Social control in relation to society performs two main functions:

a) protective;

b) stabilizing.

Social control is a special mechanism for maintaining social order and social stability, including such concepts as social norms, regulations, sanctions, power.

Social norms– these are standard standards, requirements, wishes and expectations of appropriate (socially approved) behavior.

Norms are ideal patterns that describe what people should say, think, feel and do in specific situations. Norms, of course, vary in scope.

Social regulations- prohibitions or, on the contrary, permission to do something (or not to do), addressed to an individual or group and expressed in one form or another - oral or written, formal or informal, explicit or implicit.

Essentially, everything that makes society a cohesive, unified, integrated whole is translated into the language of regulations, thanks to which it is especially valued and protected. For example, in almost all societies the following are highly valued: human life and dignity, respect for elders, generally recognized collective symbols (for example, a banner, coat of arms, anthem), religious rituals, and state laws. Prescriptions are divided into two main types.

First type- these are norms that arise and exist only in small groups(youth parties, groups of friends, family, work teams, sports teams). For example, the American sociologist Elton Mayo, who led the famous Hawthorne experiments from 1927 to 1932, discovered that work teams had norms that were applied to newcomers accepted into the production team by senior comrades:

¦ do not keep official relations with “your own”;

¦ do not tell your superiors anything that could harm group members;

¦ do not communicate with your superiors more often than with “your own”;

¦ do not make more products than your comrades.

Second type- these are the norms that arise and exist in large social groups or in society as a whole. These include customs, traditions, morals, laws, etiquette, and generally accepted manners of behavior.

Every social group has its own manners, customs and etiquette.

There is social etiquette, there are manners of behavior of young people. National traditions and customs are also considered generally accepted.

All social norms can be classified depending on how strictly they are enforced. Violation of some norms may result in a mild punishment - disapproval, a smirk, an unfriendly look. Violation of other norms may result in strong and harsh sanctions - expulsion from the country, imprisonment, even the death penalty. If we tried to arrange all the rules in order of increasing severity of punishment for their violation, the sequence would look like this:

1) customs;

2) manners;

3) etiquette;

4) traditions;

5) group habits;

7) laws;

Violations of taboos and legal laws are punished most severely (for example, killing a person, insulting a deity, revealing state secrets), and much more leniently - certain types of group habits, in particular family ones (for example, refusing to turn off the light or regularly close the front door).

A certain degree of disobedience to generally accepted norms, in principle, exists in any society and in any social group.

For example, violation of palace etiquette, the ritual of diplomatic conversation or marriage can cause awkwardness and put a person in a difficult position. But they are unlikely to entail severe punishment. In other situations, sanctions from the social environment may be more noticeable. Using a cheat sheet during an exam will result in a lower grade, and losing a library book will result in a fine equal to five times its cost. In some societies, where almost everything was under control - hair length, clothing, behavior - the slightest deviation from tradition was punished very severely. This was, for example, the nature of social control over the subject population by the rulers of ancient Sparta (in the 5th century BC), as well as by Soviet and party bodies in the former USSR two and a half millennia later.

Norms bind, i.e. integrate, people into a single community, a team. How does this happen? Firstly, norms are always the duties of one person in relation to another (or others). For example, by prohibiting newcomers from communicating with their superiors more often than with their comrades, a small group already imposes certain obligations on its members and imposes on them a certain type of relationship with their superiors and comrades. Thus, norms form a network of social relations in a group or society.

Secondly, norms are also expectations: others expect fairly unambiguous behavior from a person who follows a given norm. When cars move on the right side of the street, and oncoming cars move on the left, an orderly, organized movement of vehicles occurs. When traffic rules are violated, not just collisions occur, but also traffic accidents that can lead to casualties. The effect of norms is no less evident in business. This type of social activity would be impossible in principle if the partners did not comply with certain written and unwritten norms, rules, and laws. Thus, any norms form a system of social interaction (the one we talked about in Chapter 6), which includes motives, goals, orientation of the subjects of action, the action itself, expectations, evaluation, and means. .

Why do people strive to comply with the norms, and the community strictly enforces this? Norms are the guardians of values. The honor and dignity of the family has been one of the most important values ​​of human society since ancient times. And society values ​​what contributes to its stability and prosperity. The family is the basic unit of society, and taking care of it is its first responsibility. By showing concern for his family, a man thereby demonstrates his strength, courage, virtue and everything that is highly valued by others. His social status rises. On the contrary, those who are unable to protect their household are subject to contempt and their status is sharply reduced. Since protecting the family and earning a living is the basis for its survival, fulfilling this most important function in a traditional society automatically makes a man the head of the family. There are no disputes about who is first and who is in charge - husband or wife. As a result, the socio-psychological unity of the family is strengthened. In a modern family, where a man does not always have the opportunity to demonstrate his leading functions, instability is much higher than in a traditional one.

As we see, social norms are truly guardians of order and guardians of values. Even the simplest norms of behavior represent what is valued by a group or society. The difference between a norm and a value is expressed as follows: norms are rules of behavior, values ​​are abstract concepts of what is good and evil, right and wrong, what is due and what is not, etc.

The leader has the right to perform religious ceremonies, punish fellow tribesmen who violate the requirements prescribed for their status, lead military campaigns, and lead community meetings. A university professor has a number of rights that distinguish him from a student who does not have this status. He evaluates students' knowledge, but, in accordance with his academic position, cannot be penalized for poor student performance. But an officer, according to military regulations, can be punished for violations committed by soldiers.

The academic status of a professor gives him opportunities that other people of the same high status, say, a politician, a doctor, a lawyer, a businessman or a priest, do not have. This is, for example, the distinctive right of a professor to answer some questions from students with the words: “I don’t know that.” Such entitlement is explained by the nature of academic knowledge and the state of science, and not by his incompetence.

Responsibilities regulate what the performer of a given role or holder of a given status must do in relation to other performers or holders. Rights indicate what a person can afford or allow in relation to other people.

Rights and responsibilities are more or less strictly defined. They limit behavior to certain limits and make it predictable. At the same time, they are strictly interconnected, so that one presupposes the other. One cannot exist without the other.

Or rather, they can exist separately, but then the social structure is deformed. Thus, the status of a slave in the ancient world implied only duties and contained almost no rights. In a totalitarian society, rights and responsibilities are asymmetrical: the ruler and senior officials have maximum rights, but responsibilities are minimal. In contrast, ordinary citizens have many responsibilities and few rights. In a democratic society, rights and responsibilities are more symmetrical. Consequently, the level of development of society depends on how rights and responsibilities are related in the social structure.

By performing certain duties, an individual bears a certain responsibility to others. For example, a shoemaker is obliged to deliver his products to the customer on time and with proper quality. If this does not happen, he must be punished somehow - lose the contract, pay a penalty, his image and reputation may suffer, he may even be brought to court. In Ancient Egypt there was a law: if an architect built a bad building, which collapsed and crushed the owner to death, then the architect was deprived of his life. These are forms of manifestation of responsibility. They are diverse and depend on culture, the structure of society, and historical time.

