CHAPTER 9
Key Points * Social control is known any action, deliberate or unconscious, that influences conduct toward conformity, whether or not the persons being influenced are aware of the process. The main function of the law is to keep social control and maintain peaceful and predictable coexistence. * The use of law is a measure of the failure and success rate of other forms of social control. * The four-fold typology of social control is described as direct/formal, direct/informal, indirect/formal, and indirect/informal. * Communities use forms of punishment to create social condemnation, in hopes to maintain deterrence for future crimes. * Black’s style of social control: * Penal: subject to formal punishment –accusatory. * Therapeutic: subject to formal treatment –remedial, crime is a result of environmental factors * Compensatory: payment of debt * Conciliatory: fair and reasonable solution depending on crime
* Plea bargaining occurs in most felony cases, usually when the suspect will plead guilty to try and lessen their sentencing. * The death penalty has always been debated, but 37 states are currently in favor of it. Main problems with this method of punishment is that there is no proof it actually deters crime, falls under “cruel and unusual punishment, cost more than keeping someone in a life sentence, the off chance the suspect is innocent. However, 65-75% of American favor it. * Law and social control of political dissent: * Authoritarian Government: expect conformity without political participation, distinguishes political/private life * Totalitarian Government: expect conformity and political participation, however does NOT differentiate between public and private life * Democratic Governments: distinguish between public and private life by allowing political pluralism and encouraging political participation
Summary
Social control