Sociology CH 3. S. 2

Sociology Ch. 3 S.
Obj: Identify how the norms of

society are enforced; describe the
differences between positive and
negative sanctions and between
formal and informal sanctions.
Every society develops norms that reflect
the cultural values its members consider
important. For a society to run smoothly,
these norms must be upheld. There are
two basic means through which norms are
enforced – internalization and sanctions.
Internalization of Norms
When people come to believe that a
particular norm is good, useful, and
appropriate, they generally follow it and
expect others to do the same. They do this
because they have internalized the norm.
Internalization is the process by which a
norm becomes a part of an individual’s
personality, thus conditioning that
individual to conform to society’s
expectations.
For example, when you
sit down to eat, you
automatically pick up
your knife and fork.
When the traffic signal
ahead shows red, you
stop without thinking.
You do not take these
actions because you
fear being punished.
Rather, you have
internalized society’s
norms concerning
eating and driving.
Sanctions
Most members of society
follow norms without
conscious thought.
However, not everyone
internalizes all of
society’s norms. Some
people must be
motivated by sanctions.
These are rewards or
punishments used to
enforce conformity to
norms.
Positive Sanctions
An action that rewards a particular kind of
behavior is a positive sanction. People
are introduced to positive sanctions early
in life through interaction in the family.
Most parents praise their children for
good behavior. Positive sanctions are also
a common form of control outside of the
family.
Teachers react favorably to students who
turn in good work, giving them good
grades. Positive sanctions continue into
adulthood. Employers often give pay
raises to workers who show initiative and
dedication. Cheers from teammates and
the crowd are used to push athletes to try
even harder. In all areas of life,
ceremonies, ribbons, badges, and awards
are used to reward and encourage
conformity to society’s norms.
Negative Sanctions
Positive sanctions are not always enough to
ensure conformity. Society also employs
negative sanctions to discourage
undesired behavior. A negative sanction
is a punishment or the threat of
punishment used to enforce conformity.
The threat of punishment is often enough
to ensure acceptable behavior.
The possibility of having your car towed is
usually enough to persuade you not to
park in a “no parking” zone. However, if
the threat of punishment is not enough,
the actual punishment is there to remind
you that conformity to the “no parking” rule
is expected. Negative sanctions can range
from frowns, ridicule, and rejection to
fines, imprisonment, and even death. In
general, the more important the norm is to
social stability, the more serious the
negative sanction.
Neither positive nor negative sanctions work
if people are not sure that rewards or
punishment will follow particular behavior.
If you are rarely or never rewarded for
good behavior nor punished for bad
behavior, then sanctions quickly become
meaningless to you. In other words, they
lose their power to encourage or enforce
conformity.
Formal Sanctions
In addition to being positive or negative,
sanctions also can be either formal or
informal. A formal sanction is a reward or
punishment given by a formal organization
or regulatory agency, such as a school,
business, or government. Negative formal
sanctions include low grades, suspension
from school, termination from a job, fines,
and imprisonment. Graduation certificates,
pay raises, promotions, awards, and medals
are examples of positive formal sanctions.
Informal Sanctions
Formal sanctions play a
major role in
maintaining social
stability. However, the
majority of norms are
enforced informally. An
informal sanction is a
spontaneous
expression of approval
or disapproval given
by an individual or a
group.
Positive informal sanctions include standing
ovations, compliments, smiles, pats on the
back, and gifts. Negative informal
sanctions include frowns, gossip, rebukes,
insults, ridicule, and ostracism – exclusion
from a particular group. Informal sanctions
are particularly effective among teenagers,
who consider group acceptance highly
important. Few teenagers want to be told
that their clothes are out of style.
Social Control
The enforcing of norms through either
internal or external means is called social
control. The principal means of social
control in all societies is self-control, which
is learned through the internalization of
norms. Various agents of social control
perform external enforcement through the
use of sanctions. These agents include
authority figures, the police, the courts,
religion, the family, and public opinion.
Individuals must follow certain rules of
behavior if society is to function smoothly.
If people ignore society’s basic norms,
then the social order is in jeopardy. When
a society’s methods for ensuring
conformity break down, social stability is
lost. No society can survive for long
without an effective system of social
control.

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Sociology Ch. 3 S.

Obj: Identify how the norms of

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