Rights are inextricably linked with responsibilities. The higher the status, the greater the rights its owner is endowed with and the greater the range of responsibilities assigned to him. The status of a laborer does not oblige you to anything. The same can be said about the status of a neighbor, a beggar or a child. But the status of a prince of the blood or a famous television commentator obliges them to lead a lifestyle that meets the social standards of the same circle of people and meets the expectations of society.

It turns out that the law did not always exist. It is the result of a long and difficult movement of humanity along the path of civilization. It did not exist in a primitive society in which people lived according to established customs and traditions. Customs are rules that are followed out of habit. Traditions are observed due to social coercion. Traditions and customs were surrounded by mysterious rites, rituals and ceremonies, which were performed in a particularly elevated and solemn atmosphere. For example, the ancient Slavs, revering the earth as their nurse, avoided driving stakes into it and did not make fences in the spring - they took care of it. Since those times, the ritual of kissing the ground, swearing by the ground, and keeping a handful of native land has been preserved. People strictly followed the instructions of their ancestors. Such rules were not written down anywhere and were passed down orally from generation to generation. Later they began to be recorded in documents.

The prototype of law was prohibitions (taboos) in human behavior. For example, it was forbidden to hunt individual animals or have sexual relations with relatives. People's lives were regulated. Later, such rules began to be enforced by the force of the state. The most ancient laws have come to us from Mesopotamia - their author, a Sumerian ruler who lived in the 24th century BC. e., tried to regulate market prices with their help. Thus, laws are an instrument of social consent.

Law is an agreement between people about the rules of behavior. One part of the rules becomes a person’s obligation to act this way and not otherwise, and the other part becomes the right to act this way and not otherwise.

The first limits freedom of action, and the second expands it. Each of us has the right to education, that is, permission to study at school, college or university. Right means the possibility of behavior. The ancient laws contained mainly restrictions on freedom, and the freedoms themselves, especially for the poor, did not exist. Law as freedom is an achievement of the New Age.

Sanctions are not only punishments, but also incentives that promote compliance with social norms. Along with values, sanctions regulate the behavior of people in their desire to fulfill norms. Thus, norms are protected from two sides - from the side of values ​​and from the side of sanctions. Social sanctions are an extensive system of rewards for fulfilling norms, i.e. for conformity, for agreeing with them, and punishments for deviation from them, i.e. for deviance. There are four types of sanctions:

¦ positive;

¦ negative;

¦ formal;

¦ informal.

They give four types of combinations that can be depicted as a logical square.

Formal positive sanctions (F+) - public approval from official organizations (government, institution, creative union). These are government awards, state bonuses and scholarships, granted titles, academic degrees and titles, construction of monuments, presentation of certificates of honor, admission to high positions and honorary functions (for example, election as chairman of the board).

Informal positive sanctions (N+) - public approval that does not come from official organizations. This is friendly praise, compliments, silent recognition, friendly disposition, applause, fame, honor, flattering reviews, recognition of leadership or expert qualities, a smile.

Formal negative sanctions (F-) are punishments provided for by legal laws, government decrees, administrative instructions, regulations, orders. This is deprivation of civil rights, imprisonment, arrest, dismissal, fine, depreciation, confiscation of property, demotion, demotion, dethronement, death penalty, excommunication.

Informal negative sanctions (N-) are punishments not provided for by official authorities. This is censure, remark, ridicule, mockery, a cruel joke, an unflattering nickname, neglect, refusal to shake hands or maintain a relationship, spreading a rumor, slander, an unkind review, a complaint, writing a pamphlet or feuilleton, an exposing article.

The application of social sanctions in some cases requires the presence of outsiders, in others it does not. Dismissal is formalized by the personnel department of the institution and involves the preliminary issuance of an order or order. Imprisonment requires a complex judicial procedure upon which a judgment is made. Bringing administrative liability, say, a fine for traveling without a ticket, requires the presence of an official transport controller, and sometimes a policeman. The awarding of an academic degree involves an equally complex procedure for defending a scientific dissertation and the decision of the academic council. Sanctions against violators of group habits require a smaller number of persons, but, nevertheless, they are never applied to oneself. If the application of sanctions is carried out by the person himself, is directed at himself and occurs internally, then this form of control should be considered self-control.

Self-control is also called internal control: the individual independently regulates his behavior, coordinating it with generally accepted norms. During the process of socialization, norms are internalized so firmly that people who violate them feel awkward or guilty. Contrary to the norms of appropriate behavior, a person falls in love with the wife of his friend, hates his own wife, is jealous of a more successful rival, or wishes the death of a loved one.

In such cases, a person usually has a feeling of guilt, and then they talk about pangs of conscience. Conscience is a manifestation of internal control.

Generally accepted norms, being rational prescriptions, remain in the sphere of consciousness, below which lies the sphere of the subconscious, or unconscious, consisting of spontaneous impulses. Self-control is aimed at restraining the natural elements; it is based on volitional effort. Unlike ants, bees, and even monkeys, human beings can continue to interact collectively only if each individual exercises self-control. An adult who cannot control himself is said to have “relapsed into childhood,” because children are characterized by impulsive behavior and the inability to control their desires and whims. Impulsive behavior is therefore called infantilism. On the contrary, behavior in accordance with rational norms, obligations, and volitional efforts is a sign of maturity. Approximately 70% of social control is realized through self-control.

The more self-control is developed among members of a society, the less that society has to resort to external control. And vice versa, the less self-control is developed in people, the more often institutions of social control, in particular, the army, courts, and the state, have to come into action. The weaker the self-control, the stricter the external control should be. However, strict external control and petty supervision of citizens inhibit the development of self-awareness and expression of will, and muffle internal volitional efforts. Thus, a vicious circle arises, into which more than one society has fallen throughout world history.

Often a dictatorship was established ostensibly for the benefit of citizens, in order to restore order in society. But citizens accustomed to submitting to coercive control did not develop internal control.

They began to degrade as social beings, that is, they lost the ability to take responsibility and behave in accordance with rational norms. They questioned the very rationality of coercive norms, gradually preparing a rational justification for any resistance to these norms. An excellent example is the Russian Empire, where the Decembrists, revolutionaries, and regicides who attacked the foundations of social order received support from public opinion, since resistance was considered reasonable, rather than submission to coercive norms.

Social control, figuratively speaking, performs the function of a policeman regulating street traffic: he “fines” those who “cross the street” incorrectly. If there were no social controls, people could do whatever they wanted in the way they liked. Inevitably, in social groups, both small and large, quarrels, clashes, conflicts would arise and, as a result, social chaos. The protective function sometimes prevents social control from acting as a champion of progress, but the list of its functions does not precisely include the renewal of society - this is the task of other public institutions. Thus, social control performs the function of a conservative in parliament: it suggests not to rush, demands respect for traditions, and opposes something new that has not been properly tested. It acts as the foundation of stability in society. Its absence or weakening leads to anomie, disorder, confusion and social discord.

