Types of social control. The meaning of social control. Social control and deviance

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In sociology, there are different types and forms of social control.

Internal and external control.

A person who has mastered social norms is able to independently regulate his actions, coordinating them with the generally accepted system of values ​​and approved patterns of behavior. This is internal control (self-control), the basis of which is moral principles person. External control is a set of social institutions that regulate people's behavior and ensure compliance with generally accepted norms and laws.

Informal and formal control.

Informal (intra-group) control is carried out by participants in any social process and is based on the approval or condemnation of an individual’s actions by the immediate environment (colleagues, acquaintances, friends, family members), and public opinion.

Formal (institutional) control is carried out by special public institutions, control bodies, government organizations and institutions (army, court, municipal institutions, media, political parties, etc.).

Depending on who exercises social control, the following types are distinguished:

1. Administrative social control. To implement it, higher authorities vest the administration of the enterprise and its divisions with appropriate powers. Administrative control is based on a pre-prescribed, legalized procedure, on existing regulatory documents and uses the means of influence clearly fixed in them.
2. Control of public organizations. It is carried out mainly by trade union organizations and various commissions formed in accordance with the Charter of trade unions.
3. Group social control, which refers to the influence of the team and individual groups on workers. Group social control has two varieties: official (meetings of the work collective, production meetings, etc.) and informal, socio-psychological, expressed in spontaneous mutual reactions of team members to behavior. The last type of social control includes refusal of contacts, ridicule, approval, friendly disposition, etc. Often such informal influence of the team turns out to be more effective than administrative influence.
4. Employee self-control over his behavior, i.e. internal control associated with employees’ assimilation of values ​​and norms of behavior accepted in society and the team. The more individual values ​​and norms coincide with collective values, the more effective self-control turns out to be. With an increase in the level of employee motivation, the importance of internal control based on a sense of duty, professional honor, and conscience will increase.

The most effective interventions are those that combine external control and self-control. The combination of external control with self-control also determines the advantages of switching to a flexible (sliding) work schedule. In this case, intra-shift losses of working time due to the fault of the employee are eliminated, tardiness and premature departures from work are eliminated, and time losses due to administrative leave are sharply reduced.

The expansion of the role of group control and self-control of socially significant actions in the world of work is associated with an increase in the amount of responsibility of the team and the employee for the final results of work. Responsibility as a significant behavioral characteristic acts as a means of self-control.

Gain in modern conditions the importance of such subjects of social control as the primary labor collective and the employee himself, involves the expansion of their powers, rights and responsibilities, contributes to the implementation in practical labor activity. Participation in social control means that the primary team and each employee becomes the subject of responsibility, including legal, economic, and moral. After all, responsibility arises only when a participant in labor relations is endowed with rights, responsibilities, and independence.

Responsibility as the most important sociological category characterizes the employee’s attitude to society, work, fellow workers and reflects the fulfillment of legal and moral norms and role responsibilities. The set of role responsibilities of an employee, primarily production-functional, depending on the positions he occupies in the system of social relations, characterizes the scope of his responsibility. By becoming an active participant in social control, the employee is responsible for his actions and actions primarily to himself.

The responsibility of each employee is closely related to the degree of his independence in the world of work. The higher the production independence of the employee, expressed, in particular, in the ability to choose the methods of performing assigned work and keeping records of the results of work, the higher his initiative and sense of labor responsibility, the more responsible his behavior.

Further development of the problem of responsibility is associated with specifying the types, conditions, limits, mechanism for implementing responsibility, as well as the combination of collective and personal responsibility in the world of work.

The influence of social control significantly determines the higher economic results of the work of teams compared to those working individually. Group mutual control in teams makes it possible to evaluate the discipline and conscientiousness of each team member and to form a responsible attitude towards the work performed. In the new type of brigades, the number of violations of discipline is significantly reduced.

For the effectiveness of group mutual control, it is important to establish the optimal size of the primary team. It should not exceed an average of 7-15 employees. The large number of the primary workforce leads to a lack of information about everyone’s contribution to the common cause. Under these conditions, relationships of mutual responsibility and interchangeability cause tension in interpersonal relationships, anxiety, and dissatisfaction. Mutual social control stops working. In practice, however, when forming teams, the sociological aspects of their functioning are underestimated and due importance is not attached to the creation of conditions for the operation of a mechanism of mutual social control.

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Control in all professions goes through the same stages of development.

§ 3. Types of social and legal control.

Leaders decide

the issue of admitting new members, regulate powers, establish practical standards

work and professional ethics, negotiate different levels of decision monopoly. However

However, control in social work exhibits its own distinctive, characteristic features.

Social work distinguished by its special connections with other professions and social

institutions. Traditionally, social workers implement bridging, mediating and

protective social functions, while simultaneously fulfilling their main function providing

individuals and families of practical social services services, expanding the scope of which

started after 1991. Social workers today have a wide range of activities.

The strengthening of social work is reflected in the expansion of its scope and ambiguity

professional functions.

Modern professional social work managers not only accept, but

and exploit this ambiguity.

It is probably impossible to achieve absolute clarity about

functions of employees of organizations social services. Wide range of species

activities and situations covered may partly explain why control

consider how the educational process, how the management process, how the mixture of both

As social services are organized and expanded, as work on

studying the living conditions of disadvantaged families and helping them in the sphere of control arose

individual mentoring approach, appropriate individual approach to everyone

occasion. On special meaning, attached to the learning control function, also influenced the development

university training of professionals. Control is perceived as a means of transmission

knowledge and skills from an experienced, trained worker to an inexperienced one. And in the region

professional education - from the teacher and practice manager to the student.

Social workers often express dissatisfaction with monitoring and controlling their

work, especially regarding over-dependence when using traditional forms. They

want to be seen as practicing professionals and not be controlled.

At the early stages of professional development based on the “mentor-student” model

knowledge is determined and principles of practical work are formed. Until knowledge

acquire transferable, generalized forms, trainees learn by following the example of the mentor, and

B.45 Social control: forms and types.

The efforts of society aimed at preventing deviant behavior, punishing and correcting deviants are defined by the concept of “social control”.

Social control- a mechanism for regulating relations between the individual and society in order to strengthen order and stability in society. IN narrow In the sense, social control is the control of public opinion, the publicity of results and assessments of people’s activities and behavior.

Social control includes two main elements: social norms and sanctions. Sanctions- any reaction on the part of others to the behavior of a person or group.

Kinds:Informal(intra-group) - based on approval or condemnation from a group of relatives, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, as well as from public opinion, which is expressed through traditions and customs or through the media.

Formal(institutional) - based on the support of existing social institutions (army, court, education, etc.)

In sociological science it is known 4 fundamental forms of social control:

External control (A set of institutions and mechanisms that guarantee compliance with generally accepted norms of behavior and laws)

Internal control (self-control);

Control through identification with a reference group;

Control through the creation of opportunities to achieve socially significant goals by means most suitable for this person and approved by society (the so-called “multiple possibilities”).

In the process of socialization, norms are internalized so firmly that people, violating them, experience a feeling of awkwardness or guilt, pangs of conscience.

Generally accepted norms, being rational prescriptions, remain in the sphere of consciousness, below which lies the sphere of the subconscious, or unconscious, consisting of spontaneous impulses. Self-control means restraining the natural elements; it is based on volitional effort. The following are distinguished: social control mechanisms:

isolation - isolation of the deviant from society (for example, imprisonment);

isolation - limiting the deviant’s contacts with others (for example, placement in a psychiatric clinic);

rehabilitation is a set of measures aimed at returning the deviant to normal life.

B.46 Civil society and the state.

