Social Control Theory, Essay Example

The main social components described within the social control theory are the family, the school and the peer group. These components have all played a critical role in shaping my social involvement and social viewpoint.  By far the most influential of these components has been the family.  My parents have had the greatest influence on my life in teaching me communication skills and explaining to me how to interact with other individuals my own age as well as how to treat my elders with respect and courtesy.  The family is the only component of the social control theory that I have had constant contact with every single day of my life.  Peer groups and school can come and go, but the family has been the only constant construct in my life.  Parental discipline was the largest component of the family in influencing my behaviors, thoughts and actions.  As I made mistakes, I was disciplined to not make the same mistakes and to learn from my errors.  Furthermore, I learned very quickly to respect my parents, grandparents and anyone else who was an elder authority figure in my life.

One component of social control that does not seem to be involved in the theory is the impact that the mass media plays in developing and controlling our view and actions within society.  The media provides influence through advertising, radio, television, movies and so much more.  There is no end to the extent that the mass media can play a highly influential role in social control.  Even today these components impact my life in that they are always impacting my life in one way or another.  My family and the media are always working to inundate me with information and social rules that must be followed for acceptance.  These components may change over time, but they are still in existence even as we grow older.  Unfortunately, many of the components of the social control theory are not consciously realized as being influential.  For me, I was subconsciously aware that each of these elements was playing a role in developing my personality and influencing my actions, thoughts and views.  However, when the influence was actually taking place, I was never fully aware that it was happening at that specific moment.

References

O’Connor, T.  (30 Nov. 2006). Control theories in criminology, MegaLinks in Criminal Justice. Retrieved from http://www.apsu.edu/oconnort/ crim/crimtheory13.htm