Application of formal positive sanctions. Informal positive sanctions: definition, features

Formal negative sanctions are one of the tools for maintaining social norms in society.

What is the norm

This term comes from Latin. Literally means "rule of conduct", "sample". We all live in a society, in a community. Everyone has their own values, preferences, interests. All this gives the individual certain rights and freedoms. But we must not forget that people live next to each other. This united collective is called society or society. And it is important to know what laws govern the rules of conduct in it. They are called social norms. Formal negative sanctions make it possible to enforce them.

Types of social norms

Rules of conduct in society are divided into subspecies. It is important to know this, because social sanctions and their application depend on them. They are divided into:

• Customs and traditions. Pass from one generation to another for many centuries and even millennia. Weddings, holidays, etc.
• Legal. Enshrined in laws and regulations.
• Religious. Rules of conduct based on faith. Baptismal ceremonies, religious festivals, fasting, etc.
• Aesthetic. Based on a sense of beauty and ugliness.
• Political. Regulate political sphere and everything connected with it.

There are also many other rules. For example, the rules of etiquette, medical standards, safety regulations, etc. But we have listed the main ones. Thus, it is erroneous to assume that social sanctions only apply to the legal sphere. Law is only one of the subcategories of social norms.

Deviant behavior

Naturally, all people in society must live according to generally accepted rules. Otherwise, chaos and anarchy will ensue. But some individuals sometimes cease to obey generally accepted laws. They break them. Such behavior is called deviant or deviant. For this, formal negative sanctions are provided.

Types of sanctions

As it has become clear, they are called upon to restore order in society. But it is a mistake to think that sanctions have a negative connotation. That this is something bad. In politics, this term is positioned as a restrictive tool. There is a wrong concept, meaning a ban, a taboo. One can recall and cite as an example the recent events and the trade war between Western countries and the Russian Federation.

In fact, there are four types:

• Formal negative sanctions.
• Informal negative.
• Formal positive.
• Informal positive.

But let's take a closer look at one type.

Formal negative sanctions: examples of application

It was not by chance that they received such a name. They are characterized by the following factors:

• Associated with a formal manifestation, in contrast to the informal, which have only an emotional connotation.
• They are used only for deviant (deviant) behavior, in contrast to positive ones, which, on the contrary, are designed to encourage an individual for exemplary fulfillment of social norms.

Let's bring specific example from labor law. Let's say citizen Ivanov is an entrepreneur. Several people work for him. In the course of labor relations, Ivanov violates the terms of the labor contract concluded with employees and delays their wages, arguing this with the crisis phenomena in the economy.

Indeed, sales volumes have declined sharply. The entrepreneur does not have enough money to cover wage arrears to employees. You might think that he is not guilty and can detain with impunity cash. But actually it is not.

As an entrepreneur, he had to weigh all the risks in carrying out his activities. Otherwise, he is obliged to warn employees about this and start appropriate procedures. This is provided by law. But instead, Ivanov hoped that everything would work out. The workers, of course, did not suspect anything.

When the day of payment arrives, they find out that there is no money in the cash register. Naturally, their rights are violated in this case (each employee has financial plans for vacation, social security, and possibly certain financial obligations). Workers file a formal complaint with the state labor protection inspectorate. The entrepreneur violated this case norms of labor and civil codes. The inspection bodies confirmed this and ordered to pay wages soon. For each day of delay, a certain penalty is now charged in accordance with the refinancing rate Central Bank RF. In addition, the inspection authorities imposed an administrative fine on Ivanov for violations of labor standards. Such actions will be an example of formal negative sanctions.

conclusions

But an administrative fine is not the only measure. For example, an employee was severely reprimanded for being late to the office. The formality in this case consists in a specific action - entering into a personal file. If the consequences for his lateness were limited only to the fact that the director emotionally, in words, made a remark to him, then this would be an example of informal negative sanctions.

But not only in labor relations they are applied. Mostly negative formal social sanctions prevail in almost all spheres. The exception, of course, is moral and aesthetic norms, rules of etiquette. Their violations are usually followed by informal sanctions. They are wearing emotional character. For example, no one will fine a person for not stopping on the highway in forty-degree frost and not taking a mother with a baby as a fellow traveler. Although society may react negatively to this. A flurry of criticism will fall on this citizen, if, of course, this is made public.

