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Social Control
• Social Control
– techniques and strategies to prevent deviant
behaviour
• any behaviour that violates standards or expectations
of the dominant social group
– usually agents of socialization are responsible for
this task (family, peers, schools, government)
– Controls can be FORMAL and INFORMAL
video
Activity: Consider various types of behaviour that may make social controls
necessary. This behaviour can be mildly or wildly deviant. What social
controls might be invoked to prevent or punish that behaviour?
Examples of Deviant Behaviour:
Attending a wedding and not bringing a gift
Attending a wedding and hitting on the bride
Attending a class and selling cocaine to classmates
Attending a birthday party and stealing the gifts
Informal Social Controls
Formal Social Controls
*Applied by authorized agents
Interplay between informal and formal
social controls is complicated and can
be difficult to navigate
Example:
Formal Social Control: laws regarding the
possession, sale and cultivation of marijuana
VS.
Informal Social Control: parents and peers
openly and actively support recreational
marijuana use
Key Terms
• Conformity
– going along with others even though they have no real
right to direct our behaviour
• Obedience
– Comply with authority (parents, boss, law)
• Deviance
– Behaviour that violates social expectations and standards
– Subject to context and time (body piercing 20 years ago
and today)
• Crime
– Violations of criminal law to which formal penalties apply
Degrees of Control
• Big Brother
• Correction Services Canada: After Sentencing
Who studies crime & why?
Legal Scholars
- How an action breaks the law, legal precedent, when is
an act illegal, what is the intent of the law
Sociologists
- How does society react to the deviance of crime? What is
happening to cause the deviance? What are effective
methods to stop the deviant act? Nature or nurture? The
perspectives?
Psychologists
- Why is the individual committing crime? What makes the
individual make this decision? What other factors are
coming into play?
Corrections
- Why do people commit crimes? What is the influence of
the agents of socialization? How do we decrease
recidivism? When do we punish and when do we
rehabilitate?
Social Workers
- How can society create conditions where crime is not
needed to care for the needs of marginalized people? How
do we help victims of crime? How can we help people who
have committed crimes become more self-reliant?
It is important to note that sociologists and legal
experts have different classifications of crimes.
Legal Classifications
Indictable offences
• homicide, sexual assault,
robbery
Summary Conviction Offences
• Fraud (dine and dash),
indecent acts, causing a
disturbance
• Max. fine of $2000 and 6
months jail time
Sociological Classification
Street Crime
• Violent crime, property crime,
“morals” crime
Occupational or Corporate Crime
• Crimes for corporate gain
Organized Crime
• Criminal business organization
Political Crime
• Misuse of power by
government or threats against
government
• Cyber????
Case Studies
As a case study of crime – answer the following
questions about crime.
1.What happened?
2.How does this meet the sociological definition
of crime?
3.How does this meet the legal definition of
crime?
4.What forms of social control were used?
5.What lesson does the rest of society learn
here?
Case Studies
• Rob Ford allies want mayor to address crack
use allegations - Toronto - CBC News
• School workers in children's mouth-taping
incident off the job - Nova Scotia - CBC News
• Jury duty no-shows lead to crackdown by 2nd
N.S. judge - Nova Scotia - CBC News
Perspectives on Crime
• Functionalist Approach