Rural Sociology and Psycology

1.6.8.Agencies of Social Control

The important agencies Social Control are a) Customs b) Public opinion c) Family d) Education e) Law and f) Communal codes

a) Customs: Customs enlighten man in his Social life and provide a clear guidance for every activity in a Society. They regulate the life of an individual in a way so that he experiences a minimum of pressure from the Society. Individuals’ do not dare to oppose the customs.

b) Public opinion: In democratic as immensely powerful and they often influence government. Public opinions are formed by propaganda, newspaper, cinema, radio, TV etc. Public opinion controls the conduct, behaviour way of living, and methods etc of the individual to a great extent.

c) Family: The family is a basic or fundamental form of Society. Which is the first place where an individual is socialized. The family inculcates into the child, the proper behaviour patterns in all walks of like and thus, brings the child under the control of mores and traditions. Hence, family is an important instrument of Social Control.

d) Education: The ideals and pattern of politeness differ from society to society. An individual is trained in these through education. Education of individuals occur in the family, school, play ground, office covers Socialisation also through which a child learn to comply with traditions and mores of the society. Thus, education adopts man to Society. In this way, education is an important means of social control

e) Law: States exact laws to control the behaviour of individuals in the Society for peace and harmony in the Society. Disobedience of these laws and their infringement is considered as a punishable offence in a Society. Laws are enforced with the help of the court, the police and sometimes the armed forces. Thus, law of the land serves as a prominent means of Social Control.

f) Communal codes: Communal codes include all those laws of the community by means of which community exercise its control over the individual. Communal codes include customs folkways, mores, morals, rituals etc.