But do not forget that many norms in these areas are enshrined in laws and regulations. This means that for their violation it is possible, in addition to informal ones, to receive formal negative sanctions in the form of arrests, fines, reprimands, etc. For example, smoking in public places. This is an aesthetic norm, or rather, a deviation from it. It is ugly to smoke on the street and poison all passers-by with tar. But until recently, only informal sanctions relied on this. For example, a grandmother may be critical of a violator. Today, smoking bans are a legal norm. For its violation, the individual will be punished with a fine. This a prime example transformation of an aesthetic norm into a legal plane with formal consequences.

Term "social control" was introduced into scientific circulation by the French sociologist and social psychologist Tarde. He viewed it as an important remedy for criminal behavior. Subsequently, Tarde expanded the understanding of this term and considered social control as one of the main factors of socialization.

Social control is a mechanism of social regulation of behavior and maintenance of public order.

Informal and formal control

Informal control is based on the acceptance or condemnation of a person's actions by her relatives, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, as well as by public opinion which is expressed through customs and traditions, or through the media.

IN traditional society there were very few established norms. Most aspects of the lives of members of traditional rural communities were controlled informally. Strict observance of rituals and ceremonies associated with traditional holidays and rituals, brought up respect for social norms, an understanding of their necessity.

Informal control is limited to a small group, in big group he is ineffective. The agents of informal control are relatives, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances.

Formal control is based on the approval or condemnation of a person's actions by official authorities and administration. In difficult modern society which has many thousands or even millions of people, it is impossible to maintain order by means of informal control. In modern society, order is controlled by special social institutions such as courts, educational institutions, army, church, mass media, enterprises, etc. Accordingly, the agents of formal control are the employees of these institutions.

If an individual goes beyond social norms, and his behavior does not meet social expectations, he will certainly face sanctions, that is, people's emotional reaction to normatively regulated behavior.

Sanctions- this is the punishment and reward applied by a social group to an individual.

Since social control can be formal or informal, there are four main types of sanctions: formal positive, formal negative, informal positive and informal negative.

Formal positive sanctions - this is public approval from official organizations: diplomas, awards, titles and titles, state awards and high positions. They are closely related to the presence of prescriptions, determine how the individual should behave and which rewards are provided for compliance with normative prescriptions.

Formal negative sanctions- these are the penalties provided for by legal laws, government regulations, administrative instructions and orders: deprivation civil rights, imprisonment, arrest, dismissal from work, a fine, an official penalty, a reprimand, the death penalty, etc. They are associated with the presence of regulations governing the behavior of an individual and indicate what kind of punishment is intended for non-compliance with these norms.

Informal positive sanctions- this is public approval from unofficial persons and organizations: public praise, compliment, silent approval, applause, fame, smile, and the like.

Informal negative sanctions- this is a punishment unforeseen by official authorities, such as a remark, ridicule, a cruel joke, neglect, an unfriendly review, slander, etc.

The typology of sanctions depends on the system of educational features we have chosen.

Given the method of application of sanctions, current and prospective sanctions are distinguished.

Current sanctions are those that actually apply in a certain generality. Everyone can be sure that if he goes beyond the existing social norms, he will be punished or rewarded in accordance with the existing regulations.

Perspective sanctions are associated with the promises of punishment or reward to the individual in case of going beyond the limits of normative prescriptions. Very often the mere threat of punishment (the promise of a reward) is sufficient to keep the individual within the normative framework.

Another criterion for dividing sanctions is related to the time of their application.

Repressive sanctions are applied after an individual performs a certain action. The amount of punishment or reward is determined by public beliefs regarding the harmfulness or usefulness of its action.

Preventive sanctions are applied even before an individual performs a certain action. Preventive sanctions are applied in order to incline the individual to the type of behavior that society needs.

Today, in most civilized countries, the prevailing belief is the "crisis of punishment", the crisis of state and police control. There is a growing movement to abolish not only the death penalty, but also imprisonment and in the transition to alternative measures of punishment and restoration of the rights of victims.

Progressive and promising in world criminology and sociology of deviations is the idea of ​​preventiveness.

Theoretically, the possibility of crime prevention has long been known. Charles Montesquieu in his work "The Spirit of the Laws" noted that "a good legislator is not so worried about the punishment for a crime, as he will try to prevent a crime not so much to punish as to improve morality." Preventive sanctions improve social conditions, create a more favorable atmosphere and reduce inhumane acts. They are able to protect a specific person, a potential victim from possible encroachments.

However, there is another point of view. While agreeing that the prevention of crime (as well as other forms of deviant behavior) is democratic, liberal and progressive than repression, some sociologists (T. Mathyssen, B. Andersen and others) question the realism and effectiveness of preventive measures. their arguments are:

Since deviance is a certain conditional construct, a product of social agreements (why, for example, in one society is alcohol allowed, and in another - its use is considered a deviation?), Then the legislator decides what is an offense. Will prevention become a way to strengthen the position of those in power?