Civil society- this is a set of social relations, formal and informal structures that provide the conditions for human political activity, the satisfaction and implementation of various needs and interests of the individual and social groups and associations. A developed civil society is the most important prerequisite for building rule of law and his equal partner. Signs of civil society: the presence in society of free owners of the means of production; developed democracy; legal protection of citizens; a certain level of civic culture, high educational level population; the most complete provision of human rights and freedoms;

self management; competition between the structures that form it and various groups of people; freely formed public opinions and pluralism; strong social policy of the state; mixed economy; a large share of the middle class in society. The state of civil society, his needs and goals define the main features And social purpose of the state. Qualitative changes in the structure of civil society and the content of the main spheres of its activity inevitably lead to changes in the nature and forms of state power. At the same time, the state, having relative independence in relation to civil society, can significantly influence its condition. This influence is usually positive, aimed at maintaining stability and progressive development civil society. Although history also knows opposite examples. The state as a special phenomenon social power has quality features. It is organized in the form of a state apparatus; carries out management of the company through a system of functions and certain methods. Externally the state is represented in various forms Oh. Signs of the state— its qualitative features, expressing the characteristics of the state in comparison with other organizations exercising power and management functions in society. The main features of the state include: sovereignty, the territorial principle of the exercise of power, special public power, inextricable connection with law

B. 47 Mass consciousness and mass action. Forms of mass behavior.

Mass consciousness- the basis of mass actions and behavior. Mass actions can be poorly organized (panic, pogroms) or sufficiently prepared (demonstration, revolution, war). Much depends on whether the situation is realized or not, and whether leaders have been found capable of leading the rest.

Mass behavior(including spontaneous) is a term of political psychology that denotes various forms of behavior of large groups of people, crowds, circulation of rumors, panic and other mass phenomena.

Forms of mass behavior include: mass hysteria, rumors, gossip, panic, pogrom, riot.

mass hysteria- a state of general nervousness, increased excitability and fear caused by unfounded rumors (the medieval “witch hunt”, the post-war “Cold War”, trials of “enemies of the people” in the era of Stalinism, the media’s whipping up of the threat of a “third world war” in the 60s). 70 years, mass intolerance towards representatives of other nationalities.)

gossip- a set of information that arises from anonymous sources and is distributed through informal channels.

panic- this form of mass behavior when people faced with danger exhibit uncoordinated reactions. They act independently, usually interfering with and injuring each other.

pogrom- a collective act of violence undertaken by an uncontrolled and emotionally agitated crowd against property or a person.

riot- a collective concept denoting a number of spontaneous forms of collective protest: rebellion, unrest, unrest, uprising.

B. 48. Culture as a value system

culture is a system of values ​​accumulated by humanity over the long history of its development.

Concept, structure and types of social control

including all forms and methods of human self-expression and self-knowledge. Culture also appears as a manifestation of human subjectivity and objectivity (character, competencies, skills, abilities and knowledge). Basic elements of culture: language, customs, traditions, morals, laws, values.

Values- these are socially approved and shared by most people ideas about what goodness, justice, love, and friendship are. No society can exist without values. It is values ​​that are the defining element of culture, its core. They act like a) the desired, preferred state for a given social subject (individual, social community, society) of social connections, content of ideas, artistic form, etc.; b) a criterion for assessing real phenomena; c) they determine the meaning of purposeful activity; d) regulate social interactions; e) internally encourage activity. IN value system social subject may include different values:

1 ) life meaning (ideas about good and evil, happiness, purpose and meaning of life);

2 ) universal: a) vital (life, health, personal safety, welfare, family, education, qualifications, law and order, etc.); b) social recognition (hard work, social status, etc.); c) interpersonal communication (honesty, selflessness, goodwill);

d) democratic (freedom of speech, conscience, parties, national sovereignty, etc.);

3 ) particular: a) attachment to the small homeland, family; b) fetishisms (belief in God, striving for the absolute).

Main types of social control.

Social control- a system of methods and strategies by which society directs the behavior of individuals. In the ordinary sense, social control comes down to a system of laws and sanctions with the help of which an individual coordinates his behavior with the expectations of others and his own expectations from the surrounding social world.

Social control includes:

· expectations – expectations of others in relation to a given person;

· social norms are patterns that prescribe what people should do in specific situations;

· social sanction is a measure of influence.

Forms of social control– ways of regulating human life in society, determined by various social processes.

The most common forms of social control are:

v law – a set of normative acts that have legal force;

v taboo – a system of prohibitions on performing any actions;

v customs - ways of behavior of people common in a given society;

v traditions – such customs that have developed historically in connection with the culture of a given ethnic group;

v morality – customs associated with the understanding of good and evil in a given social group;

v morals - customs that characterize the forms of behavior of people in a particular social stratum;

v manners - a set of behavioral habits of a given person or social group;

v habit – an unconscious action that is automated in nature;

v etiquette – a set of rules of behavior relating to the external manifestation of attitude towards people.

Social norms– these are established standards of behavior from the point of view of society and specific social groups.

Most social norms are unwritten rules.

Signs of social norms:

1) general significance;

2) the possibility of applying sanctions (rewards or punishments);

3) the presence of a subjective side (freedom to comply with norms);

4) interdependence (systems of norms regulating the actions of people);

5) scale is divided into social (customs, traditions, laws) and group (mores, manners, habits).

Social sanction– a measure of influence, the most important means of social control.

Types of sanctions: negative and positive, formal and informal.

Negative sanctions are directed against a person who has deviated from social norms.

Positive sanctions are aimed at supporting and approving a person who follows these norms.

Formal sanctions are imposed by an official, public or government body or their representative.

Informal ones usually involve the reaction of group members, friends, colleagues, relatives, etc.

Positive sanctions are usually more influential than negative ones. The impact of sanctions depends on many circumstances, the most important of which is agreement on their application.

The concept of social deviation.

Social deviation - social behavior that deviates from accepted, socially acceptable behavior in a particular society. It can be both negative (alcoholism) and positive. Negative deviant behavior leads to the application by society of certain formal and informal sanctions (isolation, treatment, correction or punishment of the offender).

Causes of deviant behavior

· The basic premise of all theories of physical types is that certain physical traits of a person predetermine the various deviations from the norm that he commits.

· In accordance with sociological or cultural theories, individuals become deviants because the processes of socialization they undergo in a group are unsuccessful in relation to certain well-defined norms, and these failures affect the internal structure of the individual.

· deviant behavior is one of the ways culture adapts to social change. There is no modern society that has remained for a long time

Types of social deviations

Cultural and mental deviations.

Social control - types and main functions

Sociologists are primarily interested in cultural deviations, that is, deviations of a given social community from cultural norms.

Individual and group deviations.

Individual, when an individual rejects the norms of his subculture;

Group, considered as conformal behavior of a member of a deviant group in relation to its subculture

Primary and secondary deviations. Primary deviation refers to deviant behavior of an individual, which generally corresponds to cultural norms accepted in society. Secondary deviation is a deviation from existing norms in a group, which is socially defined as deviant.

Culturally approved deviance. Deviant behavior is always assessed from the point of view of the culture accepted in a given society:

Superintelligence.

Supermotivated.

Great achievements are not only a pronounced talent and desire, but also their manifestation in a certain place and at a certain time.

Culturally condemned deviations. Most societies support and reward social deviance in the form of extraordinary achievements and activities aimed at developing the generally accepted values ​​of the culture.

The function of primary social control is the moral regulation of the behavior of family members in various spheres of life, as well as responsibility and obligation in relations between spouses, parents and children, and representatives of the older generation. This function is also performed primarily by women. It carries out the formation and support of legal and moral sanctions in case of violation of the norms of relationships between family members. With successful reproduction social structure society in a small social group corresponding general requirements, provision is ensured social status each family member, and conditions are created to meet individual needs for social advancement.

Leisure function - its main goal is communication, maintaining harmony in the family between its members.

This function involves the organization of rational leisure with simultaneous social control and mutual enrichment. Carrying out holidays, relaxation evenings, hiking trips, reading fiction and scientific literature, watching TV shows, listening to the radio, visiting cinemas, theaters, museums, etc.

Leisure is a change of activity that excludes idle pastime. Unfortunately, parents, especially fathers, pay little attention to this function. A woman is more aware of this, imagining that organizing leisure time is a social function, a moral duty to society, since it contributes to the moral strengthening of the family. It is especially important to support children’s desire to communicate in clubs, hikes, etc. Awakening a love for nature, a sensitive attitude towards it, and being able to see beauty is extremely important point in the educational activities of the family.

