AGENCIES OF SOCIAL CONTROL - FAMILY , NEIGHBORHOOD AND PUBLIC OPINION .
Family
A child is a product of its genes and environment . He is born with certain inherent capabilities , which either grow or are stunted depending upon the environmental stimuli . In this , his situation is akin to that of a flower . With proper nourishment and care , it will bloom . If denied , it will decay .
Family is the most important agency of social control . Every child learns from his immediate environment , which is first provided by the family . Etiquettes , habits and attitudes are first learnt from the immediate role models ( i.e. parents , siblings , kin groups , etc. ) . The family socialises the child into the norms , values , traditions and customs of the group . Thus , family has a predominant role in shaping the personality of the child .
In villages , an individual gets his status from his family . The elders have a dominant role in shaping the personality of the individual . This is manifested in the individual attitudes , interests and lifestyle , etc. Marriages are mostly arranged by the elders and seen as an alliance between families rather than between two individuals .
In cities , the family continues to play a predominant role in shaping an individual's personality . However , industrialisation , limited income and the paucity of space have contributed to the prevalence of nuclear family . This is very different from what is encountered in villages . Hence , families tend to focus upon themselves . This results in an increased accent on individualism as opposed to collectivism common in villages . The function of socialization that a family caries out is complemented by other secondary institutions such a the classroom , playground , peer group and the media . e in a rural surrounding , the individual derives his social status partly from his family but more importantly from his personal achievements . Parents and elders still largely arrange marriages in cities . However , the consent of the boy and the girl is sought . Marriages outside caste and religion are also on increase . Thus , we see that individual choice is becoming increasingly important . However , due to the absence of the strong family support on both sides , individual disagreements are more likely to lead to separation and divorce as opposed to the rural setting where the family network provides a readily available conflict resolution mechanism .
Neighbourhood
Neighbouhood in villages comprises people normally belonging to the same kin group or caste . Hence , relationships that exist are intimate and informal . Beyond the immediate neighbourhood , the bonds are strong , as is evident from the fact that the son - in - law of a family is regarded as the son - in - law of a much larger group , sometimes of the entire village .
In contrast , relationships between neighbours in the urban environment are characterised formaly . They are marked by intermittent interactions and hence are far weaker than what is seen in the rural environment . In big cities , the ties of neighbourhood are almost relegated to the backseat . This is hardly any interaction between neighbours .
Thus , the village neighbourhood is an enthusiastic participant in many daily activities of a family . It thereby fulfills its role as a medium of social control . It ensures uniformity and conformity and corrects deviant behaviour . For instance , in a village neighbours would subject a son not looking after his aging parents to sharp disapproval and even sarcasm .
In cities , while not controlling individual behaviour so closely , individual actions that affect community are monitored by the neighbours , e.g. a person throwing trash in the open would be pulled up by his neighbours for spoiling the ambience of the neighbourhood .
Public Opinion
Public Opinion is commonly used to denote the aggregate views that individuals hold regarding matters that affect the interests of community .
Newspapers , radio , television , motion pictures , legislations , pamphlets and even the word of mouth mould public opinion .
Remote village communities , which do not have access to television and newspapers rely on " gossip " for information about the happenings around them and to express their opinion on these subjects . However , radio has increasingly become an important source to obtain news about events in distant places . There are group readings of newspapers too . Of late , television has also been introduced in the villages . In independent India , the introduction of adult franchise , Panchayati Raj institutions and planned development processes have all contributed to bringing villages in the mainstream of Indian polity and economy .
In cities , the print and visual media play a dominant role in shaping public opinion . As the audio visual medium is more powerful , television has slowly gained ascendance over newspapers . However , newspapers continue to influence opinions among the educated group .
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