Prevention involves the impact on the causes of deviant behavior. And who can say with certainty that he knows these reasons? There are dozens of theories explaining the causes of deviations. Which of them can be taken as a basis and applied in practice?

Prevention is always an intervention in the privacy of a person. Therefore, there is a danger of violation of human rights through the introduction of preventive measures (for example, violation of the rights of homosexuals in the USSR).

The tightening of sanctions depends on:

Measures of formalization of the role. The military, policemen, doctors - are controlled very tightly, both formally and by the public, and, say, friendship - is realized through unformalized social roles, so the sanctions here are rather conditional.

Prestige Status: Roles associated with prestige status are subject to harsh external scrutiny and self-monitoring.

The cohesion of the group within which role behavior occurs, and hence the forces of group control.

Control questions and tasks

1. What behavior is called deviant?

2. What is the relativity of deviation?

3. What behavior is called delinquent?

4. What are the causes of deviant and delinquent behavior?

5. What is the difference between delinquent and deviant behavior?

6. Name the functions of social deviations.

7. Describe the biological and psychological theories deviant behavior and crime.

8. Describe the sociological theories of deviant behavior and crime.

9. What functions does the system of social control perform?

10. What are "sanctions"? What types of sanctions?

11. What is the difference between formal and informal sanctions?

12. What are the differences between repressive and preventive sanctions.

13. Give examples of what determines the severity of sanctions.

14. What is the difference between the methods of informal and formal control?

15. Name the agents of informal and formal control.

Social sanctions is a means of reward and punishment that encourages people to comply social norms. Social sanctions are the guardians of norms.

Types of sanctions:

1) Formal positive sanctions are the approval from the authorities:

Reward;

Scholarship;

Monument.

2) Informal positive sanctions are the approval from the society:

Praise;

Applause;

Compliment;

3) Formal negative - this is a punishment from official bodies:

Dismissal;

Rebuke;

The death penalty.

4) Informal negative sanctions - punishments from society:

Comment;

Taunt;

There are two types of social control:

1. external social control - it is carried out by the authorities, society, close people.

2. internal social control - it is carried out by the person himself. Human behavior is 70% dependent on self-control.

The fulfillment of social norms is called conformity - this is the goal of social control

3. Social Deviations: deviant and delinquent behavior.

The behavior of people who do not comply with social norms is called deviant. These actions do not correspond to the norms and social stereotypes that have developed in this society.

Positive deviation is such deviant behavior that does not cause disapproval from society. It can be heroic deeds, self-sacrifice, excessive devotion, excessive zeal, a heightened sense of pity and sympathy, over-industriousness, etc. Negative deviation - deviations that in most people cause a reaction of disapproval and condemnation. These include terrorism, vandalism, theft, betrayal, cruel treatment with animals, etc.

Delinquent behavior is a serious violation of the law, for which criminal liability may follow.

There are several basic forms of deviation.

1. Drunkenness - immoderate consumption of alcoholic beverages. Alcoholism is a morbid craving for alcohol. This type of deviation brings great harm to all people. Both the economy and the well-being of society suffer from this. For example, in the United States, about 14 million people suffer from alcoholism, and the annual losses from it reach 100 billion dollars. Our country is also the world leader in alcohol consumption. Russia produces 25 liters of alcohol per capita per year. Moreover, most of the alcohol is hard liquor. IN Lately there was a problem and "beer" alcoholism, which mainly affects young people. For various reasons related to alcohol, about 500 thousand Russians die every year.

2. Drug addiction is a painful craving for drugs. The accompanying consequences of drug addiction are crimes, physical and mental exhaustion, degradation of the personality. According to the UN, every 25th inhabitant of the Earth is a drug addict; There are more than 200 million drug addicts in the world. According to official estimates, there are 3 million drug addicts in Russia, and 5 million according to unofficial estimates. There are supporters of the legalization of "soft" drugs (such as marijuana). They give the example of the Netherlands, where the use of these drugs is legal. But the experience of these countries has shown that the number of drug addicts is not decreasing, but only increasing.

3. Prostitution - extramarital sexual relations for a fee. There are countries where prostitution is legalized. Supporters of legalization believe that the transfer to a legal position will allow better control of the “process”, improve the situation, reduce the number of diseases, save this area from pimps and bandits, in addition, the state budget will receive additional taxes from this type of activity. Opponents of legalization point to the humiliation, inhumanity and immorality of body trafficking. Immorality cannot be legalized. Society cannot live according to the principle “everything is permitted”, without certain moral brakes. In addition, clandestine prostitution with all the criminal, moral and medical problems will remain.