Sexual function is the appropriate control over the moral side of intimate relationships between family members (spouses) while educating the individual about real ideas about intimate relationships. From the point of view of appropriate upbringing, parents cope poorly with this function. Prostitution, trafficking and exploitation of women are widespread in the country. Family education is opposed by the media, which actually supports this alarming social phenomenon.

The multifunctional role of a woman in a modern family cannot be justified either theoretically or practically.

It is necessary to develop a national mechanism for managing social processes that determine the position of women in a small social group, and creating conditions for the practical application in life of the theory of equality of family rights and responsibilities.

Ways to strengthen the family.

One of the manifestations of a family crisis is divorce. According to statistics, divorce proceedings are initiated mainly at the request of a woman, because... A woman in our time has become independent, she works, can support her family herself and does not want to put up with her husband’s shortcomings. In sociological surveys, more than half of men and women would like to remarry. Only a small part preferred solitude. In divorces, in addition to the spouses, there are also interested parties - children. The more divorces, the fewer children. This is the social harm of divorce. Divorce reduces the family's educational capabilities in relation to children. Children suffer great psychological trauma, which parents often do not think about. Many people know that they cause suffering to their children, but not many understand what they can lead to, how this will affect the child in his future life.

Divorce is assessed as a good thing only if it cheats on better conditions formation of the child’s personality, puts an end to the negative impact of marital conflicts on the child’s psyche.

According to some psychologists, the cause of most family problems and divorces is the lack of love between spouses and peace of mind.

Social control

In other words, the reason for such social problems like violence, betrayal, drugs or alcohol addiction etc. among married men And married women one must look for it in emotional poverty. That is why many modern thinkers are looking for ways to strengthen love between spouses.

At the state level, in order to prevent divorces, they are creating and expanding a system of preparing young people for marriage, as well as a socio-psychological service to help families and single people.

Back in the early 70s, sociological and demographic studies and population surveys revealed a shift in personal values ​​towards “material fetishism.” At that time, questions about family and children caused endless complaints about housing and financial difficulties. But children are not born solely for economic reasons. The intensive use of references to material obstacles to having children, called the “concept of obstacles” in sociological demography and family sociology, indicates the universality of alienation in this area.

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Other materials:

Test
in Sociology
on the topic: Forms of social control

Completed:
2nd year correspondence student
group 080507
Lineytsev Mikhail Ilyich
Checked:

2011

Content:

Introduction.
Social control and deviant behavior.
Forms of social control.
Formal social control.
Informal social control.
Conclusion.

Introduction

Social control and deviant behavior

Now in the world there is no such ideal society in which each of its members behaves in accordance with accepted requirements. Very often, so-called social deviations can arise, which do not always reflect well on the structure of society. Forms of social deviations can be very different: from harmless to very, very dangerous. Some have deviations in personal organization, some in social behavior, some in both. These include all kinds of criminals, hermits, geniuses, ascetics, representatives of sexual minorities, otherwise called deviants.
“The most innocent at first glance act, associated with a violation of the traditional distribution of roles, may turn out to be deviant. For example, a higher salary for a wife may seem an abnormal phenomenon, since from time immemorial the husband has been the main producer of material assets. In a traditional society, such a distribution of roles could not arise in principle.
So, any behavior that causes disapproval of public opinion is called deviant.” Typically, sociologists distinguish between 2 main types of deviation: primary and secondary. Moreover, if the primary deviation is not particularly dangerous for society, since it is regarded as a kind of prank, then secondary deviations stick the label of a deviant on the individual. Secondary deviations include criminal offenses, drug use, homosexuality and much more. Criminal behavior, sexual deviations, alcoholism or drug addiction cannot lead to the emergence of new cultural patterns useful to society. It should be recognized that the overwhelming number of social deviations play a destructive role in the development of society. Therefore, society simply needs a mechanism that will allow it to control unwanted deviant behavior. A similar mechanism is social control. Thus, social control is a set of means by which a society or social group guarantees the conforming behavior of its members in relation to role requirements and expectations. In this regard, with the help of social control, all the necessary conditions are created for the sustainability of each social system, it contributes to the preservation of social stability, and, at the same time, does not interfere with positive changes in the social system. Therefore, social control requires greater flexibility and the ability to correctly assess various deviations from social norms of activity that occur in society in order to encourage useful deviations and punish destructive ones.
A person begins to feel the influence of social control already in childhood, in the process of socialization, when a person is explained who he is and why he lives in the world. From infancy, a person develops a sense of self-control, he takes on various social roles, imposing the need to meet expectations. At the same time, most children grow up and become respectable citizens of their country who respect the law and do not seek to violate the norms accepted in society. Social control is diverse and ubiquitous: it occurs whenever at least two people interact.

Forms of social control

Over the long years of its existence, humanity has developed a number of different forms of social control. They can be both tangible and completely invisible. The most effective and traditional form can be called self-control. It appears immediately after a person is born and accompanies him throughout his adult life. Moreover, each individual himself, without coercion, controls his behavior in accordance with the norms of the society to which he belongs. Norms in the process of socialization are very firmly established in a person’s consciousness, so firmly that having violated them, a person begins to experience the so-called pangs of conscience. Approximately 70% of social control is achieved through self-control. The more self-control the members of a society develop, the less that society has to resort to external control. And vice versa. The less self-control people have, the more often institutions of social control, in particular the army, courts, and the state, have to come into action. However, strict external control and petty supervision of citizens inhibit the development of self-awareness and expression of will, and muffle internal volitional efforts. This creates a vicious circle into which more than one society has fallen throughout world history. The name of this circle is dictatorship.
Often a dictatorship is established for a time, for the benefit of citizens and in order to restore order. But it lingers for a long time, to the detriment of people and leads to even greater arbitrariness. Citizens accustomed to submitting to coercive control do not develop internal control. Gradually they degrade as social beings, capable of taking responsibility and doing without external coercion (i.e. dictatorship). In other words, under a dictatorship, no one teaches them to behave in accordance with rational norms. Thus, self-control is a purely sociological problem, because the degree of its development characterizes the prevailing social type of people in society and the emerging form of the state. Group pressure is another common form of social control. Of course, no matter how strong a person’s self-control, belonging to any group or community has a huge influence on the personality. When an individual is included in one of primary groups, he begins to conform to basic norms, to follow a formal and informal code of conduct. The slightest deviation usually results in disapproval from group members and the risk of expulsion. “Variations in group behavior resulting from group pressure can be seen in the example of a production team. Each team member must adhere to certain standards of behavior not only at work, but also after work. And if, say, disobedience to the foreman can lead to harsh remarks from the workers for the violator, then absenteeism and drunkenness often end in his boycott and rejection from the brigade.” However, depending on the group, the strength of group pressure may vary. If the group is very cohesive, then, accordingly, the strength of group pressure increases. For example, in a group where a person spends his free time, it is more difficult to exercise social control than in a place where joint activities are regularly carried out, for example in the family or at work. Group control can be formal or informal. Official meetings include all sorts of work meetings, deliberative meetings, shareholder councils, etc. Informal control refers to the impact on group members by participants in the form of approval, ridicule, condemnation, isolation and refusal to communicate.
Another form of social control is propaganda, which is considered a very powerful tool that influences human consciousness. Propaganda is a way of influencing people, which in some respect interferes with the rational education of a person, in which the individual draws his own conclusions. The main task of propaganda is to influence groups of people in such a way as to shape the behavior of society in the desired direction. Propaganda should influence those forms of social behavior that are closely related to the system of moral values ​​in society. Everything is subject to propaganda treatment, from the actions of people in typical situations and ending with beliefs and orientations. Propaganda is used as a kind of technical means suitable for achieving their goals. There are 3 main types of propaganda. The first type includes the so-called revolutionary propaganda, which is needed in order to force people to accept a value system, as well as a situation that is in conflict with the generally accepted one. An example of such propaganda is the propaganda of communism and socialism in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. The second type is destructive propaganda. Its main goal is to destroy the existing value system. The clearest example of such propaganda was Hitler’s, which did not try to force people to accept the ideals of Nazism, but did their best to undermine trust in traditional values. And finally, the third type of propaganda is reinforcing. It is designed to consolidate people's attachments to certain values ​​and orientations. This type of propaganda is typical for the United States, where the existing value system is reinforced in a similar way. According to sociologists, this type of propaganda is the most effective; it serves very well to maintain established value orientations. In addition, it reflects established, traditional stereotypes. This type of propaganda is mainly aimed at instilling conformism in people, which presupposes agreement with the dominant ideological and theoretical organizations.
Currently, the concept of propaganda in the public consciousness is associated mainly with the military sphere or politics. Slogans are considered one of the ways to implement propaganda in society. The slogan is short saying, usually expressing the main task or guiding idea. The correctness of such a statement is usually not in doubt, since it is only of a general nature.
During a period of crisis or conflict in a country, demagogues may throw out, for example, slogans such as “My country is always right,” “Motherland, faith, family,” or “Freedom or death.” But do most people analyze the true causes of this crisis and conflict? Or do they just go along with what they are told?
In his work on the First World War, Winston Churchill wrote: “Just one draft is enough - and crowds of peaceful peasants and workers turn into mighty armies, ready to tear the enemy to pieces.” He also noted that most people, without hesitation, carry out the order given to them.
The propagandist also has at his disposal many symbols and signs that carry the ideological charge he needs. For example, a flag can serve as a similar symbol, and ceremonies such as the firing of twenty-one guns and saluting are also symbolic. Love for parents can also be used as leverage. It is obvious that such concepts - symbols as fatherland, motherland or the faith of ancestors, can become a powerful weapon in the hands of clever manipulators of other people's opinions.
Of course, propaganda and all its derivatives are not necessarily evil. The question is who is doing it and for what purpose. And also about who this propaganda is being directed at. And if we talk about propaganda in a negative sense, then it is possible to resist it. And it's not that difficult. It is enough for a person to understand what propaganda is and learn to identify it in the general flow of information. And having learned, it is much easier for a person to decide for himself how compatible the ideas instilled in him are with his own ideas about what is good and what is bad.
Social control through coercion is also another common form of it. It is usually practiced in the most primitive as well as traditional societies, although it may be present in smaller quantities even in the most developed states. In the presence of a high population of a complex culture, so-called secondary group control begins to be used - laws, various violent regulators, formalized procedures. When an individual does not want to follow these regulations, the group or society resorts to coercion to force him to do the same as everyone else. In modern societies there are strictly developed rules, or a system of control through coercion, which is a set of effective sanctions applied in accordance with various types of deviations from the norms.
Social control through coercion is characteristic of any government, but its place, role, and character in different systems are not the same. In a developed society, coercion is imposed mainly for crimes committed against society. The decisive role in the fight against crime belongs to the state. It has a special coercive apparatus. Legal standards determine for what government bodies can use the method of coercion. The means of coercion are physical and mental violence, i.e. threat. There is also no reason to believe that a threat can only be a means of coercion when it is punishable in itself. The state must also protect its citizens from coercion by threats, which in themselves are not punishable if the content of the threat is an illegal act, otherwise many cases of serious mental violence would go unpunished. The element of coercion, attached to the threat, gives it a different and greater meaning. It goes without saying that the threat must contain an indication of a significant, in the eyes of the threatened, illegal evil, otherwise it will be unable to influence the will of the threatened person.
In addition to the above, there are many other forms of social control, such as encouragement, pressure from authority, and punishment. A person begins to feel each of them from birth, even if he does not understand that he is being influenced.
All forms of social control are covered by its two main types: formal and informal.

