About the Social Control Theory

Social control requires conformity.

Social control theory is concerned with the issues that promote social order and conformity. The theory specifically addresses factors which determine whether or not a person engages in criminal activity. Sociologists have identified various causes for conformity and nonconformity to social norms. This article will address these different approaches within the field.

Features

Social control theory examines how the establishment of rules and norms within a society serve to maintain a level of conformity and order. The theory states that social stability depends on the expectations and obligations persons hold towards one another in terms of decency and etiquette. This in turn creates a type of societal morality. As a result, social order becomes a built-in feature of everyday life.

According to the theory, what individuals see as norms are implied behavioral guidelines. Violations of the norm lead to varied degrees of punishment depending on how prevalent the norm may be. Punishments can come in the form of being excluded from one's social group, disapproving looks, or incarceration in the case of severe violations like murder or assault.

Function

Social control theory is concerned with how human behavior is regulated within society. Identifying the restraints that prevent an individual from breaking the law or indulging in delinquent-type behaviors are the central focus of the theory. The roles of family, friends, beliefs, values and law enforcement are seen as instrumental in promoting the individual's tendency to conform within everyday society.

The general theory identifies two primary areas of influence: formal control systems and informal control systems. Both are based on a set of norms commonly accepted by the general populace. Formal control systems are based within the legal system and law enforcement agencies. Informal control systems originate within social groups, which include family, friends, customs and etiquette.

History

The beginnings of social control theory can be found in the early part of the 20th century in the work of a sociologist named E.A. Ross. His first book, "Social Control," was published in 1901. Ross stated that an individual's belief systems are the strongest influences on her behavior. As such, Ross attributed family and community influences as the driving force behind social stability because these are the environments that surround and shape the individual.

Toward the middle of the 20th century, contributors to social control theory began to lean more towards external influences that cause delinquent behavior. The theory began to address the causes of criminal behavior within society and how issues of personal control were developed and influenced within the individual. The main contributors include:

· Jackson Toby, 1957, who introduced the idea of "stakes in conformity," which is based on the benefits of conformity and a person's desire not to lose his benefits.

· Walter Reckless, 1961, who introduced a variation of the "control" perspective in his Containment Theory. Reckless saw an individual's self-image as the primary influence on her behavior.

Theories/Speculation

In relation to criminal activity, a functionalist theory of social control took root in the late 1950s. First introduced by Ivan Nye in 1958, the theory was then further developed by Travis Hirschi. Nye listed four main areas of societal control:

1. Direct - an external control where punishment is implied for delinquent behaviors and reward is granted for compliant behaviors.

2. Internal - an internal control wherein individuals are driven by their sense of conscience.

3. Indirect - an internal control driven by the individual's need to please those whom he is closest to.

4. Needs satisfaction - a combined internal-external control that makes criminal behavior unnecessary when an individual's needs are met.

Hirschi added to this, maintaining that social control is established when individual beliefs align with the practices of normal behavior and social obligation. Commitment to these beliefs made individuals less likely to engage in delinquent activities. Hirschi went so far as to coin an alternative name for the theory, calling it the Social Bonding Theory, which is still in use today.

Significance

Social control theory has played an ongoing role in understanding criminal behaviors. A variation on social control theory is the Differential Association Theory proposed by Edwin H. Sutherland in the 1930s. In it, criminal acts are seen as learned behaviors acquired from peers that develop into altered perceptions of society's norms.

Social relationships and the environment in which an individual lives are the focus of this theory. An individual's continued exposure to delinquent-type behaviors is seen to make her more likely to engage in the same acts. Many of Sutherland's principles are still in use today within the field of criminology.