Social Control Essay -- Sociology, Crime

Society is possible through social control. Without social control society would be left in anarchy. Social control is the â€Å"concerted efforts to constrain and direct the conduct of people by inducing conformity and preventing non conformity (Welch, Lecture, 2011).†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Social control is any action, either deliberate of unconscious, that influences conduct toward conformity, whether or not the person being influenced are aware of the process (Hemmens, Walsh, 2011, p.224).† Social control aims at creating a peaceful coexistence that allows society to live in a predictable manner. To the degree that members of a society abide by group rules and expectations, they will be able to know with some degree of certainty what others will do in a variety of situations (Hemmens, Walsh, 2011, p.224).† Society could not function with out a large amount of predictability. For example, drivers know not to drive through red lights because they have been socialized to understa nd the consequences of doing so. This allows the drivers crossing through the green light to predictable know that they can do so safely. To ensure predictability, social control also works to minimize non-conformity and deviance. Non-conformity challenges society’s sense of safety, security, propriety, and freedom (Hemmens, Walsh, 2011, p.224). Social control is exerted through formal social control and informal social control. Formal social control is â€Å"efforts by official agencies, acting in their designated capacity, to constrain and direct the conduct of people (Welch, Lecture, 2011).† Formal social control uses codified rules and regulations, or laws, which are punishable if violated. The criminal justice system uses formal social control in its practice. When individuals vi... ...ast as they could. If the police were more concerned with protecting Ron’s due process rights, Ron would have been protected from such an overzealous investigation and prosecution. Due process is the â€Å"equal treatment before the law; the constitutional mandate that criminal proceedings, from police to corrections, follow established rules or principles, that similar cases be handled in a similar fashion, and that a no person shall be adjudicated guilty without sufficient safeguards against state power (Welch, Lecture, 2011).† If Ron’s investigation and trial took the time to ensure that his rights were not being violated, and also weren’t tainted by police malpractice, Ron wouldn’t have been convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. An innocent man was put through a corrupt criminal justice system, and almost died because his due process rights were violated.