Formal social control

Etc.................

Social control- this is a set of means by which a society or social community (group) ensures the behavior of its members in accordance with accepted norms (moral, legal, aesthetic, etc.), and also prevents deviant actions, punishes deviants or corrects them.

The main means of social control are as follows:

1. Socialization, ensuring the individual’s perception, assimilation and fulfillment of social norms accepted in society.

2. Upbringing- the process of systematic influence on the social development of an individual in order to form his need and habit of complying with the prevailing norms in society.

3. Group pressure characteristic of any social group and expressed in the fact that each individual included in the group must fulfill a certain set of requirements and instructions emanating from the group, corresponding to the norms accepted in it.

4. Compulsion- application of certain sanctions (threat, punishment, etc.) forcing individuals and their groups to comply with the norms and rules of behavior prescribed by society (community).

Among the methods of social control, the most used, as T. Parsons established, are:

1. Insulation, those. separating the deviant from other people (for example, imprisonment).

2. Separation- limiting the deviant’s contacts with other people, but not completely isolating him from society (for example, a written undertaking not to leave the place, house arrest, placement in a psychiatric hospital).

3. Rehabilitation, those. preparing deviants for normal life (for example, in Alcoholics Anonymous groups).

Social control over deviation is divided into two main types. Informal social control includes social reward, punishment, persuasion or revaluation of existing norms, replacing them with new norms that are more consistent with changed social institutions. Formal control is carried out by social institutions and organizations specially created by society. Among them, the main role is played by the police, the prosecutor's office, the court, and the prison.

Social control, with all the variety of means, methods and types, is called upon to be guided in a democratic society by several fundamental principles.

Firstly, the implementation of legal and other norms functioning in society should stimulate socially useful behavior and prevent socially harmful, and even more so socially dangerous, actions.

Secondly, sanctions must correspond to the gravity and social danger of the crime, without in any case closing the path to social rehabilitation of the individual.

Third, Whatever sanction is applied to a deviant, it should in no case humiliate the dignity of the individual; coercion should be combined with persuasion; individuals who have committed deviant behavior should be taught a positive attitude towards the law and the moral norms of society.

Thus, social control- this is a specific activity aimed at maintaining the behavior of an individual, group or society in accordance with accepted norms through social influence.

Such activity is of a superstructural nature, but is objectively inevitable for the organization of the life of society, in particular production (it does not directly create a product, but without it, ultimately, this product would be impossible).

Specific functions of social control in the world of work are:

Stabilization and development of production (employee behavior is controlled in terms of labor results, interaction with others, productivity, etc.);

Economic rationality and responsibility (control over the use of resources, conservation of property and optimization of labor costs);

Moral and legal regulation (organizational and labor discipline - compliance with morality and law in the relationships of subjects of labor activity);

Physical protection of a person (compliance with safety regulations, working time standards, etc.);

Moral and psychological protection employee, etc.

Thus, in the sphere of labor, social control pursues both production-economic and social-humanitarian goals.

Social control has a complex structure, which consists of three interrelated processes: observation of behavior, assessment of behavior from the point of view of social norms, response to behavior in the form of sanctions.

These processes indicate the presence of social control functions in labor organizations. Depending on the nature of the sanctions or rewards used, social control is of two types: economic(benefits, incentives, penalties) and moral(demonstration of respect, contempt, sympathy). Depending on the controlled subject, various types of social control can be distinguished - external, mutual and self-control.

At external control its subject is outside the controlled system of relations and activities: this is control exercised by the administration in the labor organization.

Administrative control has a number of advantages. First of all, it represents a special and independent activity. This, on the one hand, frees personnel directly involved in the main production tasks from control functions, and on the other hand, it facilitates the implementation of control functions at a professional level.

Administrative control has its own specific motivation, reflecting the particular attitude of the administration to issues of discipline in the world of work. It is based on both the material and moral interests inherent in managers.

Firstly, organizational and labor order is considered as a prerequisite for the socio-economic existence and well-being of the organization. In the event of the collapse or bankruptcy of a labor organization, an ordinary employee loses only his job, while the managerial layer, the owners, lose their capital, authority, prestigious occupation and social position.

Secondly, each manager, as a representative of the administration institution, is morally responsible for the staff, requires subordinates to comply with established standards in their own interests, while showing a kind of paternalistic attitude towards people.

Thirdly, the moral interest on the part of the administration in organizational labor discipline lies in the fact that the very construction of order is the creative side of managerial work, which enhances its attractiveness.

Fourthly, any control is a way of maintaining power, subordination: as control weakens, the influence on people weakens.

Mutual control arises in a situation in which the bearers of social control functions are the subjects of organizational and labor relations themselves, who have the same status. This either complements or replaces administrative control. Not only individual individuals are capable of controlling each other from the point of view of discipline in the world of work (this experience is quite widespread in the West), but also entire groups, if they are sufficiently united on the basis of material and moral interest. There are various forms of mutual control - collegial, group, public.

