JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA

FACULTY OF LAW
SUBJECT: SOCIOLOGY

TOPIC: SOCIAL CONTROL

SUBMITTED TO: RASHEED SIR

SUBMITTED BY: SAIF KHAN

STUDENT ID; 20183349

COURSE: BALLB

CLASS; 1ST YEAR(REGULAR)

 Social Control
1. MEANING OF SOCIAL CONTROL
Rousseau’s book ‘social contract’ begins with a famous sentence: “Man is born free and
everywhere he is in chains it is true that man can’t be absolutely free in society. The collective life
of man is possible only in the context of social constraints. Man has given the process to society
of exercising its control over his behavior. The control which the society exercises over the
behavior of its member through various mechanism can be referred to as ‘social control’. Thus
social control refers to the control of society over the individuals.
E.A Ross was the first American sociologist to deal with this concept of social control in his
famous book social control, published in 1901. Ross has stressed upon the rules of public opinion,
law, belief, suggestion, religion, ideals ceremony, etc. in establishing social control.1

DEFINITION OF SOCIAL CONTROL

1. “E A Ross. “Social control refers to the system of devices whereby society brings its members
into conforming with the accepted standards of behavior”.
2. Ogburn & Nimkoff have said that social controls as refers to “the patterns of pressure which a
society exerts to maintain order and established rules.”
3. Manheim. “Social controls is the sum of those methods by which a society tries to influence
human behavior to maintain given order.”
4. G.A Lundberg and others have said that social control designates “those social behaviors which
influence individuals or groups towards conforming to established or desired norms.”
5. Fairchild. “Social control is the sum total of the processes whereby society, or any sub-group
within society, secures conformity to expectation on the part of its constituent units, individuals
and groups.”
6. J.S. Roucek. ‘Social control’ is a collective terms used to refer to “those processes planned or
unplanned, by which individuals are taught, persuaded or compelled to conform to the usages
and life-values of group”.2

NATURE OF SOCIAL CONTROL

 Social control denotes some kind of influence. The influence may be exercised in various
ways by means of public opinion, law, coercion, religion, ideology, leadership, etc.
 The influence is essentially exerted by the society or community. The influence is the
influence of a few extra-ordinary individuals exerted at various levels. It may indicate the
entire society influence over all the innumerable smaller groups, sub-groups and
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www.yourarticlelibrary.com
2
C.N. Shankar rao, sociology, s chand and company ltd, new delhi, 7 edn 2016
 individuals. It may reflect in some cases the influence of a few extra ordinary individuals
over other ordinary individuals.
 The influence is exercised for promoting the welfare of all the individuals or of all
group as a whole. Social control is not aimless. It is there to serve the general interests of
all and to curb the dangerous selfish interests of those who try to satisfy them.
 The influence of the society has been there since times immemorial. Social control is
as old as human society. It is an essential condition of the human society. In is an essential
condition of the human society. In the absence of social control, no society can ever hold
together its member for any length of time.
 The influence is universal. Where there is a society there is social control. It is there even
in the so-called uncivilsed, barbaric and cannibalistic societies.3

2. PURPOSE OF SOCIAL CONTROL

The purpose of social control as the very term indicates, is to exercise control over people
in an effective manner. Why the control is needed? According to Kimball young, it is
necessary “to bring about conformity, solidarity, and continuity of a particular group or
society”. The three purpose of social control mentioned by Kimball young- conformity,
solidarity and continuity of the group- may be describe below.
1.Social control brings about social conformity.
This is the main purpose of social control. Since the modern complex society is a
multigroup society deferential norms will have to co-exist. As a result, behavioral patterns
of a different groups differ significantly. But these differences should not be allowed to
exceed the limit of tolerance. People must be made to feel the need of security. For the sake
of security, they are obliged, to accept the conformity. Social control thus provides for
conformity.

2.Social control brings about solidarity.

The second main purpose of social control is to create in the minds of people the feeling of
identity and of solidarity. For the proper and smooth functioning of the society the different
organizations and institutions of all social system must be properly integrated. Otherwise,
in the competitive world the weaker group may be completely exploited by the stronger
one, or equally powerful groups may be clash among themselves and spoil peace and order.
Some groups may even develop anti-societal attitudes and pose permanent danger to the
organization of the society. It becomes necessary for the society to establish a reasonable
balance or equilibrium between different groups and institutes. This would repose the
confidence among people. Society does this through various means of social control.

3.Social control assure the continuity of social group and society.

Societies not only struggle for stability and solidarity but also for their own survival and
continuity. Continuity is the bed-rock on which the future of the society depends. Society
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C.N. Shankar rao, sociology, s chand and company ltd, new delhi, 7 edn 2016
 maintains its continuity by controlling effectively its people and their groups. Due to this
continuity the means of social control become in course of time a part of culture. As a part
of culture they are transmitted from one generation to another. Thus, various means of
social control function endlessly to maintain the continuity of the society.4

3.TYPES OF SOCIAL CONTROL.

Society make use of various means of social control depending upon the time and social
situation for the realization of its purpose. It is left to the discretion of the group to decide
what means must be used at what time and in what social situation. In some primitive
communities’ magic and superstitious beliefs are enough to exercise control. In a ruler
society means such as folkways, mores, customs, traditions, beliefs are enough to act as
social pressures on individual behavior. But in the modern urban society, radio, televisions,
newspaper, school and collages, police force, etc., may be used for enforcing conformity.
In fact, societies have developed consciously or unconsciously various devices for the
purpose of controlling the behavior of their members. Formal and informal control
represents two kinds of devices.