Values ​​are closely related to social norms. Values ​​are, as we have already said, socially approved and shared by most people ideas about what is good, good, justice, patriotism, romantic love, friendship, etc. Values ​​are not questioned, they serve as a standard, an ideal for everyone of people. If loyalty is a value, then deviation from it is condemned as betrayal. If cleanliness is a value, then sloppiness and dirt are condemned as indecent behavior.

No society can survive without values. What about individuals? They can choose whether to share these values ​​or others.

Some are committed to the values ​​of collectivism, while others are committed to the values ​​of individualism. For some, the highest value may be money, for others - moral integrity, for others - a political career. To describe what values ​​people are guided by, sociologists introduced the term value orientations into science. This concept describes an individual attitude or choice of specific values ​​as a norm of behavior. Thus, values ​​belong to the group or society, value orientations belong to the individual. Values ​​are beliefs that a person shares with others about the goals to which he should strive.

Although violation of most group habits is punished quite mildly by society, some types of them are valued very highly, and strict sanctions are imposed for breaking them. During the Hawthorne experiments mentioned above, it turned out that newcomers who violated the rules of behavior faced severe punishment: they might not be talked to, they might have an offensive label stuck on them (“upstart”, “strikebreaker”, “decoy”, “traitor”), around they could be created into an intolerant environment and forced to resign; they could even be subjected to physical violence. These kinds of habits are called informal group norms. They are born into small rather than large social groups. The mechanism that controls compliance with such norms is called group pressure.

Thus, social norms perform very important functions in society:

¦ regulate the general course of socialization;

¦ integrate individuals into groups, and groups into society;

- control deviant behavior;

¦ serve as models, standards of behavior.

Social norms perform their functions depending on the quality in which they manifest themselves:

¦ as standards of behavior (responsibilities, rules);

¦ as expectations of behavior (the reaction of other people).

Protecting the honor and dignity of family members is the responsibility of every man. Here we are talking about a norm as a standard of proper behavior. This standard is met by a very specific expectation of family members, the hope that their honor and dignity will be protected. Among the Caucasian peoples, such a norm is valued very highly, and deviation from this norm is punished very strictly. The same can be said about the southern European peoples. The Italian mafia arose at one time as an informal norm for protecting family honor, and only later did its functions change. Those who deviated from the accepted standard of behavior were punished by the entire community.

The rules themselves do not control anything. People's behavior is controlled by other people based on norms that are expected to be followed by everyone. Compliance with norms, like compliance with sanctions, makes our behavior predictable. Each of us knows that an official reward awaits for an outstanding scientific discovery, and imprisonment for a serious crime. When we expect a certain action from another person, we hope that he knows not only the norm, but also the sanctions that follow its implementation or violation. Thus, norms and sanctions are combined into a single whole.

If a norm does not have an accompanying sanction, then it ceases to operate - to regulate real behavior. It can become a slogan, a call, an appeal, but it ceases to be an element of social control.

Thus, social sanctions represent an extensive system of rewards for fulfilling norms, that is, for conformity, for agreeing with them, and punishments for deviation from them, that is, for deviance. Conformity represents at least external agreement with generally accepted norms, because internally an individual can maintain disagreement with them, but not tell anyone about it. Essentially, achieving conformity on the part of all members of the community is one of the main goals of social control.

§ 2. The concept of social control by P. Berger

According to Peter Berger's concept, each person is at the center of diverging concentric circles representing different types, types and forms of social control. Each subsequent circle is a new control system (see Fig. 17).

Rice. 17. System of social control according to P. Berger

The outer, largest circle is the political-legal system, represented by the powerful apparatus of the state. Everyone is powerless before him. Against our will, the state levies taxes, calls for military service, whether we like it or not, forces us to obey its endless laws and regulations, rules and regulations, and if necessary, puts us in prison and can take our lives. The individual is located in the center of the circle as at the point of maximum pressure (figuratively speaking, one can imagine a person standing on the ground who is being pressed by a huge column of atmosphere).

The next circle of social control that puts pressure on a lonely individual includes morality, customs and mores. Everyone monitors a person’s morality – from the morality police to parents, relatives, and friends. The first puts people behind bars, the second and third use informal sanctions such as condemnation, and the last, not forgiving betrayal or meanness, can part with us. All of them, each in their own way and within their competence, use tools of social control. Immorality is punished by dismissal from work, eccentricity by loss of chances to find a new job, bad manners by the fact that a person will not be invited to visit or will be rejected from home by people who value good manners. Lack of work and loneliness are, perhaps, no less a punishment compared to being in jail, says P. Berger.

In addition to large circles of coercion, in which the individual finds himself along with other members of society, there are small circles of control, the most significant of which is the circle of control by the professional system. At work, a person is constrained by a mass of restrictions, instructions, professional responsibilities, and business obligations that exert a controlling influence, sometimes quite harsh.

The businessman is controlled by licensing organizations, the worker by professional associations and trade unions, the subordinate by managers, who, in turn, are controlled by higher authorities. Equally important are various methods of informal control on the part of colleagues and employees.

P. Berger writes about this as follows: “...For clarity, the reader can imagine a doctor who admits a patient who is unprofitable for the clinic for treatment; an entrepreneur who advertises low-cost funerals... a government official who persistently spends less than budgeted; an assembly line worker who, from the point of view of his colleagues, unacceptably exceeds production standards, etc. In these cases, economic sanctions are applied most often and effectively: a doctor is denied practice... an entrepreneur can be expelled from a professional organization...

The sanctions of public boycott, contempt, and ridicule can be just as serious. Every professional role in society, no matter how minor, requires a special code of conduct... Adherence to this code is usually as essential to a professional career as technical competence and appropriate education.”

Control by the professional system is of great importance, since the profession and position, among other things, regulate what an individual can and cannot do in non-working life: what voluntary associations he can join, what his circle of acquaintances will be, in what area he can allow yourself to live.

The next circle of control includes informal requirements for the individual, because each person, in addition to professional ones, is also involved in other social relationships. These relationships have their own systems of control, many of which are more formal, while others are even stricter than professional. For example, the rules for admission and membership in many clubs and fraternities are as strict as the rules by which the management team at IBM is selected. Thus, the social environment represents an independent system of social control. It includes distant and close, unfamiliar and familiar people. The environment makes its own demands on a person, unwritten laws that represent a wide range of phenomena. These may include the way we dress and speak, aesthetic tastes, political and religious beliefs, and even table manners.

Thus, the range of informal requirements describes the range of possible actions of an individual in certain situations.

The last and closest circle to the individual, which also forms a control system, is the group of people in which the individual’s so-called private life takes place, i.e., this is the circle of his family and personal friends. Social or, more precisely, normative pressure on the individual does not weaken here - on the contrary, there is every reason to believe that in a certain sense it even increases. It is not surprising - after all, it is in this circle that the individual establishes the most important social connections for himself. Disapproval, loss of prestige, ridicule or contempt among family and friends have much greater psychological weight for a person than similar sanctions coming from strangers or strangers.