Self-control- this is a specific way of behavior of a subject in which he independently (without external coercion) exercises supervision over his own actions and behaves in accordance with socially accepted norms. The main advantage of self-control is the reduction of control activities on the part of the administration. In addition, it gives the employee a sense of freedom, independence, and personal significance. In some cases, self-control is more competent.

The disadvantages of self-control are mainly two circumstances: each employee, in assessing his own behavior, tends to underestimate social and normative requirements and be liberal towards himself; in addition, self-control is poorly predictable and controllable, dependent on the subject, manifests itself only when such personal qualities, such as consciousness, morality, decency, etc.

Within the framework of the classification of social control, we can distinguish not only its types, but also its types. The latter distinguish social control from the point of view not of subjects, but of the nature of its implementation.

1. Continuous and selective. Social control may be different in such important characteristics, as intensity, object, content of behavior. With continuous social control, the entire process of organizational and labor relations and activities is subject to constant observation and evaluation; the object of attention is equally focused on all individuals and microgroups that make up the labor organization.

With selective control, its functions are relatively limited, extending only to the most important things. For example, only the final results, the most critical tasks and functions or periods of their implementation, the most “sore points” in the discipline according to enterprise statistics, only a certain (questionable) part of the personnel, etc. are observed and evaluated. The choice of the type of social control is determined by many factors: the individual characteristics of the subject of control, fashion, traditions in management style, the quality and condition of personnel, the objective specifics of controlled behavior (for example, the specifics of work and its organization).

The degree and scale of social control are influenced by actual statistics of organizational and labor violations, as well as an assessment of their likelihood. If serious violations are not observed for a sufficiently long time, this contributes to the liberalization of control and its selectivity; if, against a relatively normal background, disturbances suddenly occur, then control functions awaken again, taking on a continuous character “just in case.”

The concept of “substantive” reflects the depth, seriousness, and effectiveness of control, and the concept of “formal” reflects its superficiality, visibility, and unprincipledness. In the case of formal control, it is not the quality of organizational-labor relations and activities (their meaning) that is subject to observation and evaluation, but external signs that can create the effect of credibility and normality. The most obvious signs of formal control in a labor organization: staying at the workplace, rather than actually participating in the work process; external activity, not valid results; efficiency, not quality of execution.

Formal control stimulates the so-called imitative (quite common in life) behavior, when a person, as an employee and economic figure, does not comply with the requirements of discipline, but imitates such compliance; With certain actions, he only reproduces the external signs of relationships and activities to the extent that this satisfies those around him and himself. With sufficient analysis of the problem, it turns out that in the organizational and labor sphere there are potentially great opportunities for simulating activity, conscientiousness, adherence to principles, diligence, deliberation and other components of the discipline.

3. Open and hidden. Despite their apparent simplicity and specificity, these types reflect rather complex phenomena in the organizational and labor sphere. The choice of an open or hidden form of social control is determined by the degree of awareness, awareness of the social control functions of those who are the object of these functions. Hidden control in labor organizations is ensured by surveillance using technical means, the unexpected appearance of formal or informal controllers, and the collection of information through intermediaries.

An important aspect of social control is the certainty of requirements and sanctions. Having such certainty prevents social control from being unexpected, which contributes to its open nature.

To summarize what has been said, it should be noted that the rules of conduct governing the interaction of employees are social norms- a set of expectations and requirements of a labor organization for its members regarding labor behavior, - regulating their interaction in the process of work. Standards, as a rule, set out typical, mandatory and acceptable options for labor behavior. Social norms serve two functions: prescriptive when they set the proper behavior, act as a measure of its acceptable options, and evaluative, when they are the standard against which actual behavior is compared.

The effect of social control comes down mainly to the application of sanctions. Sanction- a protective measure applied to a violator of social restrictions and having certain adverse consequences for him. There are sanctions formal— applied by the administration in accordance with established criteria and legislation, and informal-spontaneous reaction of members of the labor organization (collective condemnation, refusal of contacts, etc.). Sanctions and incentives, counteracting undesirable behavioral acts and encouraging employees to appropriate work behavior, help to shape their awareness of the need to comply with certain norms and regulations.

Social control can be exercised in institutional and non-institutional forms.

1. Institutional form social control is implemented through a special apparatus specializing in control activities, which is a combination of state and public organizations (bodies, institutions and associations).

2. Non-institutional form social control is a special type of self-regulation inherent in various social systems, control over people’s behavior by mass consciousness.
Its functioning is based primarily on the action of moral and psychological mechanisms, consisting of continuous monitoring of the behavior of other people and assessments of compliance with social prescriptions and expectations. A person becomes aware of himself by observing other members of society (organization, group, community), constantly comparing himself with them, learning certain norms of behavior in the process of socialization. Society cannot exist without mental reactions and mutual assessments. It is thanks to mutual contacts that people become aware of social values, acquire social experience and skills of social behavior.

A type of institutional social control is state control.Among the types of state control there are: political, administrative and judicial.

· Political control carried out by those bodies and persons who exercise the powers of the supreme power. Depending on the political and state structure, this is parliament, regional and local elected bodies. Political control can, to a certain extent, be exercised by political parties that have received the support of the majority of the people, especially those represented in government bodies.

· Administrative control carried out executive bodies all branches of government. Here, as a rule, control by superior officials over the actions of subordinates is implemented, inspection and supervisory bodies are created that analyze the implementation of laws, regulations, management decisions, and study the efficiency and quality of administrative activities.

· Judicial control are carried out by all the courts at the disposal of society: general (civil), military, arbitration and constitutional courts.

However, it is difficult for one state to respond to many social requests and demands, which leads to the aggravation of social conflicts that have a destructive effect on the character public life. This requires an effective feedback ensuring citizen participation in public administration, an important element of which is public control. Therefore, along with state control, special form social control represents public control - public control on the part of society represented by the public, individual citizens, social organizations, associations and movements, as well as public opinion. In a modern democratic society, public control is the activity, first of all, of established institutions of civil society and individual citizens - their formal and informal participation in it.

[edit]Types of social control

There are two types of social control processes:

· processes that encourage individuals to internalize existing social norms, processes of socialization of family and school education, during which the internal requirements of society - social prescriptions - occur;

· processes that organize the social experience of individuals, the lack of publicity in society, publicity is a form of society’s control over the behavior of the ruling strata and groups;

