Social control refers to the methods and mechanisms that each society used to regulate and determine group and individual behavior, ensuring that those within the society conform to its social norms, rules and laws. Social control is a key part within societies and determining how a society functions by ensuring order, conformity and stability amongst its members. These methods and mechanisms often fall under two categories: informal and formal social control. Both are an important part of society, playing a key role in how we function and adhere to social norms consciously or subconsciously, however, they both differ in how they are enforced and how they are carried out (Differentiating Formal and Informal Social Control Mechanisms, 2025).
Informal social control defined by Stephanie Greenberg and her colleagues in 1985 is not based on laws or governmental written rules but by common agreement amongst society members. It is the citizens who enforce these social norms rather than police or government, although from time-to-time police may be involved in the informal social control (Linning et al., 2024). It is taken into the hands of our peers and society members and conforming to these societal norms is often an unconscious behavior due to socialization. This informal structure enforces normality amongst society by encouraging and promoting what behaviors are acceptable through non-legal means such as family expectations and peer pressure. Society regulates informal social control through norms, values and expectations rather than the formal laws and regulations by governments and official sanctions. It relies on peer influences and societal norms that we conform to in order to keep conformity and cohesion amongst society (Informal Social Control, 2024).
There are negative and positive sanctions and reacts for violating or conforming to these informal social norms. Negative sanctions may include public disapproval, embarrassment, ridicule, eyebrow raising etc. While positive sanctions may include smiles, laughter, and the feeling of “fitting in” or feeling normal (Muhammad Mubarak & Mukhtar Jamilu, 2015). These negative and positive sanctions such as praise or criticism, shame and ridicule, social promotion and celebration are the ways society uses informal social control to ensure those within the society are conforming to their norms. The negative sanctions “punish” those who break out of the norms and are used to discourage people from displaying behavior that is seen as socially unacceptable. Whereas the positive sanctions are used to encourage the conformity to those norms (Vaghefi, 2024).
Unlike informal social control, the formal structure is the societal regulation of norms based on governmental laws and policies, social agencies, and written official rules. Formal social control is seen more as a legal concept of social control rather than a societal conformity. Formal social control seeks to prevent crime, chaos, and maintain order by legality and official laws instead of just day to day social conformity to norms. The norms under formal social control have been written rules that members of society must conform to. Rather than being taken into the hands of society’s members, it is taken into the hands of official leaders, governmental agencies and those who hold legal authority and power over the members of society. Schools and workplaces also often have formal social control authority to ensure employees and students and those within those organization are conforming to the rules and regulations – often seen as the social norms (Perera, 2024).
The criminal justice system, government and law enforcement agencies are the biggest enforces of formal social control. The rules and laws set by these officials also determine whether someone will receive positive or negative sanctions for their actions within society. However, negative sanctions and punishments are the most often used within formal social control when someone violates the rules (Perera, 2024). These people who violate the rules and regulations and fall out of these formal social forms are often seen as deviants and delinquents and are subject to punishments often including legal reprimand. These negative consequences and punishments for falling out of the formal social norm may include fines, jail time, the loss of a job, deportation academic punishments, and probation or parole (Drew, 2024).
Unlike informal social control, there are not really positive sanctions or actions from those who carry out the formal social control. The positives in this are simply that you are not jailed, fined, or demoted for violating the rules and regulations. This being said, if the formal social control is not being taken place by governmental or official authority and rather it is being taken out by schools or employers, positive sanctions may include a promotion, certificate of achievement, or community service recognition for not just following these rules and regulations but going above and beyond to conform and achieve at them (What is the difference between a positive and a negative sanction? 2024).
Although both forms of social control regulate behavior, they operate in completely different manners. Informal social control is internalized, person and unwritten based on societal expectations and norms set by society’s own members. It shapes out everyday behavior even subconsciously with our values and morals. Whereas formal social control is legal, impersonal and enforced by agencies and authorities that ensures a larger scale order in society to prevent crime and serious violation that has a bigger risk and effect on society as a whole.
They often work together however and can be seen as a bigger picture within each other. For example, morally murder is wrong, it may be seen differently amongst different cultures, but it is usually seen as morally wrong in the informal eye, and in the formal eye it is seen as illegal and as serious consequences. The informal social control method works to shape these morals and cultural beliefs to discourage one from deflecting from these norms while the formal social control method assists in taking these violating’s and creating legal and serious consequences to further discourage the violations.
Both informal and formal social control are crucial in shaping out a society functions and how its members conform to social and legal norms. While one, formal social control, may have a higher personal risk of consequences when violated, the other, informal, has a higher societal effect. Both forms can have positive and negative sanctions when it comes to members either conforming or violating their structure. The positive sanctions of both encourage socially acceptable and legal behaviors, and negative sanctions discourage unacceptable and illegal behaviors. In doing so, they both play a key role in ensuring members of society conform to societal norms and attempt to ensure order, stability and conformity.
References
Drew, C. (2024, June 17). Formal social control: 18 examples and study guide. Helpful Professor. https://helpfulprofessor.com/formal-social-control/
Linning, S. J., Eck, J. E., Olaghere, A., & Steinman, H. (2024). What is informal social control? A concept consensus review of recent criminological literature. Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 66(1), 66–67. https://doi.org/10.3138/cjccj-2023-0024
Muhammad Mubarak, H., & Mukhtar Jamilu, I. (2015). Social Control: Genesis, Conceptual, and Theoretical Issues. International Journal of Innovative Research & Development, 4(6), 336–338.
Perera, A. (2024, February 13). What is Formal Social Control? What Are Some Examples? Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/formal-social-control.html
Unknown. (2024, June 17). What is the difference between a positive and a negative sanction? Sanctions Lists & PEP Screening for AML Compliance. https://www.sanctions.io/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-a-positive-and-a-negative-sanction
Unknown. (2025, March 28). Differentiating formal and informal social control mechanisms • sociology.institute. Sociology Institute. https://sociology.institute/introduction-to-sociology/formal-vs-informal-social-control-mechanisms/
Unknown. (n.d.). Informal Social Control – (criminology) – vocab, definition, explanations. Fiveable. https://fiveable.me/key-terms/criminology/informal-social-control
Vaghefi, S. (2024, June 17). Informal Social Control: 16 examples and definition. Helpful Professor. https://helpfulprofessor.com/informal-social-control/