Okuzeka
Sociology vocabulary · Deviance and Social Control

Social control

Meaning in sociology, with examples

nounCore term

In sociology, social control means: The formal and informal ways a society encourages people to follow its norms and discourages deviance, from laws and the police to gossip and disapproval.

In Turkish: toplumsal denetim, sosyal kontrol

How it is used

Formal social control is carried out by official agencies such as courts, the police and schools; informal social control comes from family, friends and neighbours. Foucault's work on surveillance and Hirschi's control theory are common reference points.

Example sentences

  1. In small villages, gossip is a powerful form of informal social control.

  2. CCTV cameras are an example of formal social control in public spaces.

Common collocations

  • formal social control
  • informal social control
  • agents of social control
  • mechanisms of social control
  • devianceBehaviour, beliefs or characteristics that break the norms of a group or society and lead to disapproval or punishment, whether or not they are against the law.
  • normA written or unwritten rule about how people are expected to behave in a particular situation, supported by approval when it is followed and by sanctions when it is broken.
  • stigmaA mark of disgrace attached to a characteristic, condition or identity, which leads other people to see a person as less acceptable or less normal.
  • labelling theoryThe theory that deviance is created when people with power successfully label certain acts or individuals as deviant, which can lead the labelled person to accept that identity.

More terms: Deviance and Social Control

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