processes through which people are encouraged or compelled to follow social rules, norms and values.

Social control means the processes through which people are encouraged or compelled to follow social rules, norms and values. Conformity is behaviour that follows those expectations. Social control helps maintain social order: the relatively stable patterns of behaviour that allow social life to continue.

Processes which encourage or enforce conformity to social norms and values, through formal or informal means.

Explain the link: unavailable rewards weaken social control, so crime may appear to offer more benefits than costs.

Distinguish positive sanctions, which reward conformity, from negative sanctions, which discourage rule-breaking. Both are forms of social control.

When classifying social control, explain how the behaviour is regulated, rather than just naming the organisation: schools can use both formal and informal control.

Ways society constrains behaviour and encourages conformity. Formal control uses laws and official agencies; informal control uses everyday approval or disapproval.

The ways society encourages conformity to its norms and expectations, including informal pressure and disapproval.

The ways society encourages conformity to its norms and rules, including expectations, sanctions and restrictions.

The ways in which people's behaviour is regulated to encourage conformity and discourage deviance.

Social control means the ways people's behaviour is regulated to encourage conformity and discourage deviance. Conformity is following a group's norms or rules; deviance is breaking its expectations. Deviance need not involve breaking the law: behaviour that friends disapprove of may be deviant within that group without being criminal.

The ways behaviour is regulated and people are encouraged to follow norms and rules.

The ways in which people are encouraged or pressured to follow society’s norms, including through rewards, rules, ridicule and punishment.

The processes through which society encourages people to follow its norms, values and rules.

The ways people's behaviour is regulated to encourage conformity to norms, rules and laws and discourage deviance.

The ways in which behaviour is regulated to encourage conformity and discourage deviance.

The ways society encourages conformity to its rules and maintains order.

The processes through which people are encouraged or compelled to conform to rules and expectations.

The processes through which people are encouraged or pressured to follow society’s norms and rules.

Definition

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AQA GCSE Sociology · 8192

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Eduqas GCSE Sociology · C200