control theory

(noun)

The theory states that behavior is caused not by outside stimuli, but by what a person wants most at any given time. According to control theory, weak social systems result in deviant behavior.

Related Terms

  • deviance

Examples of control theory in the following topics:

  • Control Theory

    • Control theory explains that societal institutions without strong control of society can result in deviant behavior.
    • Control theory advances the proposition that weak bonds between the individual and society allow people to deviate.
    • Control Theory in sociology can either be classified as centralized, decentralized, or mixed.
    • From a control theory perspective, children who are properly bonded to their parents would be involved in less crime than children who have weaker parental bonds; control theory assumes that the family is a naturally law-abiding institution.
    • Control theory advances the proposition that weak bonds between the individual and society allow people to deviate.
  • Social Control Theory

    • Social control theory argues that relationships, commitments, values, and beliefs encourage conformity.
    • Social control theory describes internal means of social control.
    • Social control theory seeks to understand how to reduce deviance.
    • Ultimately, social control theory is Hobbesian; it presupposes that all choices are constrained by social relations and contracts between parties.
    • An internal understanding of means of control became articulated in sociological theory in the mid-twentieth century.
  • Social Control

    • The conflict theory perspective towards education focuses on the role school systems may play in implementing social control.
    • Conflict theory assumes that the ideas held by a society are the ideas of the ruling class.
    • Social control may also be enforced using formal sanctions.
    • This form of control usually takes the form of government action.
    • By means of social control, students are taught the boundaries of acceptable behavior.
  • Conflict

    • Social conflict is the struggle for agency or power within a society to gain control of scarce resources.
    • During war, one army tries to gain control over available resources in order to prevent the opposing army from gaining control.
    • Resources are scarce and individuals naturally fight to gain control of them.
    • The three tenets of conflict theory are as follows:
    • The idea that those who have control will maintain control is called the Matthew Effect.
  • Bandura's and Rotter's Social-Cognitive Theories of Personality

    • Bandura's and Rotter's social-cognitive theories of personality emphasize cognitive processes, such as thinking and judging.
    • Two major figures in social cognitive-theory are behaviorist Albert Bandura and clinical psychologist Julian Rotter.
    • Albert Bandura is a behavioral psychologist credited with creating social learning theory.
    • Evidence has supported the theory that locus of control is learned and can be modified.
    • Rotter's theory of locus of control places an individual on a spectrum between internal and external.
  • MacGregor's Theory X and Theory Y

    • Among the many theories of motivation is Douglas McGregor's concept of Theory X and Theory Y.
    • Theory Y is a bit more complex, as  the manager is not entirely in control (and thus, feels less like a management style).
    • This, in theory, sounds ideal.
    • Under Theory X, management uses control to direct behavior.
    • Differentiate between the motivators in Theory X and the motivators in Theory Y
  • Managerial Assumption: McGregor

    • He wrote a book in 1960 called The Human Side of Management, which suggested motivating employees through authoritative direction and employee self-control.
    • McGregor's main theory is comprised of Theory X and Theory Y.
    • Theory Y assumes that employees are ambitious, self-motivated, exercise self-control, and generally enjoy mental and physical work duties.
    • Theory Y is in line with behavioral management theories.
    • Complex hierarchical structures are needed in order to offer a narrow span of control at every level of the organization.
  • The Conflict Perspective on Deviance

    • Foucault theorized that institutions control people through the use of discipline.
    • Karl Marx is the father of the social conflict theory, which is a component of the four paradigms of sociology.
    • In conflict theory, deviant behaviors are actions that do not comply with social institutions.
    • Rather, the modern state receives praise for its fairness and dispersion of power that, instead of controlling each individual, controls the mass.
    • He also theorized that institutions control people through the use of discipline.
  • Four Theories of Leadership

    • Theories of effective leadership include the trait, contingency, behavioral, and full-range theories.
    • Experts have proposed several theories, including the trait, behavioral, contingency, and full-range models of leadership.
    • Fiedler's contingency model of leadership focuses on the interaction of leadership style and the situation (later called situational control).
    • Behavioral theory also incorporates B.F.
    • The father of behavioral theory showed the connection between behaviors and reward and punishment.
  • Sources of Social Change

    • Social movement theories seek to explain how social movements form and develop.
    • Some of the better-known approaches include deprivation theory, mass-society theory, structural-strain theory, resource-mobilization theory, political process theory and culture theory.
    • This particular section will thus pay attention to structural-strain theory and culture theory, while mass-society theory and political process theory will be discussed in greater detail later in "International Sources of Social Change" and "External Sources of Social Change," respectively.
    • Lack of social control: the entity to be changed must be at least somewhat open to the change; if the social movement is quickly and powerfully repressed, it may never materialize
    • Both resource-mobilization theory and political process theory incorporate the concept of injustice into their approaches.
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