Social Control People generally follow social normsand expect

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Social Control • People generally follow social norms—and expect others to as well—because they

Social Control • People generally follow social norms—and expect others to as well—because they have internalized the norms that they feel are useful and appropriate. • When a person has not internalized a norm, society uses sanctions to motivate his or her conformity. • Sanctions can be positive or negative, formal or informal. • Social control is necessary to ensure that a society functions smoothly.

Internalization of Norms • Every society has norms that must be upheld to run

Internalization of Norms • Every society has norms that must be upheld to run smoothly. • Internalization is the process by which a norm becomes a part of an individual’s personality, thus conditioning that individual to conform to society’s expectations. • Examples: – Sitting in a chair instead of on the floor – Stopping at a red light

Sanctions Positive sanctions Negative sanctions • Positive sanction: An action that rewards a particular

Sanctions Positive sanctions Negative sanctions • Positive sanction: An action that rewards a particular kind of behavior • Negative sanction: A punishment or the threat of punishment used to enforce conformity. • Examples include: a teacher giving good grades, cheers from teammates • Examples include: a parking ticket, ridicule Formal sanctions Informal sanctions • Formal sanction: A reward or punishment given by a formal organization or regulatory agency • Informal sanction: A spontaneous expression of approval or disapproval given by an individual or group • Examples include: schools giving high or low grades, a business giving a raise or firing a worker • Examples include: standing ovations, gossip

Social Control • Social control is enforcing norms through either internal or external means.

Social Control • Social control is enforcing norms through either internal or external means. – Primary means is self-control – Other agents use sanctions • Police, religious figures, family, peer group, and public opinion • Behavior that violates society’s basic norms jeopardizes the social order.

Conformity • Solomon Asch – Conformity Experiment – Solomon Asch (1951) conducted an experiment

Conformity • Solomon Asch – Conformity Experiment – Solomon Asch (1951) conducted an experiment to investigate the extent to which social pressure from a majority group could affect a person to conform. – Result: 1/3 of the respondents went along with the incorrect group response.

Factors Affecting Conformity – Conformity tends to increase as the size of the group

Factors Affecting Conformity – Conformity tends to increase as the size of the group increases. – When one other person in the group gave a different answer from the others, and the group answer was not unanimous, conformity dropped. – When participants were allowed to answer in private conformity decreases. – If someone is of high status or has a lot of knowledge, they might be more influential – When we are uncertain, it seems we look to others for confirmation. The more difficult the task the greater the conformity.

Milgram – Experiment on Obedience (Shock Experiment) • One of the most famous studies

Milgram – Experiment on Obedience (Shock Experiment) • One of the most famous studies of obedience in psychology was carried out by Stanley Milgram (1963). • Stanley Milgram, a psychologist at Yale University, conducted an experiment focusing on the conflict between obedience to authority and personal conscience. • He examined justifications for acts of genocide offered by those accused at the World War II, Nuremberg War Criminal trials. Their defense often was based on obedience- that they were just following orders from their superiors. • 65% (two-thirds) of participants (i. e. teachers) continued to the highest level of 450 volts. All the participants continued to 300 volts.