SOCI3603 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Informal Social Control, Social Control Theory, Social Disorganization Theory
Sociological theories on crime Feb 14
Social control theory
Focus on techniques and strategies that regulate human behaviour and lead to
conformity, or obedience to society’s rules- the influence of family and school,
religious beliefs, moral values, friends and even beliefs about government
The more involved and committed a person is to conventional activities and
values and the greater the attachment to family and friends, the less likely that a
person violate society’s rules and to jeopardize relationships and aspirations
SOCIAL BOND
Social control has been conceptualized as representing practically any
phenomenon that leads to conformity
Macrosociological theories
oExplore formal system for the control of groups
The legal systems, laws and law enforcement
Powerful groups in society
Social and economic directives of government or private groups
oFocuses on broader social structures, such as community structure,
economic factors, ethnic or racial composition of a community and other
patterns that characterize groups of people
Microsociological theories
oFocuses on informal systems
oCollect data from individuals
oOften rely on hypotheses that apply to individual as well as to groups, and
frequently make reference to or examine a persons internal control system
The macrosociological perspective: social disorganization theory
Focuses on the development of high-crime areas in which there is a disintegration
of conventional values caused by rapid industrialization, increased immigration,
and urbanization
Based on notions of social control and how the lack of such controls (formal and
informal) contribute to delinquency and crime
Social disorganization
Rapid changes in industrialization or urbanization or increased immigration
decline in the effectiveness of institutional and informal social control forces in
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