Brief Summary
This video explains the concepts of social order and social control, exploring different perspectives and agents involved. It covers functionalist, Marxist, and interactionist views on social order, and discusses social control through sanctions and the roles of various institutions like family, education, legal system, mass media, healthcare, and religion.
- Social order is maintained through linked social structures and practices.
- Social control involves mechanisms to ensure stability and regulate norms.
- Various agents, both formal and informal, contribute to social control.
Introduction to Social Order
Social order is a fundamental aspect of society, comprising linked social structures, institutions, and practices that maintain and enforce normal ways of relating and behaving. It ensures stability and prevents outbreaks of crime and illegal activities. Functionalists believe social order is achieved through interdependence and cooperation, necessary for societal development. As societies evolve from traditional to industrial, social institutions facilitate people's needs and create order, interlocking to bring equilibrium. Émile Durkheim argued that society has a collective conscience, a shared set of beliefs, values, attitudes, and knowledge, which is important and necessary for maintaining social order.
Marxist Perspective on Social Order
Marxists argue that true social order does not exist under capitalism, as people are unconsciously forced to conform to rules set by the elites, a concept known as false class consciousness. Karl Marx believed the working class is exploited and unaware of their exploitation, and that real social order can only be achieved in a communist society. However, Marx is criticized for not providing clear guidelines on how a communist society would function or eliminate capitalism, oppression, and inequality. The video notes that even in communist states like Cuba, problems such as high crime rates and inequality persist, suggesting that communism may not be the ultimate solution.
Interactionist Perspective on Social Order
Interactionists view social order as a product of shared value systems. People interact with each other through this value system, which helps maintain order in society.
Introduction to Social Control
Social control is how society regulates its members to ensure stability over time through the regulation and enforcement of norms. All societies practice social control, even primitive ones, to prevent societal destruction. Social control is evident even in animal societies, such as wolf packs with an alpha leader or lion prides with specific roles for males and females. The goal of social control is to maintain social order and prevent negative deviance that can harm society.
Sanctions in Social Control
Social control is exerted through sanctions, which can be positive or negative. Positive sanctions are rewards for conforming to norms, such as a promotion at work for hard work. Negative sanctions are punishments for violating norms, such as being arrested for shoplifting or assault. Sociologists classify sanctions as formal or informal. Formal sanctions are officially recognized and enforced, like fines or imprisonment, while informal sanctions emerge from face-to-face interactions, such as social disapproval, criticism, shunning, shaming, and mocking. Informal sanctions can be effective in promoting social order and control, as they can lead individuals to change their behavior to avoid negative social reactions.
Formal vs. Informal Agents of Social Control
Social control is ensured through the cooperative efforts of various social institutions, known as agents of social control. Formal agents include the legal system and courts, which address crime and deviance through official channels. Informal agents include the family, religion, mass media, healthcare system, and education. While informal agents may apply sanctions, these can lead to formal intervention if necessary. Education, for example, functions as both a formal agent through curricula and credentials and an informal agent through the transmission of cultural values and social interactions.
Evolution of Agents of Social Control
Agents of social control have changed significantly as society has advanced. As society expands, these agents must adapt to new changes to avoid conflict between generations. Rules, norms, and behaviors evolve over time. For example, dress code expectations in educational institutions have changed. The agents of social control must slowly change and adapt to future preferences to ensure there is no conflict between generations.
The Legal System as an Agent of Social Control
The legal system is the most powerful agent of social control, acting as the arm of the state with the sole purpose of exercising social control. It includes the police and the courts, which enforce laws and sanctions, such as fines and imprisonment. While powerful, the legal system depends on collaboration with mass media to disseminate information and deter crime through reporting. It also relies on the public to report violations, as the police and courts cannot address all problems without assistance.
The Family as an Agent of Social Control
The family is the first agent of socialization, teaching children about social order and control. Parents socialize their children into what is right and wrong, providing guidance and enforcing initial means of punishment. The family uses religion, mass media, and education to enhance its role in shaping the individual.
Education as an Agent of Social Control
Education is both a formal and informal means of social control. The hidden curriculum enforces control through implicit lessons and norms, such as walking in lines. Schools teach societal norms and lessons, preparing students for work and preventing deviance. Education keeps students engaged and off the streets, reducing the likelihood of criminal behavior.
Mass Media as an Agent of Social Control
Mass media plays a significant role in social control by providing models of discipline and shaping public opinion on acceptable behavior. It helps other agents fulfill their roles by disseminating information. However, mass media can also be a negative influence, promoting deviance through music, movies, and misinformation. Misinformation is a major problem in modern media, with false stories easily spread online.
Healthcare System as an Agent of Social Control
The healthcare system serves as a positive agent of social control by encouraging responsible health behaviors. Through education, treatment, and preventive measures, it shapes individual behaviors and promotes societal health. For example, laws requiring cigarette boxes to display health warnings are a form of social control.
Religion as an Agent of Social Control
Religion acts as a means of bringing social changes and shared consensus. People are often afraid to do things that might anger God, so religion instills morality. Historically, the church influenced the legal system, family, and media. However, critics note that secularization has reduced religion's significance, as people are less reliant on it to explain social phenomena.