At work, a boss can fire a subordinate, depriving him of his livelihood. But the psychological consequences of this formal economic action will be truly disastrous, says P. Berger, if his wife and children survive this dismissal. Unlike other control systems, pressure from loved ones can occur precisely when the individual is completely unprepared for it. At work, in transport, in public places, a person is usually alert and potentially ready to confront any threat.

The inner part of the last circle, its core, consists of the intimate relationship between husband and wife. It is in the most intimate relationships that a person seeks support for the most important feelings that make up the self-image. To put these connections on the line is to risk losing yourself. “It is not surprising that often people who are bossy at work immediately give up the house to their wives and cringe when their friends’ eyebrows rise in displeasure.”

A person, having looked around himself and consistently listed everyone to whom he must yield, obey or please due to his location in the center of concentric circles of social control - from the federal tax service to his own mother-in-law - ultimately comes to the idea that society in its entirety suppresses it.

§ 3. Agents and instruments of social control

Social control is the most effective way in which powerful institutions of society organize the life of ordinary citizens. The tools, or in this case, methods of social control are extremely diverse; they depend on the situation, goals and nature of the specific group in relation to which they are used. The range of their application is enormous: from clarifying one-on-one relationships between specific people to psychological pressure, physical violence, and economic coercion of a person by the entire society. It is not necessary that control mechanisms be aimed at condemning an undesirable person or inducing others to be disloyal to him.

“Disapproval” is most often expressed not in relation to the individual himself, but in relation to his actions, statements, and interactions with other persons.

In contrast to self-control, discussed above, external control is a set of institutions and mechanisms that guarantee compliance with generally accepted norms of behavior and laws. It is divided into formal (institutional) and informal (intragroup).

Formal control is based on approval or condemnation from official authorities and administration.

Informal control is based on approval or condemnation from a group of relatives, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, as well as from public opinion, which is expressed through traditions and customs or the media.

The traditional rural community controlled all aspects of the lives of its members: choosing a bride, methods of courtship, determining the name of a newborn, methods of resolving disputes and conflicts, and much more. There were no written rules. Public opinion acted as a controller, most often relying on the opinion expressed by the oldest members of the community. Religious demands were organically woven into a unified system of social control.

Strict observance of rituals and ceremonies associated with traditional holidays and ceremonies (for example, betrothal, marriage, birth of a child, reaching maturity, harvesting) fostered a sense of respect for social norms and instilled a deep understanding of their necessity.

Informal control can also be exercised by the family, circle of relatives, friends and acquaintances. They are called agents of informal control. If we consider the family as a social institution, then we should talk about it as the most important institution of social control.

In compact primary groups, extremely effective and at the same time very subtle control mechanisms, such as persuasion, ridicule, gossip and contempt, are constantly in operation to curb real and potential deviants. Ridicule and gossip are powerful tools of social control in all types of primary groups. Unlike methods of formal control, such as reprimand or demotion, informal methods are available to almost everyone. Both ridicule and gossip can be manipulated by any intelligent person who has access to their transmission channels.

Not only business organizations, but also universities and churches have successfully used economic sanctions to deter their staff from deviant behavior, that is, behavior that is considered to be outside the bounds of what is acceptable.

Detailed (minor) control, in which the manager intervenes in every action, corrects, pulls back, etc., is called supervision. Supervision is carried out not only at the micro, but also at the macro level of society. Its subject is the state, and in this case supervision turns into a specialized public institution, which grows into a huge system covering the entire country. In such a system, the agents of formal control include detective bureaus, detective agencies, police stations, informant services, prison guards, escort troops, courts, censorship, etc.

Formal control historically arose later than informal control - during the emergence of complex societies and states, in particular, ancient Eastern empires. Although, undoubtedly, we can easily find its harbingers in an earlier period - in the so-called chiefdoms, where the range of formal sanctions officially applied to violators was clearly defined - up to expulsion from the tribe and the death penalty. All kinds of rewards were also established in the chiefdoms.

However, in modern society the importance of formal control has increased significantly. Why? It turns out that in a complex society, especially in a country with a population of many millions, it is much more difficult to maintain order and stability. After all, informal control over an individual on the part of such a society is limited to a small group of people. In a large group it is ineffective. Therefore, it is sometimes called local (local). On the contrary, formal control is comprehensive; it operates throughout the country. It is global, and it is always carried out by special people - agents of formal control. These are professionals, i.e. persons specially trained and paid for performing control functions. They are bearers of social statuses and roles. These include judges, police officers, doctors, psychiatrists, social workers, special church officials, etc. If in traditional society social control was based on unwritten rules, then in modern societies it is based on written norms: instructions, decrees, regulations, laws. Social control gained institutional support.

Formal control, as we have already said, is exercised by such institutions of modern society as the courts, education, the army, production, the media, political parties, and the government. The school controls with the help of grades, the government - with the help of the tax system and social assistance to the population, the state - with the help of the police, the secret service, state radio and television channels and the press.

Control methods, depending on the sanctions applied, are divided into:

¦ hard;

¦ soft;

¦ straight;

¦ indirect.

The names of control methods differ from what you learned above about the types of sanctions (remember them), but the content of both is largely similar. The four control methods may overlap (Table 11).

Table 11

Combinations of formal control methods

Let us give examples of such intersections.

1. The media are instruments of indirect soft control.

2. Political repression, racketeering, organized crime - to instruments of direct strict control.

3. The effect of the constitution and the criminal code are instruments of direct soft control.

4. Economic sanctions of the international community are tools of indirect strict control.

§ 4. General and detailed control

Sometimes control is equated with management. The content of control and management is largely similar, but they should be distinguished. The mother or father controls how the child does his homework.

Parents do not manage, but rather control the process, since the goals and objectives were set not by them, but by the teacher. Parents only monitor the progress of the task. It’s the same in production: the workshop manager set goals and objectives, determined the deadlines and the final result, and ordered the execution process to be monitored by the foreman.

The passenger got on the bus, did not take a ticket, and after a few stops the inspectors entered. Having discovered a violation of the law (according to the law, the passenger is obliged to pay for the fare even if he has traveled only one stop), the controller applies sanctions against him - he fines him for traveling without a ticket. A man went down to the subway, and there were inspectors at the entrance at the turnstile. I went down the escalator and there was also a controller sitting in a special booth below, although he was called a metro employee. His duty is to ensure that standing passengers keep to the right, and passing passengers keep to the left. His other responsibility is to ensure that no heavy items are placed on the escalator handrails.

Thus, control is a narrower concept than management.

The head of the workshop can exercise control independently, or he can entrust it to his deputy. Control can be combined with management, or can be carried out independently of it. At the same time, control and management have a number of common features. So, both of them are characterized by scale. One person controls the entire country and controls the implementation of laws throughout its territory, and the other controls a limited number of subordinates. You guessed who we are talking about. The first is the president of the country, and the second is the section foreman, foreman or squad commander.