Subject social control is inextricably linked with deviance, deviant behavior, although it has a broader, sociological significance.
It is possible that the desire for order is innate to humans. In any case, all scientific, philosophical, religious constructions are aimed at revealing the laws (order!) of the World or introducing Order into the Chaos of Existence. In a broad, general scientific sense, order is a certainty, a pattern of arrangement of system elements and their interaction with each other. In relation to society, order is understood as the certainty, regularity of the structuring of society and the interaction of its elements (communities, classes, groups, institutions).
Social control– a mechanism of self-organization (self-regulation) and self-preservation of society by establishing and maintaining a normative order in a given society and eliminating, neutralizing, minimizing norm-violating - deviant behavior.
But it's too much general definition, requiring comments.
One of the main questions of sociology is how and why is the existence and preservation of society possible? Why does it not disintegrate under the influence of the struggle of various, including antagonistic, interests of classes and groups?* The problem of order and social control was discussed by all theorists of sociology from O. Comte, G. Spencer, K. Marx, E. Durkheim to P. Sorokin, T. Parsons, R. Merton, N. Luhmann and others.
* Turner J. The structure of sociological theory. pp. 27, 70.
Thus, O. Comte believed that society is bound by “universal consent” (consensus omnium). One of the two main branches of sociology - social static (other – social dynamics) - is, according to Comte, a theory public order, harmony. And basic social institutions (family, state, religion) were considered by scientists from the point of view of their role in the integration of society. In other words, how institutions social control. Thus, the family teaches one to overcome innate egoism, and the state is called upon to prevent the “radical divergence” of people in ideas, feelings and interests*.
* Comte O. Course of positive philosophy // Founders of positivism. St. Petersburg, 1912. Issue. 4.
G. Spencer, who also stood at the origins of sociology and adhered to organismic ideas about society, believed that the social organism is characterized by three systems of organs: supporting (production), distribution and regulatory. The latter precisely ensures the subordination of the components (elements) of society to the whole, i.e., it essentially performs the functions social control. Being an evolutionist, G. Spencer condemned the revolution as an unnatural violation of order*.
* Spencer G. Basic principles. St. Petersburg, 1887.
The starting point for the sociology of E. Durkheim is concept of social solidarity. Classification related to solidarity concepts dual (“dual”). There are two types sociality: simple, based on consanguinity, and complex, based on the specialization of functions that arose in the process of division of social labor. For simple sociality A homogeneous group is characterized by mechanical solidarity, while a complex group is characterized by organic solidarity. To maintain mechanical solidarity, repressive law is sufficient, providing for severe punishment of violators. Organic solidarity should be characterized by restitutive (“restorative”) law, the function of which is reduced to “simple restoration of the order of things”*. Looking ahead, we note that this idea of ​​“restorative justice”, “restorative justice” as an alternative to criminal, “retributive” justice (retributive justice) has become widespread in modern foreign criminology. The more united the society, the higher the degree social integration of individuals, the less deviations (deviations). And inevitable conflicts in society must be resolved peacefully.
* Durkheim E. On the division of social labor. Method of sociology. M., 1990. P. 109.
The scientist’s views evolved from the primacy of duty and coercion social norms towards voluntariness, personal interest of individuals in their acceptance and adherence to them. The true basis of solidarity, according to the “late” Durkheim, is not in coercion, but in an internalized (learned by the individual) moral duty, in a sense of respect for common demands (group pressure).
Beginning of special research social control, its functions, institutions, methods are associated with several names. Different authors solve the question of priority in this area of ​​sociological knowledge in different ways.
Undoubtedly a major contribution to the study of problems social control contributed by W. Sumner. Already in his early works he considered the processes control society over the environment and coercive pressure (“collective pressure”) on members of society, ensuring its cohesion*. Sumner proposed a typology of sources (means) of collective pressure: folk customs, including traditions and mores; institutions; laws. These three social mechanisms provide conformity, but are not sufficient for solidarity, which itself is a by-product of conformity.
* Sumner W. Folkways. Boston, 1906.
As we already know, the key in the theory of G. Tarde, a representative of the psychological trend in sociology and criminology, is “imitation,” with the help of which the scientist explained the main social processes, character social facts, the structure of society and the mechanism of its cohesion*. It's not surprising that typical social The relationship is the teacher-student relationship. G. Tarde paid great attention to the study of various forms of deviance, identifying their statistical patterns. He believed that the results of such studies make it possible to put under control spontaneous social processes. An important factor social control is the socialization of the individual.
* Tard G. Laws of imitation St. Petersburg, 1892 (last edition - 1999).
For E. Ross, solidarity and cohesion are secondary to social control. It is he who binds individuals and groups into an organized whole. Key concept concept of E. Ross – “obedience”*. It can appear in two forms: personal-unofficial and impersonal-official. The first is based on consent. The second is provided through control. Perhaps E. Ross proposed the first classification of mechanisms social control: interior control– ethical and external – political. For the first, group goals are important, for the second - an institutionalized apparatus of means (legal, educational, etc.). Read more E. Ross considers family as a factor social control, forming and implementing models of behavior. The individual's internalization of these models as personal ideals best ensures obedience.
* Ross E. Social Control. NY, 1901.
R. Park identified three forms social control: elementary sanctions, public opinion, social institutes. In one form or another, these forms control reviewed by various authors.
From the vast scientific heritage of M. Weber, his constructions of three ideal types of domination: rational, traditional, charismatic* are directly related to the problem under consideration. They can also be considered as types social control. M. Weber himself believed that “the legitimacy of the order can only be guaranteed internally,” namely: effectively and emotionally - by devotion; value-rational – belief in the absolute significance of order as an expression of immutable values; religiously - the belief in the dependence of good and salvation on the preservation of order. The legitimacy of the order can also be guaranteed by the expectation of external consequences, including law and coercion. The first type of legitimacy - legal or formally rational - is based on interest. In a rational state, they obey not individuals, but established laws. Their implementation is carried out by the bureaucracy (classic examples are contemporary bourgeois England, France, and the USA). The second type - traditional - is based on morals, traditions, habits, which are attributed not only legality, but also sacredness. This type is inherent in a patriarchal society, and the main relationship is master-servant (a classic example is the feudal states of Western Europe). The third type - charismatic (Greek charisma - divine gift), is based on the extraordinary abilities of a person - a leader, a prophet (be it Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Buddha or Caesar, Napoleon, and finally - A. Hitler, I. Stalin, Mao ...). If the traditional type of dominance is supported by the familiar - morals, traditions, habits, then the charismatic type is based on the unusual, extraordinary, amazing, supernatural. Weber saw charisma as a “great revolutionary force” that interrupts the gradualism of traditional development. He was lucky enough not to live in his native country to see the charisma of Hitler, as well as other “leaders” with an extraordinary “gift”...
* Weber M. Staatssoziologie. Berlin, 1966.
The work of our compatriot P. Sorokin, who was forced to live and work in exile since 1922, thanks to the coming to power of charismatic leaders in Russia, is largely devoted to the topic social regulation of people's behavior. The title and content of his first major scientific work of the St. Petersburg period, “Crime and Punishment, Feat and Reward,” are devoted to the mechanism social control*. There are stable forms social behavior – “proper”, “recommended”, “prohibited” and forms social reactions to them are negative (punishment) and positive (reward) sanctions. In general, these forms constitute the regulatory substructure. In “System of Sociology”** P. Sorokin, paying tribute to the problem social order, considers the mechanism of “organized” forms of behavior. Social reactions to biopsychic stimuli, repeated many times, develop into a habit, and when realized, into a law. The totality of conscious forms of behavior in various areas of social life forms institutions, the totality of which constitutes social order or organization.
* Sorokin P. Crime and punishment, feat and reward. St. Petersburg, 1913.
** Sorokin P. System of Sociology. Pg., 1920. T. 1.
P. Sorokin attached great importance social stratification and social mobility (in fact, he introduced these concepts into scientific circulation). Hence the role concepts“status” (“rank”) as a set of rights and obligations, privileges and responsibilities, power and influence. Obstructed vertical mobility ultimately leads to a revolution - a “shake-up” social strat. Unnatural and violent character social revolutions makes them undesirable. A The best way prevention of revolutions - improving channels of vertical mobility and social control.
In his main work “Social and Cultural Dynamics”* P. Sorokin summarizes his understanding social. Its specificity is the “intangible” component: “norms – values ​​– meanings”. It is the presence of values ​​and norms, as well as meanings (without which it is often impossible to distinguish between a fight and boxing, rape and a voluntary sexual act, etc.) that characterizes social being in contrast to the inorganic and organic levels of being.
* For excerpts from this fundamental four-volume work, see: Sorokin P. Man. Civilization. Society. M., 1992. S. 425-504.
Problem social control is essential for functionalism and forms a significant part of the theory social actions. According to its largest representative, T. Parsons, the functions of reproduction social structures are provided by a system of beliefs, morality, and organs of socialization (family, education, etc.), and normative orientation in the theory of action plays the same role as space in classical mechanics. In "Structure social actions" Parsons raises the most significant question for him: how do they survive? social systems? He sees the answer in two main mechanisms that integrate personality into social system: mechanisms of socialization and social control*(note that from our point of view, socialization is one of the mechanisms social control).
* For more details, see: Turner J. Decree. op. pp. 70-72.
Mechanisms of socialization, according to Parsons, are the means by which an individual assimilates (interiorizes) cultural patterns - values, views, language. Socialization mechanisms also provide stable and reliable interpersonal connections that help relieve tension, anxiety, and fatigue.
Mechanisms social control include ways to organize the role of individuals' status in order to reduce tension and deviation. To the mechanisms control include: institutionalization (ensuring certainty of role expectations); interpersonal sanctions and gestures (applied by actors social actions for the purpose of mutual consistency of sanctions); ritual actions (releasing tension through symbolic means, strengthening dominant cultural patterns); structures that ensure the preservation of values ​​and the distinction between “normal” and “deviant”; structures of re-integration (bringing tendencies towards “deviation” back to normal); institutionalization of a system capable of using violence and coercion. In a broad sense, to mechanisms social control(more precisely, maintaining the integration of the social system) also includes socialization, which ensures the internalization (assimilation) of values, ideas, symbols. Parsons also analyzed three methods social control in relation to deviants: isolation from others (for example, in prison); isolation with partial restriction of contacts (for example, in a psychiatric hospital); rehabilitation – preparation for a return to a “normal” life (for example, with the help of psychotherapy, the activities of public organizations such as “AA” - the Society of Alcoholics Anonymous).
The Age of Enlightenment and the 19th century. were imbued with faith and hope about the possibility of successful social control and "order". You just need to listen to the advice of educators, the opinions of scientists and work a little to bring reality into line with Reason...
However, several questions still remain not entirely clear:
What's happened social“order”, are there objective criteria for assessing it? For natural sciences, this is probably the level of entropy of the system - whether it (entropy) decreases or does not increase. And for social systems? Perhaps synergetics can help us answer this question?
“Order” for whom? In whose interests? From whose point of view?
Is it possible to have a society without “disorder”? Obviously not. Organization and disorganization, “order” and “disorder” (chaos), “norm” and “deviation” are complementary (in Bohr’s sense). Let us recall that deviations are a necessary mechanism of change and development.
How, by what means, and at what cost is “order” maintained (“the new order” of A. Hitler, the Gulag “order” of I. Stalin, the establishment of “order” by America in Vietnam and Iraq, the USSR in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Afghanistan, Russia in Chechnya)?
In general, “the order held together by our cultural learning appears extremely vulnerable and fragile. This is only one of the possible orders, and we cannot be sure that it is the most correct one.”*
* Bauman Z. Thinking sociologically. M., 1996. P. 166.
Social practice of the 20th century. with two world wars, the Cold War, hundreds of local wars, Hitler and Lenin-Stalin concentration camps, genocide, right-wing and left-wing extremism, terrorism, fundamentalism, etc. - destroyed all illusions and myths regarding “order” and possibilities social control(one of his contemporaries noted: human history was divided into “before” Auschwitz and “after”). The amount of crimes committed by states – the “pillars of order” – was a hundred times greater than the crimes committed by individuals. At the same time, states - “sponsors of murders” (N. Kressel) - do not “repent” (maybe with the exception of Germany), but deny and renounce what they did. S. Cohen in the article “Human Rights and State Crimes: The Culture of Denial”* names three forms of such denial:
– denial of the past. Thus, in the West, publications have appeared declaring the Holocaust a “myth”; domestic Stalinists call the horror of Stalin’s repressions a “myth” (however, the recent Duma events on the anniversary of the Holocaust, when many of our elected representatives refused to honor the memory of the victims, indicate that in on this issue we are “catching up” with the West...);
– literal denial – according to the formula “we know nothing”;
– participle denial (implicatory denial) – according to the formula “yes, but...”. Thus, most war criminals, under pressure from facts, admit: “yes, it happened.” And then a “but” follows: there was an order, military necessity, etc.
* Cohen S. Human Rights and Crimes of the State: the Cultural of Denial. In: Criminological Perspectives. A Reader. SAGE, 1996, pp. 489-507.
It is not surprising that postmodernism in sociology of the late 20th century, starting with J.-F. Lyotard and M. Foucault, comes to deny the possibility social control over deviant manifestations, expressed categorically and succinctly by N. Luhmann in the words chosen as the epigraph to this chapter. And although it is likely that realistic-skeptical postmodernism - as a reaction to the illusions of the beautiful Enlightenment - is as one-sided as the Enlightenment itself, some considerations of a general scientific nature (in particular, the law of increasing entropy in a system) incline us to the side of postmodernism. “The victory of order over chaos is never complete or final... Attempts to construct an artificial order in accordance with an ideal goal are doomed to failure.”*
* Bauman Z. Thinking sociologically. M., 1996. S. 192, 193.
This does not exclude, of course, the possibility and necessity of systems, primarily biological and social, resist disorganizing entropic processes. As the father of cybernetics N. Wiener wrote, “we are floating upstream, fighting a huge stream of disorganization, which, in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics, tends to reduce everything to heat death... In this world, our first duty is to create arbitrary islands of order and system... We must run as fast as we can in order to remain in the place where we once stopped.”*
* Wiener N. I am a mathematician. M., 1967. P. 311.
Most of us fight for life to the end, knowing its inevitability and maintaining courage (or not so much...) “despite” the inevitable (A. Malraux), and “beyond despair” (J.-P. Sartre). But this does not change the final result. Every society also sooner or later ceases to exist (how often today do we remember Lydia and Chaldea, Babylon and Assyria, the Sumerian Empire and the Inca civilization?). This should not serve as an obstacle to efforts to self-preserve by organizing and maintaining “order” and reducing chaotic processes, including negative deviant behavior. We must not just forget that organization and disorganization are inextricably linked, one cannot exist without the other, and deviations are not only “harmful”, but also “useful” from the point of view of the survival and development of the system.
So the problem is social control there's pretty much a problem social order, safety of society as a whole.
There are different understandings social control. At the beginning of the chapter we gave its most general definition. In a narrower sense social control is a set of means and methods of society influencing undesirable forms of deviant behavior with the aim of eliminating (eliminating) or reducing, minimizing them.
Social regulators of human behavior are values ​​developed by society (as an expression of a person’s attitude towards certain objects and the properties of these objects that are significant for people) and the norms corresponding to them (legal, moral, customs, traditions, fashion, etc.), i.e. rules , samples, standards, standards of behavior established by the state (law) or formed in the process of joint life activity. The easiest way to convey rules (and values) is through personal example and imitation (“do as I do”). However, for complex, “post-primitive” societies it is insufficient. Humanity has developed a specific way of forming, preserving and transmitting (transmitting) values ​​and norms - through signs. J. Piaget argued: “The basic realities created social by... the essence is the following: 1) rules (moral, legal, logical, etc.), 2) values ​​that correspond or do not correspond to these rules, and 3) signs”*. Let me note that, from my point of view, values ​​are primary in this series, and rules are developed in accordance with values, and not vice versa. However, like everything in science, this is a debatable issue. Finally, the accumulation, storage, transmission of information through sign systems is possible only insofar as the signs are given meaning, understandable to those who perceive them.
* Piaget J. Selected psychological works. M., 1969. P. 210.
Social control is not limited to the normative regulation of people's behavior, but also includes the implementation of normative dictates and non-normative influence on the behavior of members of society. In other words, to social control include actions to implement regulations (norms), measures of responsibility for persons who violate accepted norms, and in some states - of a totalitarian type - and persons who do not share the values ​​​​proclaimed on behalf of society.
Main methods social control are positive sanctions - encouragement and negative sanctions - punishment (“carrot and stick”, “bait and switch”).
To the main mechanisms social control include external, carried out from the outside, various social institutions, organizations (family, school, public organization, police) and their representatives through sanctions - positive (reward) and negative (punishment), and internal, based on internalized (learned, perceived as one’s own) values ​​and norms and expressed concepts honor, conscience, dignity, decency, shame (impossible, because it’s shameful, conscience doesn’t allow it). Towards the outside control also indirect, associated with public opinion, the opinion of the reference group with which the individual identifies himself (parents, friends, colleagues). The classic formula of indirect control we find in “Woe from Wit” by A. Griboedov: “What will Princess Marya Aleksevna say?!” (if, of course, the princess represents your reference group).
There are formal control, carried out by special bodies, organizations, institutions and their representatives within the limits of official authority and in a strictly established manner, and informal (for example, indirect), punitive (repressive) and deterrent (preventive, preventive).
It is well known that positive sanctions (reward) are much more effective than negative ones (punishment), and internal control much more effective than the external one. Unfortunately, humanity, knowing this, more often resorts to external control and repressive methods. It is believed that this is “simpler” and “more reliable”. The negative consequences of “simple solutions” are not long in coming...
Exist various models(forms) social control and their classifications*. One of them, proposed by D. Black (modified by F. McClintock)**, is reproduced in table. 16.1. Each of the forms given in the table social control has its own logic, its own methods and language, its own way of defining an event and responding to it. In reality, a combination of several forms is possible.
* Black D. The Behavior of Law. NY: Academic Press, 1976; Daws N.. Anderson B. Social Control: The Production of Deviance in the Modern State. Irvington Publishers!:,c, 1983.
** For more information, see the articles by L. Hulsman and F. McClintock in the book: Planning for Crime Control Measures. M., 1982. S. 16-31, 99-105.
Table 16.1
Mechanisms social control(according to Black)

