Sociology / Unit 5 Soc 0656 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Formal and Informal Social Control
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The idea
Formal social control is exercised by authorized agents through official sanctions; informal social control is exercised by ordinary people through everyday reaction.
In practice
A court imposes a fine; a colleague's silence after a remark does comparable work more cheaply.
Where people slip
Informal control reaches conduct no formal system could observe.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Builds on
Unlocks
- Nothing yet depends on this.
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