The difference between management and control is that the former is expressed through leadership style, and the latter through methods.

Control methods can be general or detailed.

Let's give examples of both.

1. If a manager gives a subordinate a task and does not control the progress of its implementation, then he resorts to general control.

2. If a manager interferes in every action of his subordinates, corrects, pulls back, etc., he uses detailed control.

The latter is also called supervision. Supervision is carried out not only at the micro, but also at the macro level of society. The state becomes its subject, and it turns into a non-main social institution. Surveillance grows to the size of a large-scale social system covering the entire country. Such a system includes

- detective bureaus;

¦ detective agencies;

¦ police stations;

¦ informant service;

¦ prison guards;

¦ escort troops;

¦ censorship.

With general control, only the final result is monitored, and nothing more. The teacher sets the task - to write an essay about the way of life of the ancient Greeks. At the end of the week, he will check the quality of the work performed and give an appropriate rating. In this case, the teacher is not interested in what literature you will use, in what way you will complete the task, who you will attract to help you. It gives you complete freedom.

However, the teacher may act differently. He defines the task, deadlines, scope of the task, but, in addition, indicates the literature, provides a work plan, and requires that you do the work yourself, without involving anyone to help. In addition, he asks you to show him every other day those fragments of the essay that you managed to write, so that he can correct you in time, and if necessary, guide you. He controls the entire progress of execution. This is already detailed control. Freedom of action in this case is extremely limited.

Since control is included in management as an integral part, but a very important part, we can conclude that depending on the type of control, management itself will change. A part, if important enough, determines the character of the whole. Thus, control methods affect the management style, which, in turn, has two types - the authoritarian style and the democratic style.

To get an idea of ​​detailed control, try making a detailed plan where you write down all your actions every day for two weeks. And then monitor their implementation. The same is sometimes done at enterprises. The employee draws up a personal plan, and the boss controls its implementation.

In the first case, you yourself stand “behind” yourself and exercise self-control, and in the second, “behind” the employee is his boss, who exercises external detailed control.

1. Mechanisms of social control play a critical role in strengthening all institutions of society. In relation to society, social control performs two main functions:

a) protective;

b) stabilizing.

Social control is a special mechanism for maintaining social order and social stability and includes such concepts as social norms, regulations, sanctions, and power.

2. Social norms are standard standards, requirements, wishes and expectations of appropriate (socially approved) behavior. Norms are ideal patterns that describe what people should say, think, feel and do in specific situations. They, of course, vary in scale. Social instructions are a prohibition or, on the contrary, permission to do something (or not to do), addressed to an individual or group and expressed in one form or another - oral or written, formal or informal, explicit or implicit. Norms integrate people into a single community, a team, and form a network of social relations in a group or society.

3. Sanctions refer not only to punishments, but also to incentives that promote compliance with social norms. Norms are protected from two sides – from the side of values ​​and from the side of sanctions. Social sanctions are an extensive system of rewards for fulfilling norms, for agreeing with them, i.e. for conformity, and punishments for deviation from them, i.e. for deviance.

There are four types of sanctions:

¦ positive;

¦ negative;

¦ formal;

¦ informal.

4. Values ​​are closely related to social norms. Values ​​are socially approved and shared by most people ideas about what is good, good, justice, patriotism, romantic love, friendship, etc. Values ​​are not questioned; they serve as a standard, an ideal for all people. To describe what values ​​people are guided by, the concept value orientations. This concept describes the choice of certain values ​​by a particular individual or group of individuals as a norm of behavior.

5. According to the scheme developed by P. Berger, each person is in the center of diverging concentric circles, representing different types, types and forms of social control. The outer circle is the political-legal system, followed by public morality, then comes the professional system and the system of informal requirements, the closest circle of social control to a person is family and private life.

6. In contrast to internal self-control, external control is a set of institutions and mechanisms that guarantee compliance with generally accepted norms of behavior and laws. It is divided into formal (institutional) and informal (intragroup).

Formal control based on approval or condemnation from official authorities and administration. Informal control based on approval or condemnation from a group of relatives, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, as well as from public opinion, which is expressed through traditions and customs or the media.

Control questions

1. What are the two main types of social prescriptions?

2. What is the classification of social sanctions?

3. What does the concept of self-control mean and what is its significance in the life of society?

4. How do norms and values ​​relate to each other?

5. What are the main functions of social norms?

6. What is the essence of the integrating function of social norms?

7. What social circles are included in the system of social control constructed by P. Berger?

8. What are the main types of external control?

9. What is the essence of supervision as a type of external control?

10. How do control and management relate to each other?

1. Abercrombie N., Hill S., Turner S. Sociological Dictionary / Transl. from English – Kazan: Kazan University Publishing House, 1997.

2. Berger P. L. Invitation to sociology: A humanistic perspective. – M., 1996.

3. Parsons T. About social systems. – Ch. 7. Deviant (deviant) behavior and mechanisms of social control. – M., 2002.

4. Smelser N.J. Sociology. – M., 1994.

5. Modern Western sociology: Dictionary. – M., 1990.

6. Sociology and problems of social development. – M., 1978.

Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation
Federal Agency for Education
St. Petersburg State
University of Service and Economics.

Test
in Sociology
on the topic: Forms of social control

Completed:
2nd year correspondence student
group 080507
Lineytsev Mikhail Ilyich
Checked:

2011

Content:

Introduction.
Social control and deviant behavior.
Forms of social control.
Formal social control.
Informal social control.
Conclusion.

Introduction

Nowadays, more and more often on TV screens, as well as on the Internet, you can come across the phrase “social control”. And many ask themselves the question: “What is it and why is it needed at all?”
In the modern world, social control is understood as the supervision of human behavior in society in order to prevent conflicts, restore order and maintain the existing social order. The presence of social control is one of the most important conditions for the normal functioning of the state, as well as compliance with its laws. An ideal society is considered to be one in which each member does what he wants, but at the same time this is what is expected of him and what is required by the state at the moment. Of course, it is not always easy to force a person to do what society wants him to do. Mechanisms of social control have long stood the test of time, and the most common among them, of course, are group pressure and human socialization. For example, in order for a state to experience population growth, it is necessary to convince families that having children is good and beneficial for their health. More primitive societies seek to control human behavior through coercion, but this method does not always work. In addition, with a large population in the state, it is practically impossible to use this measure of social control.
The study of forms and types of social control is fundamentally important for today's society. Nowadays the population is given more and more freedoms, however, responsibility also increases. Methods of controlling deviant behavior are changing, becoming more sophisticated and invisible, and sometimes not every person realizes that everything he does was programmed by the state and placed in his head from birth. This work reveals the most popular and effective forms and types of social control, most often used in society. Knowing them is useful for every educated person, since for normal existence it is fundamentally important to know all those mechanisms that influence human consciousness.

