DEFINITION

• 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.
 CONTI…
• E.A. Ross. “ social control refers to the “system of
devices whereby society brings its members into
conformity with the accepted standards of
behaviour”.
• Manheim. “ social control is the sum of those
methods by which a society tries to influence
human behaviour to maintain a given order.”
• Ogburn and Nimkoff have said that social control
refers to “ the patterns of pressure which a society
exert to maintain order and established rules.”
 NATURE OF SOCIAL CONTROL

• Social Control denotes some kind of influence. The influence

may be exercised in various ways by means of public opinion,
coercion, religion.
• The influence is essentially exerted by the society or
community. It may indicate the entire society‘s influence over
all.
• The influence is exercised for promoting the welfare of all the
individuals or of the group as a whole.
• The influence of the society has been there since times
immemorial. It is an essential condition of the human society.
• The influence is universal. Where there is society there is a
social control.
 PURPOSES 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 particular group or society.
 Conti….
• Social Control brings about social conformity. People must be
made to feel the need for security. For the sake of security they are
obliged, to accept conformity. Social Control thus provides for
conformity.
• Social Control brings about solidarity. The second main purpose of
social control is to creat in the minds of people the feeling of
identity and of solidarity. It becomes necessary for the society to
establish a reasonable balance or equilibrium between different
groups and institutions.
• Society does this through various means of social control.
• Social control assures the continuity of social group or society.
Societies not only struggle for stability and solidarity but also for
their own survival or continuity.
 TYPES OF SOCIAL CONTROL

Society makes use of various means of social

control depending upon the time and social
situation for the realization of its purposes.
• Formal and Informal Control
• Social Control can be classified into two major
types on the basis of the means of social
control that are employed.
 Conti….
• They are: (i) formal control, and (ii) informal
control.
• 1. Formal control. Formal control is deliberately
created. Various rules are laid down to make it
specific. Formal control has become a necessity in
the modern complex societies in which interaction
is mostly impersonal in nature.
 Conti…
• 2. Informal control. Informal control includes
public opinion, folkways, mores, customs, religion,
morality and such other agents. No specific
punishment would be given to the violators of
informal control. Informal control is more effective in
primary social groups such as family, neighourhood,
where interaction takes place on a personal basis.
Whenever the group or the society become larger (in
terms of population) and more complex, the informal
devices of control become less effective.
 NEED FOR SOCIAL CONTROL
1. To maintain the old order
2. Social security
3. Cooperation plays a very significant
4. To control individual behavior
5. To check cultural maladjustment
6. To establish social unity
 POLITICAL
The political system/instituition is the most
powerful. It controls the entire systems &
institutions in the state.
• Political science deals with the state & its
organization & functions while sociology is the
study of society.
 Political meaning
• The state is the people organized for law
within a definite territory. -Woodrow wilson

• A state is an organization which rules by

means of a supreme government over a
definite territory. -Ogburn
 ELEMENTS OF STATE
• Population
• Territory
• Government
• Sovereignty
 LAW
• As a formula which expresses the necessity of
an action. -Kant

• Laws is the body of rules which are

recognised, interpreted & applied to
particular situation by the courts of the state.
 Characteristics of law
• Laws are the general conditions of human
activity prescribed by the state for its
members
• Law is law only if enacted by a proper law
making authority
• Law is applied equally to all without exception
in identical circumstances
• Law is definite, clear & precise
 Conti…
• It is a product of conscious thought, planning
& deliberate formulation.
• To prevent violence in the society, law & order
is necessary.
 RELIGIOUS
• Religion as a belief in powers superior to man
which are believed to direct & control the
course of nature & of human life. --James
G.Frazer

• Religion is the recognition of our moral

principles as laws that must not be
transgressed.
 Conti…
• Religion as a system of beliefs & symbolic
practices & objects, governed by faith rather
than by knowledge, which relates man to an
unseen supernatural realm beyond the known
& beyond the controllable. -Arnold
w.green
 Social role of religion/Importance
• Suffering
• Self importance
• Social values
• To learn good things in every religion
• It is a system of education
• Psychological religion
• Develop harmony & understanding with
others
 Conti….
• It helps to prove the progress of religion
 EDUCATION
• Education is meant to awaken the moral &
intellectual qualities of the individual which
will prepare him for this milieu. -Dukheim

• Education is the transmission of knowledge by

either formal or informal methods.
 Characteristics of education
• Education as character building
• Concentration & self control
• Student as a citizen
• The role of alumni
• Principle of equality
• In order to be good not to be selfish & evil
 Role of school
• Providing knowledge about different aspects
of child
• Special bridge course could be conducted for
students
• School programmes should be planned
• School should treat all children without any
discrimination on ground of gender,caste,
economic status, learning ability
 Conti….
• Free books for poverty students
• Co-curricular activities
• Awareness programmes
• Free facilities on mid day meal, free hostel,
financial assistance, medical facilities
• Quality education
• Scholarship facilities
• Moral education
 Conti…
• Control of child labour
• Facilities for books,materials, uniforms,
allowance
• Library facilities
• Social education
 ECONOMIC
• Economics may be regarded for ordinary
purposes, as an offshoot of the parent science
of sociology, which studies the general
principles of all social relations.
 ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
• Economic progress
• Exchange of culture
• Economic freedom
• It promotes cooperation
• Progress of civilization
• Standard of life
 NORMS
• Norm is an abstract pattern held in the mind,
that sets certain limits for behavior.

• Are established standards of behavior

maintained by a society.
 Characteristics
Norms are rules of behavior
The members of the group or society obey the
norms.
Man conforms to them because he considers
it as his moral & social duty.
The norms are not uniform for the whole
nation
 IMPORTANCE OF NORMS
Social life
Behaviour
Social welfare
Personality development
Social progress
 Values
• Values are modes of conduct meaningful,
affectively, invested pattern principles that
guide human action.
 Classification
• Organic values : such values are concerned with
fire,water,weight .
• Specific values :these values are adopted
according to individuals own specific choice &
preferences.
• Social values: among friends, group
• Socio-cultural values : these are those social tools
& symbols which are developed by social
interaction & which are transmitted from
generation to generation.
 FOLKWAYS
• Folkways are the typical or habitual beliefs,
attitudes & styles of conduct observed within
a group or community.
 Characteristics
• Folkways are evolved to satisfy certain need.
• It is not consciously made but they evolve
spontaneously, they are based on traditions &
culture of the society.
• It is of flexible in nature
• Regulate our day to day life.
• Most of the folkways are not in written form
 IMPORTANCE
• They act as a socializing agency
• It is necessary for survival
• They act as custodians of culture
• They bring uniformity in culture
• Part of cultural heritage
• Act as guides