Ch.3 - Chriss, Social Control

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Chapter 3

• Informal Control

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Introduction

• Informal control all those mechanisms and
  practices of ordinary, everyday life whereby
  group pressures to conform are brought to bear
  against the individual (p. 56)
• Socialization the learning of a culture

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Introduction

1. Primary groups family, friends, and other close
   associates (expressive orientation)
2. Reference groups groups that persons look up to
   or identify with
3. Secondary groups work groups, service
   encounters, strangers, etc. (instrumental
   orientation)

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Agents of Socialization

• Individuals or groups that provide guidance for
  conduct.
• Family primary agents of socialization
• Community geographical areas where particular
  families and individuals reside
• Peers same-age friends and close associates

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Agents of Socialization

• School institution dedicated to imparting
  knowledge needed to take on adult roles
• Work learning the ropes in a work setting
• The workplace is becoming a site for total
  control (combining elements of informal, medical
  and legal control)
• Consumption the ethic of accumulating things
  (conspicuous or otherwise)

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Agents of Socialization

• Religion ideas about the sacred
• Regulation and discipline
• Cohesion and solidarity
• Revitalization
• Sense of well-being
• Mass media information and images consumed by a
  general public
• Growth of media talking heads
• Gonzo justice

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Shaping conformity

• Asch experiments
• Persons may be influenced by the group even when
  the group is wrong
• In experiments, 32 of naïve subjects went along
  with erroneous majority
• Group size of 3 (triad) is generally sufficient
• Social support of deviance can mitigate group
  influence

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Shaping Conformity

• Milgram obedience experiments - How far will
  research subjects go to administer shocks at the
  command of an authority figure?
• 65 of subjects delivered highest level shocks
• More likely to deliver shocks when experimenter
  standing next to subject
• Acquiescence to expert authority

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Shaping Conformity

• Emperors Dilemma Why would persons publicly
  enforce norms that they privately do not support?
• They fear sanctions for non-compliance
• By enforcing the norm, they Illustrate belief in
  the propriety of the norm
• If most persons do this, an Emperors Dilemma is
  created

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Erving Goffman (1922-1982)
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Dramaturgical Theory
Real Life The Theater
Persons Actors
performing in roles playing parts
in a social setting on a stage
before a group of others before an audience
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Major Concepts

1. Impression management tendency to put the best
   foot forward in social situations
2. Front stage where presentations of self (or
   teams) occur
3. Backstage private areas for rehearsal of public
   presentations

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Major Concepts

• Civil inattention acting as if you didnt see
  something (studied nonobservance)
• Role distance placing distance between ones
  self and ones self-in-role
• Distinction between virtual and authentic self