Social control and deviant behavior

Now in the world there is no such ideal society in which each of its members behaves in accordance with accepted requirements. Very often, so-called social deviations can arise, which do not always reflect well on the structure of society. Forms of social deviations can be very different: from harmless to very, very dangerous. Some have deviations in personal organization, some in social behavior, some in both. These include all kinds of criminals, hermits, geniuses, ascetics, representatives of sexual minorities, otherwise called deviants.
“The most innocent at first glance act, associated with a violation of the traditional distribution of roles, may turn out to be deviant. For example, a higher salary for a wife may seem an abnormal phenomenon, since from time immemorial the husband has been the main producer of material assets. In a traditional society, such a distribution of roles could not arise in principle.
So, any behavior that causes disapproval of public opinion is called deviant.” Typically, sociologists distinguish between 2 main types of deviation: primary and secondary. Moreover, if the primary deviation is not particularly dangerous for society, since it is regarded as a kind of prank, then secondary deviations stick the label of a deviant on the individual. Secondary deviations include criminal offenses, drug use, homosexuality and much more. Criminal behavior, sexual deviations, alcoholism or drug addiction cannot lead to the emergence of new cultural patterns useful to society. It should be recognized that the overwhelming number of social deviations play a destructive role in the development of society. Therefore, society simply needs a mechanism that will allow it to control unwanted deviant behavior. A similar mechanism is social control. Thus, social control is a set of means by which a society or social group guarantees the conforming behavior of its members in relation to role requirements and expectations. In this regard, with the help of social control, all the necessary conditions are created for the sustainability of each social system, it contributes to the preservation of social stability, and, at the same time, does not interfere with positive changes in the social system. Therefore, social control requires greater flexibility and the ability to correctly assess various deviations from social norms of activity that occur in society in order to encourage useful deviations and punish destructive ones.
A person begins to feel the influence of social control already in childhood, in the process of socialization, when a person is explained who he is and why he lives in the world. From infancy, a person develops a sense of self-control, he takes on various social roles that impose the need to meet expectations. At the same time, most children grow up and become respectable citizens of their country who respect the law and do not seek to violate the norms accepted in society. Social control is diverse and ubiquitous: it occurs whenever at least two people interact.

Forms of social control

Over the long years of its existence, humanity has developed a number of different forms of social control. They can be both tangible and completely invisible. The most effective and traditional form can be called self-control. It appears immediately after a person is born and accompanies him throughout his adult life. Moreover, each individual himself, without coercion, controls his behavior in accordance with the norms of the society to which he belongs. Norms in the process of socialization are very firmly established in a person’s consciousness, so firmly that having violated them, a person begins to experience the so-called pangs of conscience. Approximately 70% of social control is achieved through self-control. The more self-control the members of a society develop, the less that society has to resort to external control. And vice versa. The less self-control people have, the more often institutions of social control, in particular the army, courts, and the state, have to come into action. However, strict external control and petty supervision of citizens inhibit the development of self-awareness and expression of will, and muffle internal volitional efforts. This creates a vicious circle into which more than one society has fallen throughout world history. The name of this circle is dictatorship.
Often a dictatorship is established for a time, for the benefit of citizens and in order to restore order. But it lingers for a long time, to the detriment of people and leads to even greater arbitrariness. Citizens accustomed to submitting to coercive control do not develop internal control. Gradually they degrade as social beings, capable of taking responsibility and doing without external coercion (i.e. dictatorship). In other words, under a dictatorship, no one teaches them to behave in accordance with rational norms. Thus, self-control is a purely sociological problem, because the degree of its development characterizes the prevailing social type of people in society and the emerging form of the state. Group pressure is another common form of social control. Of course, no matter how strong a person’s self-control, belonging to any group or community has a huge influence on the personality. When an individual is included in one of the primary groups, he begins to conform to basic norms and follow a formal and informal code of conduct. The slightest deviation usually results in disapproval from group members and the risk of expulsion. “Variations in group behavior resulting from group pressure can be seen in the example of a production team. Each team member must adhere to certain standards of behavior not only at work, but also after work. And if, say, disobedience to the foreman can lead to harsh remarks from the workers for the violator, then absenteeism and drunkenness often end in his boycott and rejection from the brigade.” However, depending on the group, the strength of group pressure may vary. If the group is very cohesive, then, accordingly, the strength of group pressure increases. For example, in a group where a person spends his free time, it is more difficult to exercise social control than in a place where joint activities are regularly carried out, for example in the family or at work. Group control can be formal or informal. Official meetings include all sorts of work meetings, deliberative meetings, shareholder councils, etc. Informal control refers to the impact on group members by participants in the form of approval, ridicule, condemnation, isolation and refusal to communicate.
Another form of social control is propaganda, which is considered a very powerful tool that influences human consciousness. Propaganda is a way of influencing people, which in some respect interferes with the rational education of a person, in which the individual draws his own conclusions. The main task of propaganda is to influence groups of people in such a way as to shape the behavior of society in the desired direction. Propaganda should influence those forms of social behavior that are closely related to the system of moral values ​​in society. Everything is subject to propaganda processing, from people’s actions in typical situations to beliefs and orientations. Propaganda is used as a kind of technical means suitable for achieving their goals. There are 3 main types of propaganda. The first type includes the so-called revolutionary propaganda, which is needed in order to force people to accept a value system, as well as a situation that is in conflict with the generally accepted one. An example of such propaganda is the propaganda of communism and socialism in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. The second type is destructive propaganda. Its main goal is to destroy the existing value system. The clearest example of such propaganda was Hitler’s, which did not try to force people to accept the ideals of Nazism, but did their best to undermine trust in traditional values. And finally, the third type of propaganda is reinforcing. It is designed to consolidate people's attachments to certain values ​​and orientations. This type of propaganda is typical for the United States, where the existing value system is reinforced in a similar way. According to sociologists, this type of propaganda is the most effective; it serves very well to maintain established value orientations. In addition, it reflects established, traditional stereotypes. This type of propaganda is mainly aimed at instilling conformism in people, which presupposes agreement with the dominant ideological and theoretical organizations.
Currently, the concept of propaganda in the public consciousness is associated mainly with the military sphere or politics. Slogans are considered one of the ways to implement propaganda in society. A slogan is a short saying, usually expressing a main goal or guiding idea. The correctness of such a statement is usually not in doubt, since it is only of a general nature.
During a period of crisis or conflict in a country, demagogues may throw out, for example, slogans such as “My country is always right,” “Motherland, faith, family,” or “Freedom or death.” But do most people analyze the true causes of this crisis and conflict? Or do they just go along with what they are told?
In his work on the First World War, Winston Churchill wrote: “Just one draft is enough - and crowds of peaceful peasants and workers turn into mighty armies, ready to tear the enemy to pieces.” He also noted that most people, without hesitation, carry out the order given to them.
The propagandist also has at his disposal many symbols and signs that carry the ideological charge he needs. For example, a flag can serve as a similar symbol, and ceremonies such as the firing of twenty-one guns and saluting are also symbolic. Love for parents can also be used as leverage. It is obvious that such concepts - symbols as fatherland, motherland or the faith of ancestors, can become a powerful weapon in the hands of clever manipulators of other people's opinions.
Of course, propaganda and all its derivatives are not necessarily evil. The question is who is doing it and for what purpose. And also about who this propaganda is being directed at. And if we talk about propaganda in a negative sense, then it is possible to resist it. And it's not that difficult. It is enough for a person to understand what propaganda is and learn to identify it in the general flow of information. And having learned, it is much easier for a person to decide for himself how compatible the ideas instilled in him are with his own ideas about what is good and what is bad.
Social control through coercion is also another common form of it. It is usually practiced in the most primitive as well as traditional societies, although it may be present in smaller quantities even in the most developed states. In the presence of a high population of a complex culture, so-called secondary group control begins to be used - laws, various violent regulators, formalized procedures. When an individual does not want to follow these regulations, the group or society resorts to coercion to force him to do the same as everyone else. In modern societies there are strictly developed rules, or a system of control through coercion, which is a set of effective sanctions applied in accordance with various types of deviations from the norms.
Social control through coercion is characteristic of any government, but its place, role, and character in different systems are not the same. In a developed society, coercion is imposed mainly for crimes committed against society. The decisive role in the fight against crime belongs to the state. It has a special coercive apparatus. Legal norms determine why government agencies can use coercion. The means of coercion are physical and mental violence, i.e. threat. There is also no reason to believe that a threat can only be a means of coercion when it is punishable in itself. The state must also protect its citizens from coercion by threats, which in themselves are not punishable if the content of the threat is an illegal act, otherwise many cases of serious mental violence would go unpunished. The element of coercion, attached to the threat, gives it a different and greater meaning. It goes without saying that the threat must contain an indication of a significant, in the eyes of the threatened, illegal evil, otherwise it will be unable to influence the will of the threatened person.
In addition to the above, there are many other forms of social control, such as encouragement, pressure from authority, and punishment. A person begins to feel each of them from birth, even if he does not understand that he is being influenced.
All forms of social control are covered by its two main types: formal and informal.