Generally social control comes down to the fact that society, through its institutions, sets values ​​and norms; ensures their translation (transmission) and socialization (assimilation, internalization) by individuals; encourages compliance with norms (conformism) or reform that is acceptable from the point of view of society; reproaches (punishes) for violating norms; takes measures to prevent (prophylaxis, prevention) unwanted forms of behavior.
In the hypothetically ideal (and therefore unrealistic) case, society ensures the complete socialization of its members, and then neither punishment nor rewards are required. However, even in an ideal society, fellow citizens will find something to complain about! “Imagine a society of saints, a model monastery of exemplary individuals. Crimes in the proper sense of the word are unknown here; however, offenses that seem insignificant to a layman will cause here exactly the same scandal that ordinary crimes cause under ordinary conditions.”*
* Durkheim E. Norm and pathology // Sociology of crime. M., 1966. P. 41.
Real implementation social control over deviance significantly depends on the government, the form of government, and the political regime in the country*. It is no coincidence that G. W. F. Hegel believed that forms control above crime “characterize a given society to an even greater extent than crime itself”**. Theoretical, based on huge historical material, study of the role of power and political structures in social control over deviant behavior was carried out by M. Foucault***. Modern measures social control and above all, the prison is the result of the all-encompassing disciplinary power of capitalist society, which strives to create the “disciplinary individual.” This power is manifested not only in prison, but also in the barracks, psychiatric hospital, behind factory walls, in a school building. Disciplinary power is characterized by hierarchical supervision (systemic surveillance, constant control), positive and negative sanctions, tests (exams, reviews, training, inspections, etc.). Purpose of disciplinary control– the formation of “pliable bodies”, and its symbol is a prison. But then the whole society “begins to take on a strong resemblance to a prison, where we are all both guards and prisoners”****.
* For more details, see: Gilinsky Ya. Deviance, social control and political regime. In: Political regime and crime. St. Petersburg, 2001. pp. 39-65.
** Hegel. Philosophy of law. M., 1986. P. 256.
*** Foucault M. Supervise and punish: The birth of the prison. M., 1999; It's him. A history of madness in the classical era. St. Petersburg, 1997; It's him. The will to truth: Beyond knowledge, power and sexuality. M., 1996.
**** Monson P. Boat on the alleys of the park: Introduction to sociology. M., 1995. P. 63.
This echoes the work of our contemporary and compatriot A. N. Oleynik “Prison subculture in Russia: from everyday life to state power”*, in which the author, as a result of empirical research and painstaking analysis, compares Russia as a “small society” (in difference from the “big society” - civilized) with a prison. I can’t resist an extensive quote: “The tendency towards the reproduction of a “small society” and the incomplete nature of modernization are the main factors determining the post-Soviet institutional context... The state consciously suppresses any attempts to formalize a collective subject, thus contributing to the formation of a desert between everyday life groups of “their own” and the authorities... And here it doesn’t matter which specific form is accepted by a group of “insiders”: nomenklatura, the family of the president or people from the KGB... Privatization of public space by groups of “insiders”, no matter whether they are at the helm of power or not, means death even before the birth of civil society... A group of “insiders” strives privatize the material resources to which its members have access... Post-Soviet people hate the state because it reproduces the logic of the in-group and therefore views citizens as "outsiders." But at the same time, post-Soviet people are unable to get rid of such a state in which their own way of life, their own views and behavior materialize”**.