Formal and informal control

Social control can be classified into two major types on the basics of the means of social
control that are employed.
They are: (i) Formal control, and (ii) Informal control.

 Formal control.
The state use of law, legislations, military force, police ford, administrative devices,
etc., for the purpose of social control. similarly, different political, religious, economic,
cultural and other associations and institutions also institute formal control over the
behavior of the members. Formal control is deliberately created. Various rules are laid
down to make it specific. The necessity of following formal control or rules is clearly
stated by associations and institutions. Violators of formal control are given
punishment depending upon the nature and type of violation. The organization that
makes use of formal control may even create a body of officials vested with power to
enforce control as we find it in the case of state which has established the police military
force, etc. In brief, an association, whether it is the state or a bank, or an army, or a
factory or anything has its own norms through which it controls the behavior of the
members. All these come under formal control. Formal control has become a necessity
in the modern complex societies in which interaction is mostly impersonal in nature.5

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www.sociologyguide.com
5
S.R. Myneni, principles of sociology, Allahabad law agency, Allahabad, 5th edn, 2017
  Informal control.
Informal control includes gossip, resentment, public opinion, sympathy, sense of
justice, folkways, mores, customs, religion, morality and such other agents. These are
not purposefully created. Nothing could be said with certainty regarding their origin.
They arise on their own way and in course of time grain currency and popularity. They
become deep-rooted with people in their practices. No specific punishment would be
given to the violators of informal control. Still they are more effective than the formal
control. They do not require any extra staff to enforce them as it is so in the case of
formal control. They do not have the physical force to enforce conformity to them.
Hence, people may not observe them or go against them without being physically
punished for the same. Faith in religion, mora convictions, public opinion, artistic
standard, and the general state of enlightenment are found to more important in formal
control.
Informal control is more effective in primary social group such as family,
neighborhood, tribe, rural community where interaction takes place in the personal
basic. Whenever the group or the society becomes larger (in terms of population) and
more complex, the informal devices of control becomes less effective. Simple gossip
and slander and censure can correct an erring ruralite but not an urban citizen. The
anonymity of city life which has added to the confidence of the individual that he could
commit an offence without being noticed or caught by others who are mostly engaged
in their own business, contributes to the non-effectiveness of informal control. Hence,
informal methods have given pace to the formal once such as law, educations, coercion
and codes, through less effective informal control also functions along with formal
control in urban areas in regulating people’s activities.6

4. AGENCIES OF SOCIAL CONNTROL.

Society or group maintains social control by creating its own agencies which may
enforce formal or informal control. Agencies such as law, educations, physical coercion
and codes on the one hand, folkways, mores, customs, convention, tradition, religions,
etc., on the other, have been used by the society for this purpose.
1.Contro by law
Law is the most powerful formal means of social control in the modern society. Law
appear only in societies with a political organization, that is a government. The term
‘Law’ has been defined in various ways. J.S. Roucek opines that “Laws are a form of
social rule emanating from political agencies”. Roscoe pound says that “law is an
authoritative canon of value laid down by the force of politically organized society”.
The main characteristics of law are-(1) Laws are the general conditions of human
activity prescribe by the state for its members. (2) Law is called law, only if enacted by

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 a proper law making authority. It is a product of conscious thought, deliberate attempts
are careful planning. (3) Law is definite, clear and precis. (4) Law applies equally to all
without exceptions in identical circumstances. (5) Violations of law followed by
penalties and punishment determined by the authorities of the state. (6) Laws are
always written down and recorded in some fashion. Hence they cannot appear in non-
literate society. (7) Laws are not the result of voluntary consent of persons against
whom they are directed.
Law as an instrument of social control performs two functions; (a) it eliminates and
suppresses the homicidal activities of individuals. (b)law persuades individuals to pay
attention to the rights of others as well as to act I co-operation with others. Law has a
great influence over the society, it plays an important role in maintaining the society.7

2. Control by religion.
Religions established and maintains social control in a number of ways. From the
earliest civilization, man has used religion to aid in ruling his subjects, either in the
form as a spokesman or as god. In later years’ religions is more greatly used as political
tool wielded by the church or the reformers. In each of these ways religion is used as a
tool sway, covert and control the people who are subject to it. It regulates human
conduct. The conception of sprits, ghosts, taboo, etc., Control human actions and
enforce discipline. Ideals of the hell and heaven too have greats effect on the behavior
of people. It has great disciplinary value.
Religions conserves the norms and the value of the life. Religions defines and redefines
values. Mortal, spiritual and social values are strongly supported by religions. It
“maintain the dominance of group goals over individual impulse.”8
There are many types of agencies which helps to control social activities of individuals
such as, control by education, by public opinion, by customs, by sanctions, by rituals,
and control by coercion.it is necessary for every society to maintain its social order and
this is possible only when its members behave in accordance with that social order. An
important objective of social control is to maintain the old order. Family helps in the
realization of this objective.

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C.N. Shankar rao, sociology, s chand and company ltd, new delhi, 7 edn 2016
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www.arcjohn.wordpress.com