Formal social control

Etc.................

Human life is regulated by numerous norms that determine what is good and what is bad. One of the mechanisms for creating and maintaining order among people is social control, which has different types and characteristics.

What is social control?

The mechanism used to maintain order in society is called social control. With its help, you can prevent the occurrence of deviations in people's behavior and receiving punishment for them. For it, regulatory regulation is used. Social control is a means that helps a person internalize the cultural norms that have developed in society. This term was first introduced in France by sociologist Gabriel Tardom.

Social control in sociology

To regulate human behavior in society, various methods are used, which imply the subordination of the individual to the group. The concept of social control includes two elements: norms and sanctions. The first term refers to the rules and standards established by law or approved by society that regulate people's behavior. Sanctions are elements of social control that involve defining methods of reward and punishment that encourage people to adhere to norms.

Social control in economics

Any organization creates groups of people that are based on a certain form of social control. Researchers in the history of economics have identified four main types of regulation.

1. For primitive people, the essence of social control was moral in nature.
2. When the slave system was established, corporal punishment was used.
3. During the period of feudalism, social control was based on administrative restrictions.
4. During the establishment of capitalism, economic controls were used.

Social control in religion

To make connections in the public and as a means of social control, religion is applicable, which unites a huge number of people. She has her own methods and techniques based on the authority of the Lord. If we look through history, we can find many examples where religious means of social control helped maintain social bonds when the role of the state weakened. In this case, the main instruments of religion include: the cult of the prophet, holy books and faith.

Why is social control needed?

In all types of society there was social control and initially these were simple customs with the help of which they understood what was acceptable and what was not. There are a number of important functions for which social regulation is used:

1. Protective. With the help of certain restrictions, it is possible to preserve public (life, honor, freedom, property, etc.) and prevent attempts to encroach on them. With the help of the protective function, social experience can be passed on from one generation to another.
2. Regulatory. The functions of social control are manifested at different levels of life, and in this case we mean a set of processes that direct, determine and limit the form for the embodiment of a person's or group's own potential and experience in certain conditions.
3. Stabilizing. The importance of social control for society is manifested in the ability to predict human behavior in different situations, which helps to ensure social order.

Types of social control

There are several classifications that focus on different criteria. There are forms of social control that depend on the subject:

1. Administrative. Implemented by managers at different levels with a focus on existing regulatory documents. The disadvantages include the fact that administrative control may not always be prompt, objective and comprehensive.
2. Public. The structure of social control includes a form of regulation that is carried out through public organizations. To do this, they use different charters and regulations related to their status. Its effectiveness is due to the fact that such groups are organized and structured.
3. Group. This implies mutual control of individual team members. It can be formal, that is, when meetings, meetings and conferences are used, and informal, implying a common collective opinion and mood.

Internal and external social control

If we focus on the scope of regulation, we distinguish the following classification:

1. External social control. It implies a set of certain mechanisms used to regulate human reality. It can be formal or informal. This classification will be discussed below. In the modern world, such control is ineffective, since one has to constantly monitor the actions of each person or social community. As a result, a certain chain of “controllers” is formed, which is more characteristic of totalitarianism.
2. Internal social control. What is meant here is that each person controls himself independently, taking into account known norms of behavior. Correction of behavior is carried out using the sense of shame and shame that a person feels as a result of violating social rules. For the successful functioning of self-control, a clear identification of norms and values ​​is important.

Formal and informal social control

As already mentioned, external regulation is divided into two separate groups:

1. Formal control. Implies official consent or denial on the part of the authorities or various organizations, media, education systems, and so on. For this purpose, various laws, decrees, instructions and other documents are used. Formal social control is a series of actions that are designed to force a person to comply with the law. There are different authorities for this purpose. It gives good results in large groups.
2. Informal control. In this case, it means receiving approval or condemnation from relatives, friends, colleagues and other people from the environment. Traditions, customs and the media are used for this. Informal control is exercised by the following social institutions: family, school and church. It gives results when targeting small groups.

Social control and self-control

It has already been said that internal social control is also called self-control and by it is meant the assessment and regulation of one’s own thoughts and behavior. In this case, will is of great importance, which determines a person’s ability to make and implement conscious decisions. Social control provides the opportunity to achieve goals in life. It can be determined based on innate genetic characteristics and psychological human skills.

Social control and deviance

Deviation from social norms or deviation refers to the behavior of an individual or group of individuals that contradicts existing norms. They can take different formations. Examples of violators include criminals, sinners, innovators, geniuses and other people whose behavior goes beyond what is permitted. It is worth noting the fact that social control is very difficult to define, since situations are often not clear-cut

The desire for such deviations can be caused by a number of reasons that are biological, psychological and social in nature. The structure of deviation includes three main components:

1. A person who has certain behavioral traits.
2. Norms established in order to evaluate the command of a deviant type.
3. People or organizations that can regulate a person's command.

External social control is a set of forms, methods and actions that guarantee compliance with social norms of behavior. There are two types of external control - formal and informal.

