Social behavior and social control (SC) are the subjects of study of a relatively young science - social psychology. Their understanding is essential for every person. After all, its success to a large extent depends on the ability to build constructive social ties.
The development of society is directly related to the level of socialization of its individuals. Throughout life, a person is confronted with four levels of socialization.
On the levels of child socialization
Socialization of infancy is called primary. A child comes into the world. like a blank sheet (tabula rasa), completely ignorant of what society is. Soon he discovers that the space around him is populated by other people. It is they who build patterns for the baby (patterns, matrices) to learn about the world.
Social sphere the control surrounding each individual is complicated adequately by his evolving social behavior.
Secondary socialization of the child coincides with the acquisition of a formal education. Its main mission is intellectualization, the acquisition of logical thinking skills. The child loses his unique status, characteristic of his position in the family, becoming equal in school with his fellow practitioners. At the same time, it is at the stage of education that he receives primary ideas about the state, about social inequality, about the ideology prevailing in society. Throughout its socialization, the child is under the care of parents.
Socialization in adulthood
At the third stage, characterized by social maturity, an adult (18-60 years old) gains independence as an economic agent. He (she) personally earns money to provide for his life, acquires his own family.
At the maturity stage, the social role of a person acquires various legal statuses (husband, wife, father, mother). He also enjoys the status of professional, official. Through the latter, power can be entrusted to him. The social maturity of a person is manifested in his active participation in the social life of the various communities surrounding him - industrial, national, generic.
Socialization of retirees
The socialization of old age consists in the gradual departure of a person from active labor activity. Its meaning is to deviate from the egoistic stagnation characteristic of retirement age, manifested in:
- reduced manifestations of the spirit;
- isolation on the past;
- in interruption of communication with the present;
- organization of a new circle of communication.
Possible areas of this specialization are an active public position in the upbringing of the younger generation, in social groups at the place of residence (yard committee, summer house cooperative, etc.)
Human adaptation in society is the result of social behavior
The active prosocial behavior of the majority of members of society allows them to successfully solve the most important adaptive tasks that are initially overwhelming for one person, contributing to scientific and technical progress, the growth of well-being and, accordingly, the standard of living.
Obviously, social behavior and social control are closely related. With the help of social control, the individual is socialized. A man from childhood to the end of his life assimilates universal human experience through upbringing and education.It becomes part of various social groups: class, production, informal, family. The purpose of this article is precisely to visualize the occurrence of the individual in the social environment.
Human behavior is characteristic of both individual and social. The first is not the subject of this article, since it does not affect society.
About types of social behavior
Social behavior is purposeful, with its help a person achieves a certain level of positioning in society and in a social group.
Types of social behavior differ in functions and interests:
- mass (political, religious and economic movements, rumors, fashion);
- group (labor collective, club, courtyard, fellow practitioners, etc.);
- Porolevoy (mother, father, macho, aksakal, child, etc.).
Also, social behavior of a person is characterized by the orientation of his relationship with other people, it can be:
- prosocial (friendly, associated with the desire to help, cooperate);
- competitive (the desire to stand out, to be the best);
- type A (irritability, cynicism, impatience, hostility to people);
- type B (goodwill).
Finally, the classification of social behavior occurs with certain patterns of behavior:
- achievement of success (active life position);
- avoidance of failures (isolation, presumption of mistrust);
- seeking contacts or avoiding them;
- desire for power, indifference or obedience to it;
- active or helpless behavior model.
The above types of social behavior are classified as law-abiding. In addition to them, problematic, deviant and unlawful behavior also occurs.
We will mention them in this article, considering sanctions as an element of the social control category.
What is social control?
This concept was justified by the French scientist T. Tarde, and finally formulated by American sociologists R. Park and E. Ross.
They came to an understanding of its essence, considering a comprehensive social impact on an individual with deviant (asocial) behavior. Through this influence, his behavior was transformed into adequate to existing social norms.
In a broad sense, scientists considered social control as a continuous interaction and correlation of an individual with society and social groups. Obviously, the essence of such control critically depends on the type of society. An archaic, totalitarian and democratic society has its own characteristics, which is expressed in the features of social norms and sanctions.
Two forms of social control
Depending on the presence of social status, two forms of social control are distinguished: informal (i.e., unofficial) and formal.
If society is archaic, then the UK is based purely on the condemnation or approval of a social group (family members, friends, acquaintances and colleagues). In this case, they are talking about an informal UK.
