Which term refers to social control enforced by the police, courts, or military?

Which term refers to social control enforced by the police, courts, or military?

• A. Norms
• B. Feral Children
• C. Formal Social Control
• D. Ethnicity

Answer: (C)

This question is about formal social control—the official mechanisms used to regulate behavior through institutions like the police, courts, and the military. These bodies have the authority to investigate, prosecute, and punish rule-breakers, providing formal sanctions that help maintain social order. That’s why the term fits best: it specifically describes the state-backed, organized ways of enforcing laws and norms. By contrast, norms are informal expectations guiding everyday behavior; feral children refer to individuals raised with little socialization and aren’t a mechanism of control; ethnicity relates to cultural identity, not enforcement. An example would be the process of arrest, trial, and sentencing carried out by these official institutions.

This question is about formal social control—the official mechanisms used to regulate behavior through institutions like the police, courts, and the military. These bodies have the authority to investigate, prosecute, and punish rule-breakers, providing formal sanctions that help maintain social order. That’s why the term fits best: it specifically describes the state-backed, organized ways of enforcing laws and norms. By contrast, norms are informal expectations guiding everyday behavior; feral children refer to individuals raised with little socialization and aren’t a mechanism of control; ethnicity relates to cultural identity, not enforcement. An example would be the process of arrest, trial, and sentencing carried out by these official institutions.