SOC 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Criminal Record, Sweatpants, Control Theory
March 1st, 2018
Formal Social Control
Conflict theory
o Regards power and social inequality as the key characteristics of society.
o Takes the position that formal systems of control, such as the criminal justice
system, are tools created by the powerful to maintain power and privilege
The US has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world,
imprisoning about 730 out of every 100,000 citizens.
Social Control without Conviction
The largest arrest categories are for crimes
below a felony level,
which do not elicit
a prison sentence
o The majority of these cases do not result in a guilty finding or any formal
punishment
Misdemeanors as social control:
o Marking
Temporary rap sheet allows for monitoring, restricts movement
Publicly available information (at least in the state of NY)
o Procedural hassle
‘Hurdles’ to dismissal of the mark stress, lost work, difficulties with
child care, lost opportunities
Informal Social Control
Control theory
o Inner controls:
Internalized morality, conscience, religious principles, etc. (our ethics)
Fear of punishments
Desire to be a ‘good person’
o Outer control
People who influence us not to deviate
Friends, family
o Control theory argues that the stronger our bonds with society, the more
effective our inner controls are
Durkheim – involvement is essential in learning the norms and staying
involved in society
Majority Influence
Majority influence is the process by which a group’s majority pressures an individual
to conform
Normative Influence
We meet normative expectations to either gain rewards or avoid punishments
Ex) not supposed to wear sweatpants a certain day of the week (Mean Girls)
Document Summary
The us has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world, imprisoning about 730 out of every 100,000 citizens. The largest arrest categories are for crimes below a felony level, which do not elicit a prison sentence: the majority of these cases do not result in a guilty finding or any formal punishment. Temporary rap sheet allows for monitoring, restricts movement. Publicly available information (at least in the state of ny: procedural hassle. Hurdles" to dismissal of the mark stress, lost work, difficulties with child care, lost opportunities. Internalized morality, conscience, religious principles, etc. (our ethics) Desire to be a good person": outer control. People who influence us not to deviate. Friends, family: control theory argues that the stronger our bonds with society, the more effective our inner controls are. Durkheim involvement is essential in learning the norms and staying. Majority influence is the process by which a group"s majority pressures an individual to conform.
