Which term describes a system of norms and sanctions used to maintain social order?

Which term describes a system of norms and sanctions used to maintain social order?

• A. Environment
• B. Social Care
• C. Social Welfare
• D. Social Control

Answer: (D)

Social control is the system that uses shared norms and the sanctions that enforce them to keep social order. Norms are the expected ways people should behave, and sanctions are the reactions to following or breaking those norms—positive ones like praise or rewards, and negative ones like disapproval, fines, or punishment. These can be informal, such as peer pressure or gossip, or formal, such as laws enforced by police and courts. Together, they guide behavior and deter deviance, helping a society stay coordinated and orderly. Environment refers to the surrounding conditions and setting, not the mechanisms for enforcing norms. Social care encompasses services that help individuals meet needs. Social welfare involves programs that provide support to citizens. None of these focus on the system of norms and sanctions used to maintain order, which is the unique function of social control.

Social control is the system that uses shared norms and the sanctions that enforce them to keep social order. Norms are the expected ways people should behave, and sanctions are the reactions to following or breaking those norms—positive ones like praise or rewards, and negative ones like disapproval, fines, or punishment. These can be informal, such as peer pressure or gossip, or formal, such as laws enforced by police and courts. Together, they guide behavior and deter deviance, helping a society stay coordinated and orderly.

Environment refers to the surrounding conditions and setting, not the mechanisms for enforcing norms. Social care encompasses services that help individuals meet needs. Social welfare involves programs that provide support to citizens. None of these focus on the system of norms and sanctions used to maintain order, which is the unique function of social control.