Social Contracts and Social Control

Social Contracts All groups have a social contract. The social contract is an agreement between members of a group deciding who will be the leader and the followers and defines the rights and duties of each member either by stating them clearly or through an understanding that everyone just accepts without discussing.

Examples of Social Contracts In Canada all citizens over 18 are given the right to vote. At MCS students know that cell phones must be turned off and left in their lockers. In Canada everyone is entitled to be paid at least minimum wage for their work. At MCS students know they must ask to leave the classroom.

Social Control Every society has a set of behaviours with which its members are expected to conform. These rules are called norms. Eg: Shaking hands as a greeting. Laws are norms that are enforced by the government. Eg: Wearing a seatbelt while driving.

Societies use rewards and sanctions to get members to conform to the norms. Sanctions are: Retribution – the level of punishment equal to the offense committed. Rejection – the offender is avoided or physically removed from society. Ridiculing – the offender is publicly humiliated. Repression – the offender is persecuted or oppressed. Restriction – the offender had limited freedom.