Formal social control, based on official approval or condemnation, is carried out by government bodies, political and social organizations, the education system, the media and operates throughout the country, based on written norms - laws, decrees, regulations, orders and instructions. Formal social control may also include the dominant ideology in society. When we talk about formal social control, we primarily mean actions aimed at making people respect laws and order with the help of government officials. Such control is especially effective in large social groups.

Informal social control, based on the approval or condemnation of relatives, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, public opinion, expressed through traditions, customs or the media. Agents of informal social control are social institutions such as family, school, and religion. This type of control is especially effective in small social groups.

In the process of social control, violation of some social norms is followed by very weak punishment, for example, disapproval, an unfriendly look, a grin. Violation of other social norms is followed by severe punishments - death penalty, imprisonment, expulsion from the country. Violation of taboos and legal laws is punished most severely; certain types of group habits, in particular family ones, are punished most mildly.

Internal social control- independent regulation by an individual of his social behavior in society. In the process of self-control, a person independently regulates his social behavior, coordinating it with generally accepted norms. This type of control manifests itself, on the one hand, in feelings of guilt, emotional experiences, “remorse” for social actions, and on the other hand, in the form of an individual’s reflection on his social behavior.

An individual’s self-control over his own social behavior is formed in the process of his socialization and the formation of socio-psychological mechanisms of his internal self-regulation. The main elements of self-control are consciousness, conscience and will.

Human consciousness - this is an individual form of mental representation of reality in the form of a generalized and subjective model of the surrounding world in the form of verbal concepts and sensory images. Consciousness allows an individual to rationalize his social behavior.

Conscience- the ability of an individual to independently formulate his own moral duties and demand that he fulfill them, as well as to make a self-assessment of his actions and deeds. Conscience does not allow an individual to violate his established attitudes, principles, beliefs, in accordance with which he builds his social behavior.

Will- a person’s conscious regulation of his behavior and activities, expressed in the ability to overcome external and internal difficulties when performing purposeful actions and deeds. Will helps an individual overcome his internal subconscious desires and needs, act and behave in society in accordance with his beliefs.

Social control, in essence, is the process by which society, its individual spheres, management systems, subsystems, and social units determine whether their actions or decisions are correct or whether they need adjustment.

Forms of social control[edit | edit wiki text]

Social control can be exercised in institutional and non-institutional forms.

1. Institutional form social control is implemented through a special apparatus specializing in control activities, which is a combination of state and public organizations (bodies, institutions and associations).

2. Non-institutional form social control is a special type of self-regulation inherent in various social systems, control over people’s behavior by mass consciousness.
Its functioning is based primarily on the action of moral and psychological mechanisms, consisting of continuous monitoring of the behavior of other people and assessments of compliance with social prescriptions and expectations. A person becomes aware of himself by observing other members of society (organization, group, community), constantly comparing himself with them, learning certain norms of behavior in the process of socialization. Society cannot exist without mental reactions and mutual assessments. It is thanks to mutual contacts that people become aware of social values, acquire social experience and skills of social behavior.

A type of institutional social control is state control.Among the types of state control there are: political, administrative and judicial.

· Political control carried out by those bodies and persons who exercise the powers of the supreme power. Depending on the political and state structure, this is parliament, regional and local elected bodies. Political control can, to a certain extent, be exercised by political parties that have received the support of the majority of the people, especially those represented in government bodies.

· Administrative control carried out by executive bodies of all branches of government. Here, as a rule, control by superior officials over the actions of subordinates is implemented, inspection and supervisory bodies are created that analyze the implementation of laws, regulations, management decisions, and study the efficiency and quality of administrative activities.

· Judicial control are carried out by all the courts at the disposal of society: general (civil), military, arbitration and constitutional courts.

However, it is difficult for one state to respond to many social requests and demands, which leads to the aggravation of social conflicts that have a destructive effect on the nature of public life. This requires the presence of effective feedback that ensures the participation of citizens in public administration, an important element of which is public control. Therefore, along with state control, public control represents a special form of control - public control on the part of society represented by the public, individual citizens, social organizations and movements, and public opinion. In a modern democratic society, public control is the activity, first of all, of the established institutions of civil society, the formal and informal participation of individual citizens and their associations in them.

What is social control?

In order to prevent deviation or reduce its level, society, and social institutions specially created for this purpose, exercise social control. Social control is a set of means by which a society or social community (group) ensures the behavior of its members in accordance with accepted norms - (moral, legal, aesthetic, etc.), and also prevents deviant actions, punishes deviants or corrects their. The main focus of these means is embodied in the desire of society or its majority to prevent deviant behavior, punish deviants or return them to a normal (corresponding to functioning norms) life.

What are the main means of social control?

The main means of social control are as follows:

1. Socialization, which ensures the individual’s perception, assimilation and fulfillment of social norms accepted in society.

2. Education is a process of systematic and purposeful influence on the social development of an individual in order to form in her the need and habit of complying with the prevailing norms in society.

3. Group pressure, characteristic of any social group and expressed in the fact that each individual included in the group must fulfill a certain set of requirements, instructions, etc. emanating from the group, corresponding to the norms accepted in it.

4. Coercion - the application of certain sanctions (threat, punishment, etc.) forcing individuals and their groups to comply with the norms and rules of behavior prescribed by society (community) and punishing those guilty of violating these norms.

12. What are the methods and principles of social control?

Among the methods of social control used to prevent deviation, reduce its level and guide deviants “on the true path,” the most frequently used, as established by T. Parsons, are:

1. Isolation, i.e. separating the deviant from other people (for example, imprisonment).

2. Isolation - limiting the deviant’s contacts with other people, but not completely isolating him from society (for example, a written undertaking not to leave, house arrest, placement in a psychiatric hospital).

3. Rehabilitation, i.e. preparing deviants for a normal life and for fulfilling their inherent social roles in society (for example, groups of “Alcoholics Anonymous” provide rehabilitation for people suffering from drunkenness).

Social control over deviation is divided into two main types. The first of them - informal social control - includes: social encouragement, punishment, persuasion or revaluation of existing norms, replacing them with new norms that are more consistent with the changed social institutions. The second type of social control over deviation is formal, which is carried out by social institutions and organizations specially created by society. Among them, the main role is played by the police, the prosecutor's office, the court, and the prison.

With all the variety of means, methods and types of social control over deviation, they are all called upon to be guided in a democratic society by several fundamental principles. The main ones are as follows:

Firstly, the implementation of real legal and other norms functioning in society should stimulate socially useful behavior and prevent socially harmful, and even more so socially dangerous, actions.

Secondly, the sanctions applied to deviants must correspond to the severity and social danger of the crime, without in any way closing the path to the social rehabilitation of the deviant.

Thirdly, no matter what sanction is applied to a deviant, it should in no case humiliate the dignity of the individual, combine coercion with persuasion, or instill in individuals who, for one reason or another, have committed deviant behavior, a positive attitude towards the law and moral values. norms of society.