Social Control

• Rousseau's book "Social Contract" begins with the famous statement: "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains."
• It is true that man cannot be absolutely free in society.
• Collective life is only possible within the context of social constraints.
• Through sustained social experience, man has learned that for his own interest and the interest of others, he must subject himself to some form of control.
• The attainment of individual happiness is the main goal of social life.
• Happiness is achieved not through unbounded freedom, but through restrained behavior.
• Man has granted society the power to exercise control over his actions.
• The control society exerts over its members' behavior is referred to as social control.

Meaning & Definition of Social Control

• The survival and smooth functioning of society require social harmony, social solidarity, and social order.
• Social harmony or solidarity does not develop automatically.
• Individual members of society must strive and struggle to bring about social harmony or order.
• Social harmony is achieved when members conform to accepted standards of behavior or norms.
• Conformity to norms must take precedence over self-seeking impulses.
• Group welfare or societal welfare must come before individual pleasures.
• Society must exercise control over individual members to maintain order.
• Social control refers to society’s control over individual behavior.
• Social control involves a system of mechanisms through which society regulates the activities of its members.
• E.A. Ross was the first American sociologist to address the concept of social control in his book "Social Control"(1901).
• Ross was the first to use the term social control in sociological discussions.
• According to Ross, individuals have deep-rooted sentiments like sympathy, sociability, and a sense of justice that help them cooperate for social welfare.
• However, these sentiments alone are not sufficient to suppress self-seeking impulses.
• Society must utilize its mechanisms to ensure necessary order and discipline.
• Ross emphasized the roles of public opinion, law, beliefs, suggestion, religion, ideals, ceremony, etc., in establishing social control.

Definition of Social Control

• Fairchild defines social control as the sum of processes through which society, or any subgroup, secures conformity to expectations from its members (individuals and groups).
• E.A. Ross describes social control as a system of devices that brings members of society into conformity with accepted standards of behavior.
• Manheim states that social control is the sum of methods through which society influences human behavior to maintain a given order.
• Ogburn and Nimkoff suggest that social control refers to the patterns of pressure society exerts to maintain orderand established rules.
• J.S. Roucek defines social control as processes, whether planned or unplanned, through which individuals are taught, persuaded, or compelled to conform to the usages and life-values of groups.
• G.A. Lundberg and others state that social control refers to social behaviors that influence individuals or groups toward conformity with established or desired norms.