Social control, conformity

and resistance

Sociology Grade 11
Conformity the process
whereby people change
their beliefs, attitudes,
Resistance refers to action
actions, or perceptions to
that connects to active
more closely match those
behavior in opposition to
held by society.
injustice perpetuated by the
dominant culture.
Social control is a method
used by society to make
people conform to social
norms and culture.
Structuralis
m These structural forces
shape human behavior
and have a major
influence on our thought
processes.

People accept the

patterns of behaviour as
if they were a hidden
force controlling their
actions.
 SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY

MACRO-SOCIOLOGY MICRO-SOCIOLOGY

Study of Society as a Whole

1. Relationship between Auguste Comte

Individual and Society

STRUCTURALISM
Society Shapes Individuals Karl Marx

2. Nature of Sociology Louis Althusser

Antonio Gramsci

POSITIVISM
(Auguste Comte, 1798-1857)
Sociology is the study of “Social
Facts” and of the ways in which
Society influences the behaviour
of individuals

3. Perspectives
Emile Durkheim Talcott Parsons
CONFLICT/CONSENSUS
FUNCTIONALISM
MARXISM (Durkheim, 1858-1917,
(Karl Marx, 1818-1883) Parsons, 1902-1979)

Humanist Marxism Structural Marxism N.B. Not all Sociological theories appear on this map,
for example Feminism(s), Post-Modernism and
(Althusser, 1918-1990) Structuration do not easily fit here.
(Gramsci, 1891-1937)
Structuralis
m For structuralist the established
social order represents a
powerful force that the individual
has little or no freedom to
oppose.
Therefore, sociology should
be the study of the effects of
the structure of society on
social life.

Human experience the effect

of social structures rules that
shape their behavioral choices
…

… means that
social structures apply a significant
influence on how human behave.
Consensus Structuralism

The way order and stability are created and

maintained, involves the idea that the various
parts of a society (family, education, work, etc.)
the different parts of a society work together
to form a social system.

… means that
Different function but living in
harmony.
Consensus Structuralism
Talcott parson (1959a)
argue that for Individuals
to survive and do well,
they need to be part of
larger cooperative The members of a society to be
groups. socialised into a shared value
system, creating consensus
therefore people feel they are
part of community and society.

Consistent ‘good’ behaviour People can be encouraged

shown  order is to conform willingly by
maintained for the benefit of convincing them that
everyone. following rules is in their
best interest.
If that fails  institution
might use agents of
control.
 Conflict Structuralism
..Powerful group can control
society at the cost of relatively
powerless groups,

Societies may appear stable,.. but

base on conflict of interest
between groups.

Marxist in economic terms with

Professor Ann Oakley
different social classes.

Feminist  in gender terms with

men as more powerful than
women in most, or all, societies.
 Conflict Structuralism
, ..the social relationship in
society, organised between ‘base
and superstructure’ (Marxist)

The Base (economy)

determines the
Superstructure (all other
institutions)

The ruling class have ideological control through the

superstructure.

This mean the relationship between

economic, political and ideological
institutions is the basis for social order and
 Conflict Structuralism
Capitalist society regenerates itself over time.
(Neo-Marxist)

Althusser (1972) argue that to stop capitalist society

into disorder and ensuring the continuation of
capitalism, ruling class use two approach.

‘Repressive State Apparatuses’ (RSAs) or ways of

compelling people to conform by force. (the police
and armed forces as agents of social control)

‘Ideological State Apparatus’ (ISAs) performs a

function by transmitting ideologies through; Family,
Education, Mass media and Religion.

Explain the relationship between Althusser argument and base and

superstructure theory.
 Conflict Structuralism
Feminist Theory
Order and control are based on male power,
expressed in two ways.
1. Interpersonal power refers to things like
physical violence or the various ways
female labour is exploited within the family
group.
2. Cultural power focus on how Men
dominate the highest levels of economic,
political and cultural institutions.
 Criticism to Structuralism
Dennis Hume Wrong (1961) criticises
what he calls an ‘over-socialised
conception of man’. Wrong, reject
Parsons's view of
He rejects the idea that human socialisation as
behaviour is governed entirely by the internalised values,
effects of socialisations. norms, and habits

According to Wrong, people are able to

exercise a degree of freedom from the
influences of their social environment.

Social interaction, therefore, does not simply involve

obeying rules without question, because the
meaning of behavior can change depending on its
Prof. Dennis H Wrong social context.
Interactionist
Microsociological approach = the social action
approach

Order and control created

“from the bottom up”

…meaning that people create and re-create

‘’society’ on a daily basis through their daily
routine.
 Interactionist
How is order maintained?

Order is more psychologically desirable; people

try to impose order to the meanings given to
behaviour in two ways:
1. To interact with other.
2. To negotiate the meanings.
 Interactionist
How is order maintained?

..as Harold Garfinkel’s (1967) demonstrate the

weak nature social order, by disrupting people’s
daily routines, and
observing how upset, confuse and angry
people became.

a breaching experiment is an experiment that

seeks to examine people's reactions to
violations of commonly accepted social rules or
norms.
Harold Garfinkel Breaching experiments is the work of Harold
Garfinkel.
 Interactionist

Alfred Schütz (1962) argues, ‘subjective meanings

give rise to an apparently objective social world’.

Societies are constructed through social interaction

and this, in turn, is based on meanings.

According to interactionist, the society use symbol,

…. Meaning our actions, our choice of clothes or our
language is always open to be interpreted. Alfred Schütz
aintained?
 Interactionist

“Structure and action” are

both important to
understand the
relationship between
society and the individual.

Anthony Giddens (1979) developed a

perspective called structuration, which outlined
the importance of both structure and action in
the relationship between society and individual.
Activity
You are to watch the trailer from the movie “The Adjustment Bureau” 2010
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSeWHl1PaKs (The Adjustment Bureau official trailer)

After watching the trailer, you are to evaluate the questions below:
 Are we simply puppets on a string shaped and controlled by society (structuralist
perspective)
or,
 do we exercise free will and shape society through our own actions and behaviour
(interactionist / social actionist perspective)?

You will divide into four groups.; two affirmative groups and two negative groups.
You will be given 30 minutes to plan group's arguments and do research.
And another 30 minutes to create notes or palm cards, that can be used in the debate.

Each group will prepare four speakers to represent their group.

Speech times
Speaker 1 Constructive (Group A, 1st speaker): 4 min.
Speaker 2 Constructive (Group B, 1st speaker): 4 min.
Speakers 1 and 2 Crossfire: 3 min.
Speaker 3 Rebuttal (Group A, 2nd speaker): 4 min.
Speaker 4 Rebuttal (Group B, 2nd speaker): 4 min.
Speakers 3 and 4 Crossfire: 3 min.
Speaker 1 Summary: 2 min.
Speaker 2 Summary: 2 min.
Grand Crossfire (all speakers): 3 min.
Speaker 3 Final Focus: 2 min.
Speaker 4 Final Focus: 2 min.