External social control is a set of forms, methods and actions that guarantee compliance with social norms of behavior. There are two types of external control - formal and informal.

Formal social control, based on official approval or condemnation, is carried out by government bodies, political and social organizations, the education system, the media and operates throughout the country, based on written norms - laws, decrees, regulations, orders and instructions. Formal social control may also include the dominant ideology in society. When we talk about formal social control, we primarily mean actions aimed at making people respect laws and order with the help of government officials. Such control is especially effective in large social groups.

Informal social control, based on the approval or condemnation of relatives, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, public opinion, expressed through traditions, customs or the media. Agents of informal social control are the following: social institutions like family, school, religion. This type of control is especially effective in small social groups.

In the process of social control, violation of some social norms is followed by very weak punishment, for example, disapproval, an unfriendly look, a grin. Violation of other social norms is followed by severe punishments - death penalty, imprisonment, expulsion from the country. Violation of taboos and legal laws is punished most severely; certain types of group habits, in particular family ones, are punished most mildly.

Internal social control- independent regulation by an individual of his social behavior in society. In the process of self-control, a person independently regulates his social behavior, coordinating it with generally accepted norms. This type of control manifests itself, on the one hand, in feelings of guilt, emotional experiences, “remorse” for social actions, and on the other hand, in the form of an individual’s reflection on his social behavior.

The individual's self-control over his own social behavior is formed in the process of his socialization and the formation of socio-psychic mechanisms of his internal self-regulation. The main elements of self-control are consciousness, conscience and will.

Human consciousness - this is an individual form of mental representation of reality in the form of a generalized and subjective model of the surrounding world in the form of verbal concepts and sensory images. Consciousness allows an individual to rationalize his social behavior.

Conscience- the ability of an individual to independently formulate his own moral duties and demand that he fulfill them, as well as to make a self-assessment of his actions and deeds. Conscience does not allow an individual to violate his established attitudes, principles, beliefs, in accordance with which he builds his social behavior.

Will- conscious regulation by a person of his behavior and activities, expressed in the ability to overcome external and internal difficulties when committing targeted actions and actions. Will helps an individual overcome his internal subconscious desires and needs, act and behave in society in accordance with his beliefs.

Social control, in essence, is the process by which society, its individual spheres, management systems, subsystems, and social units determine whether their actions or decisions are correct or whether they need adjustment.

Forms of social control[edit | edit wiki text]

Social control can be exercised in institutional and non-institutional forms.

1. Institutional form social control is implemented through a special apparatus specializing in control activities, which is a combination of state and public organizations (bodies, institutions and associations).

2. Non-institutional form social control is a special type of self-regulation inherent in various social systems, control over people’s behavior by mass consciousness.
Its functioning is based primarily on the action of moral and psychological mechanisms, consisting of continuous monitoring of the behavior of other people and assessments of compliance with social prescriptions and expectations. A person becomes aware of himself by observing other members of society (organization, group, community), constantly comparing himself with them, learning certain norms of behavior in the process of socialization. Society cannot exist without mental reactions and mutual assessments. It is thanks to mutual contacts that people become aware of social values, acquire social experience and skills of social behavior.

A type of institutional social control is state control.Among the types of state control there are: political, administrative and judicial.

· Political control carried out by those bodies and persons who exercise the powers of the supreme power. Depending on the political and state structure, this is parliament, regional and local elected bodies. Political control can, to a certain extent, be exercised by political parties that have received the support of the majority of the people, especially those represented in government bodies.

· Administrative control carried out by executive bodies of all branches of government. Here, as a rule, control by superior officials over the actions of subordinates is implemented, inspection and supervisory bodies are created that analyze the implementation of laws, regulations, management decisions, and study the efficiency and quality of administrative activities.

· Judicial control are carried out by all the courts at the disposal of society: general (civil), military, arbitration and constitutional courts.

However, it is difficult for one state to respond to many social requests and demands, which leads to the aggravation of social conflicts that have a destructive effect on the nature of public life. This requires the presence of effective feedback that ensures the participation of citizens in public administration, an important element of which is public control. Therefore, along with state control, public control represents a special form of control - public control on the part of society represented by the public, individual citizens, social organizations and movements, and public opinion. In a modern democratic society, public control is the activity, first of all, of the established institutions of civil society, the formal and informal participation of individual citizens and their associations in them.