We explain the difference between formal and informal social control with table. The chaos in society is obvious. Each individual carries his perception of the world and works accordingly. Perception is built over the years, it is acquired from family values, antecedents and experience. Living together as a civilized society requires that individuals behave in a way and maintain decorum and the rules established by the organization.
People often break protocols and act according to their ideology and perception against that of a population that creates havoc. Therefore, rules and guidelines are formed to maintain uniform treatment and strict action against the offender. They work regardless of their gender, ethnicity or religion.
There are guidelines inscribed in the constitution of each country that ensure conduct and morality on a broader level, while there are people in smaller groups who practice their forms of moral vigilance.
Social control is a way of enforcing these acceptable standards and norms to achieve cohesion and social order. It works formally and informally as well, which manage to bring stability to the system.
The difference between formal and informal social control is that formal social control dictates on a broader ground and includes written laws and regulations, while informal social control works at the community level without such written and formulated guidelines.
Comparison table between formal social control and informal social control
Comparison parameter Formal social control Informal social control
| Guidelines | Set of written norms and rules well informed to the inhabitants. | These are verbal and not formalized or documented. |
| Government Party | The head of state, government or, in the business sector, the employer. They are in charge of carrying out the necessary actions. | Parents teach what should and should not be done from childhood, also the head of an unofficially appointed clan makes the decision. |
| Effectiveness | Formal means of control are more effective because they work in a systematic way. | The effectiveness is cooperatively low. |
| Nature | It is a larger mass and all inhabitants fall under it regardless of community service or religion. | It is a smaller section of a community where people are closely linked. Fails when applied to a larger section. |
| Request | Fine, imprisonment and, in the most serious cases, death penalty or encounter. | Peer pressure, shame, public embarrassment, and boycott methods are generally used to build social standards. |
What is formal social control?
Formal social controls as the namesake are the official guidelines, legally formed to maintain stability and combat injustice.
They are written sets, applied to all citizens of a state or country, regardless of their religious beliefs, gender, color or ethnicity.
The control measures are applied by the government and the organizations that have the authority or voice accepted by a majority. They include police, military, judicial officers, employers of a company or organization.
It is practiced through the implementation of established laws and regulations, the prohibition of unethical behavior. Dealing with the situation depends on the level of severity, it can range from a simple fine to imprisonment and even the death penalty.
In the business world, organizational guidelines are there to guide and regulate disobedience, employees are subject to orientation processes, deviation from the guidelines can lead to dismissal.
What is informal social control?
Informal social control is a casual and local way of imposing and enforcing norms that are considered healthy and humane. These guidelines ensure that a community maintains its culture by not engaging in morally corrupt actions.
There are no written or documented records, but drawn lines are accepted to maintain stability and sanity. They are passed down by parents and elders and are taught as a basis for behaving properly and not engaging in unacceptable activities.
In smaller communities, the elders or the head of the clan are usually the people in power who make the verdict if things go wrong, in a comparatively advanced region outright boycott, sarcasm and disapproval are adopted.
The severity and social control vary, the locals in guilt and shame of the judgments improve their behavior, but it fails where the relationship in the community is weak, where people do not care what others may think.
Conformity and like-minded thinking prevail and people often have to protect themselves by following it even if the judgment is based on personal theory.
Main differences
- The main difference between formal and informal social control is that the former includes a written set of rules and norms, predefined and acceptable to all, the latter deals with problems and concerns informally, without formulated or documented guidelines.
- The officials, the head of state and those who make the rules govern the application and the police, the army and the judiciary carry it out to provide justice, informal mechanism of social control, informal approach, however, it deals with the Local situations, the elderly safeguard the culture and sanity in the community.
- The formal method of social controls adopts punishment, fine, throwing behind bars to maintain law and order and give a clear message to the guilty to be careful, while the informal way does not directly or physically harm an individual, but the effect is much worse where the person is no longer respected and often faces ridicule, social boycott, and shame.
- Formal social control takes into consideration a larger area (a state or a nation), but informal takes care of community problems.
- The formal form is professional and more effective because it does not differentiate a class, sect, ideology, but the informal form can be biased at times.
Final Thought
Everyone has the right to live their life on their own terms, but while living collectively in society or working with people, it is important to be thoughtful, supportive, and follow basic ethical guidelines.
An informal way of dealing with the situation and social control has its positive and negative aspects, fair play, the attitude of prejudice, distinguishing on the basis of gender and religion while giving a verdict or shaming and harassing can be the associated vices. .
The positive aspects of dealing informally can be the social stigma that disables unethical thinking.
The formal system, however, manages to deal with a larger mass without unfair means, the guidelines are written, so no one can disapprove.
