Which concept is primarily concerned with regulating behavior and maintaining social order by applying norms and sanctions?

Which concept is primarily concerned with regulating behavior and maintaining social order by applying norms and sanctions?

• A. Social Welfare
• B. Social Justice
• C. Social Control
• D. Social Policy

Answer: (C)

Social control is about regulating behavior and maintaining social order through norms and sanctions. It uses everyday expectations—like politeness, punctuality, or adherence to laws—and reinforces them with rewards or penalties. Formal mechanisms include laws, policing, and courts, while informal ones involve family, peers, and community norms that shape how people act. This focus on guiding behavior and enforcing conformity to keep society orderly is what sets social control apart. By contrast, social welfare deals with providing for people’s basic needs and safety nets, social justice centers on fairness and equal rights, and social policy is about government plans and actions to address social issues. So the concept that centers on norms, sanctions, and maintaining order is social control.

Social control is about regulating behavior and maintaining social order through norms and sanctions. It uses everyday expectations—like politeness, punctuality, or adherence to laws—and reinforces them with rewards or penalties. Formal mechanisms include laws, policing, and courts, while informal ones involve family, peers, and community norms that shape how people act. This focus on guiding behavior and enforcing conformity to keep society orderly is what sets social control apart. By contrast, social welfare deals with providing for people’s basic needs and safety nets, social justice centers on fairness and equal rights, and social policy is about government plans and actions to address social issues. So the concept that centers on norms, sanctions, and maintaining order is social control.