Law is the most important formal means of social control.

Early societies depended upon informal

means of social control but when societies grew in size and complexity they were compelled to
formulate rules and regulations which define the required types of behavior and specify the
penalties to be imposed upon those who violate them.

Informal sanctions regarded as unofficial punishment that are associated with shame and guilt,
these informal punishments can take many forms as they are maintained from one generation to
another through various transmission mechanisms such as imitation, oral tradition, and teaching.
A family member might express disapproval; a friend might cut off the friendship, and even
passing strangers so that may prevent crime.

Informal sanctions may include shame, ridicule, sarcasm, criticism and disapproval. In extreme
cases sanctions may include social discrimination and exclusion.

These informal social sanctions are part of daily life, and they are not necessarily planned ahead
of time as a way of preventing crime. It’s in this context that we can think about a class of informal
sanctions developed explicitly to prevent. Conversely, members of a society may also shun or
scapegoat members of the society who violate its norms.

Shaming in a public setting used to prevent crimes such as prostitutions thus these informal
sanctions prevent public embarrassment as a way of deterring criminal behavior In the process of
enforcing informal rules, tribal chiefs and religious leaders have been (and, in some parts of the
world, still are) known to use more severe forms of punishment.

Informal sanctions can enhance the impact and outcome of formal sanctions othe other side, where
by formal social control is expressed through law as statutes, rules, and regulations against deviant
behaviour. It is conducted by government and organizations using law enforcement mechanisms
and other formal sanctions such as fines and imprisonment. In democratic societies the goals and
mechanisms of formal social control are determined through legislation by elected representatives
and thus enjoy a measure of support from the population and voluntary compliance
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Law in a Changing Society (Chapter 1, Chapter 15 and Chapter 16) by W.

Friedman

North, Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance, The Structure of Human
History (London: Collins Harvill, 1988),

Websites Referred:

www.scribd.com

www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

www.wikipedia.org

www.jstor.org