Agents of Social Control

The maintenance of social order is crucial to the preservation of any society. All societies, irrespective of level of civilization and development, have various mechanisms whereby they control the behavior of members and maintain social order. Social control is a sociological concept that describes the social processes by which the behavior of individuals or groups in the society is regulated. In essence, social control is embedded in the norms and mores of the society; the act of deviance, a situation of breaking these norms, is governed by the mechanisms of social control. Agents of social control could be defined generally as any person or group of persons who attempts to manipulate the behavior of others through the use of formal or informal sanctions or rewards.

The importance of social control in any society is obvious. The absence of social control in any society, allowing individuals unchecked liberty to act in any way they like, could be likened to what might be obtained in a football match between rival teams without the moderation of a referee and other match officials. The result is better imagined than experienced.

The underlying purpose of social control is to ensure conformity with social norms by individuals and groups in society. Social control ensures the continuity and uniformity of any social group through the family as an institution. When a child is born, the family, as the primary agent of socialization, ensures that the neophyte is familiarized with the traditions, norms, and values of the society. The essence of social control is also amplified by the need to regulate the attitudes, ideals, and behaviors of individuals in accordance with established norms leading to uniformity and solidarity of the group. Social control also helps differentiate between desirable and undesirable behavior in the face of rapid changes in social patterns to preserve the solidarity of the society.

There are a number of agencies in the society that regulate the behavior of individuals or groups, and these can be broadly categorized into formal and informal agents of social control. Whereas formal social control usually includes written or codified materials presented as laws or rules and regulations, informal social control does not require any written rules. Additionally, formal agents of social control are usually authorized or created by the state, while informal agents of social control are created by social networks and not necessarily by the state.