Social Control

Learning Objectives By the end of the lesson you should know what we mean by social control You will know what techniques have been used to control people and their behaviour You will have considered the practical and ethical implications of social control

Social control is the term given to the regulation of people’s behaviour for social purposes. The different theoretical approaches to psychology have led to different techniques of social control

There are a number of situations in which psychological knowledge and techniques are used to alter or control people’s behaviour. Some are uncontroversial as we tend to agree that certain behaviours need controlling, others raise issues of personal freedom

TYPES OF POWER French and Raven (1960) EXPERT POWER REWARD POWER LEGITIMATE POWER COERCIVE POWER REFERENT POWER

SOCIAL CONTROL DISCUSS Norms and customs define us as a society or culture Keeps us in control to an extent If you go against social norms it is considered ‘abnormal’ or ‘deviant’ DISCUSS

Who should have the power to control someone else's behaviour?

What means are appropiate to control someone elses behaviour?

When is control appropiate?

Who should be controlled?

Discuss WHO should have the power to control someone? WHEN is control appropriate? WHO should be controlled? WHAT means are appropriate to control someone?

DRUG THERAPY Do drug addicts have a choice? Consider the A trained professional administers drugs when a patient undergoes drug treatment. This person controls how much of the drug and which type an individual should receive. They will monitor the progress of their patients to determine whether the drug is right for them Someone addicted to a drug can be given a substitute that has fewer side effects and this can help them to come off the drug. E.g. Methadone is used as a substitute for heroin. Do drug addicts have a choice? Consider the Ethical issues Practical issues Power of the therapist

TOKEN ECONOMY Can people change? Consider the Ethical issues Behaviour is managed using operant conditioning principles and tokens are given as rewards for desirable behaviour. The tokens are then exchanged for something the individual wants. Can people change? Consider the Ethical issues Practical issues Power of the therapist

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING Systematic desensitisation is used to treat phobias. It uses classical conditioning principles as someone learns to associate a previously feared object or situation with a relaxation response instead of a feared response. Aversion therapy also used CC principles to help people stop smoking or give up drinking Can people change? Consider the Ethical issues Practical issues Power of the therapist

THERAPY and the PRACTITIONER Drugs, CBT, Psychotherapy, token economy etc are all forms of social control. The therapist has the power and is perceived by others as having legitimate power - (therapist is agent of society to shape desired behaviour) Expert power – (expert in the field) Reward power (token economy) Referent Power – the client wants the therapist to ‘cure’ them Do patients have choices? Consider the Ethical issues Practical issues Power of the therapist

In Missouri, a church counsellor helped Beth Rutherford to remember during therapy that her father, a clergyman, had regularly raped her between the ages of seven and l4 and that her mother sometimes helped him by holding her down. Under her therapist's guidance, Rutherford developed memories of her father twice impregnating her and forcing her to abort the foetus herself with a coat hanger. The father had to resign from his post as a clergyman when the allegations were made public. Later medical examination of their daughter revealed, however, that she was still a virgin at age 22 and had never been pregnant. The daughter sued the therapist and received a $l million settlement in 1996.

Which areas that we have studied in AS/A2 raise concerns about social control? Drug therapy Token Economy Systematic desensitisation Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Assertive Community Therapy Media Influence Anorexia Aversion Therapy Methadone Maintenance Programme Take a card What practical and ethical issues are raised? Who has the power? Is it appropriate?

Systematic desensitisation Drug therapy Token Economy Systematic desensitisation Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Assertive Community Therapy Media Influence Anorexia Aversion Methadone Maintenance Programme

You can read more about the issue of Social Control in The Angles Text book P216-218 The Brain text book P349-353