In a more civilized society, the behavior of individuals is regulated by specialized state institutions: legislative and executive, the media. The latter operate at the national and municipal levels. Such social control is called formal.
Excessive external control of social activities of citizens by the army, police, courts, and control bodies is characteristic of the regime of power - dictatorship. Under such conditions, social processes are deformed. They resemble a one-way adjustable street. State social control for countries with a totalitarian system seeks to become comprehensive, that is, control the entire society. It is characteristic that in most cases the apologists of the dictatorship justify its creation by the need to restore order, supposedly for the benefit of all citizens.However, with her, they invariably degrade socially, their self-awareness and volitional efforts necessary for full self-control are reduced.
In a democratic society, 70% of social regulation is self-control. The development of social control is usually associated with democratic regime state power.
The purpose of both forms of SC (external and internal) is to:
- maintaining stability and order in society;
- compliance with continuity in lifestyle and specifics of development.
In highly developed societies, both forms of social control simultaneously coexist, organically complementing each other.
Types of Social Control
In addition to forms, social control is distinguished by type: external and internal. The latter is also called self-control. It is relevant for people socialized, independently observing social norms. The latter are so assimilated with the behavioral characteristics of the personality that their unconditional compliance becomes an organic need. The need for SK is so relevant for the majority (according to statistics, about 70% of the population) that from ancient times it got its name - conscience. Perhaps that is why people of pure, honest, deeply respected, distinguished by holiness, called the "people's conscience."
It is the collective efforts of people controlled by their own conscience that are the main driving force of social progress.
Social Control Functions
There are two main functions of social control:
- protective;
- stabilizing.
On the one hand, it is important to quickly and adequately resist attempts to destroy social values. The protective function is conservative in nature. It acts as the basis for stability in society, calling for careful resorting to various social innovations. First of all, it protects state and religious values, human life, rights and obligations, and the physical integrity of citizens. The protective function directly contributes to the transfer of experience from the older generations to the younger.
With the help of the stabilizing function of social control, predictability and expectation of social behavior are ensured. This preserves the existing social order.
Social control is the most important tool of society that helps the assimilation and acceptance by each person of the prevailing culture. It is universal. After all, absolutely any social structure, even existing for a short time, is impossible without SK.
Compound social control systems
The social control system consists of eight elements:
- social actions that cause adequate environmental reactions;
- a derivative of existing social values, a system for evaluating social actions;
- classification of social actions into reprehensible and encouraged;
- characteristic group assessments of social situations arising within this group (social perception);
- social sanctions as a reaction of society to social actions;
- self-categorization, i.e., self-identification of a person by belonging to a certain group in the social environment;
- individual self-esteem of personality;
- an individual assessment of the environment and circumstances in which the person is in contact with others.
On the mechanisms of social control
Social control mechanisms comprise social norms and sanctions.
Social norms (formal and informal) prescribe people how to behave in society. With their help:
- the process of socialization is being adjusted;
- individuals unite in social groups, and groups integrate into society;
- controlled deviant behavior.
By the degree of severity, the norms can be arranged in the following order: taboo (insulting shrines, violation of commandments, incest), laws (normative acts of the highest legal force), rights and freedoms, habits of a social group, traditions, etiquette, customs.
They act as a standard, a regulator for actions, feelings, thoughts, and guard social values. The latter refers to human concepts accepted by society about patriotism, justice, kindness, love, friendship.
Sanctions Compliant with Social Control
Social control in society is carried out by people on the basis of existing norms. Regulation takes place on the basis of the principle of the relationship between the social norm and the sanctions corresponding to it. Deprived of the accompanying sanctions, the social norm falls out of the system of social control, turning into a call, a slogan, etc.
Sanctions are:
- positive (honor, fame, recognition, encouragement, approval) and negative (conclusion, confiscation of property fine, reprimand, remark, conviction);
- formal (coming from state institutions), informal (received from relatives and colleagues in social groups);
- material (gift, bonus, fine, confiscation) and moral (diploma, award, reprimand).
Positive sanctions are provided for individuals conformistly related to social norms (in agreement with them). Negative - to deviant behavior:
- deviant (violations are minor and not punishable);
- delinquent (sanctions of the Administrative Code);
- criminal (sanctions of the Criminal Code).
Conclusion
Social control is a powerful tool for managing society. Most of the population voluntarily and constantly adheres to the norms established by society.
Currently, this contributes to the development of supranational institutions, increasing the share of corporate relations.
The process of globalization is taking place through the delegation of state powers to supranational bodies. However, the essence of social control in the information society remains virtually unchanged.