4. Homosexuality is sexual attraction to people of the same sex. Homosexuality can be in the form of: a) sodomy - sexual relations between a man and a man, b) lesbianism - a woman's sexual attraction to a woman, c) bisexualism - sexual attraction to individuals of her own and the opposite sex. The normal sexual attraction of a woman to a man and vice versa is called heterosexuality. Some countries already allow marriages between gays and lesbians. These families are allowed to adopt children. In our country, the general population is ambivalent about such relations.

5. Anomie - a state of society in which a significant part of people neglects social norms. This happens in troubled, transitional, crisis times. civil wars, revolutionary upheavals, deep reforms, when the old goals and values ​​​​are collapsing, faith in the usual moral and legal regulations. An example would be France of the period great revolution 1789, Russia in 1917 and the early 90s of the 20th century.

Sanctions are not only punishments, but also incentives that contribute to the observance of social norms.

Sanctions - norm guards. Along with values, they are responsible for why people strive to comply with norms. Norms are protected from two sides - from the side of values ​​and from the side of sanctions.

Social sanctions - an extensive system of rewards for the fulfillment of norms, i.e. for conformity, for agreeing with them, and punishments for deviating from them, i.e. for deviance.

conformism represents external agreement with generally accepted norms, when an individual can internally maintain disagreement with them, but not tell anyone about it.

Conformism - goal of social control. However, conformism cannot be the goal of socialization, because it must end with internal agreement with the generally accepted.

There are four types of sanctions: positive and negative, formal and informal. They give four types of combinations that can be represented as a logical square:

positive negative

FORMAL

INFORMAL

Formal positive sanctions(F+)- public approval from official organizations (government, institutions, creative union): government awards, state awards and scholarships, awarded titles, academic degrees and titles, construction of a monument, presentation of diplomas, admission to high positions and honorary functions (for example, election chairman of the board).

Informal positive sanctions(H+) - public approval that does not come from official organizations: friendly praise, compliments, tacit recognition, benevolent disposition, applause, fame, honor, flattering reviews, recognition of leadership or expert qualities, smile.

Formal negative sanctions (F-)- punishments provided for by legal laws, government decrees, administrative instructions, prescriptions, orders: deprivation of civil rights, imprisonment, arrest, dismissal, fine, deprivation of bonuses, confiscation of property, demotion, demolition, dethronement, death penalty, excommunication from churches.

Informal negative sanctions (H-) - punishments not provided for by official authorities: censure, remark, ridicule, mockery, bad joke, unflattering nickname, neglect, refusal to give a hand or maintain a relationship, spreading a rumor, slander, an unfriendly review, a complaint, writing a pamphlet or feuilleton, an exposing article.

So, social sanctions play a key role in the system of social control. Sanctions, together with values ​​and norms, constitute the mechanism of social control. Social sanctions are a system of rewards and punishments. They are divided into four types: positive and negative, formal and informal. Depending on the method of imposing sanctions - collective or individual - social control can be external and internal (self-control). According to the degree of intensity, sanctions are strict, or hard, and non-strict, or soft.

Regulations by themselves do not control anything. People's behavior is controlled by other people based on norms that are expected to be followed by everyone. Compliance with norms, like the implementation of sanctions, makes our behavior predictable. Each of us knows that for an outstanding scientific discovery an official award awaits, and for a serious crime - imprisonment. When we expect a certain act from another person, we hope that he knows not only the norm, but also the sanction following it.

Thus, norms and sanctions are combined into a single whole. If a norm lacks a sanction that accompanies it, then it ceases to regulate real behavior. It becomes a slogan, an appeal, an appeal, but it ceases to be an element of social control.

The application of social sanctions in some cases requires the presence of outsiders, while in others it does not. The dismissal is formalized by the personnel department of the institution and involves the preliminary issuance of an order or order. Imprisonment requires a complex procedure of judicial proceedings, on the basis of which a judgment is issued. Bringing to administrative responsibility, say, fining for ticketless travel, requires the presence of an official transport controller, sometimes a policeman. The assignment of a scientific degree involves an equally complex procedure for defending a scientific dissertation and the decision of the Academic Council.

Sanctions for violators of group habits require the presence of a smaller number of persons. Sanctions are never applied to oneself. If the application of sanctions is committed by the person himself, directed at himself and occurs inside, then this form of control should be considered self-control.

One way or another, each of us depends on the society in which he exists. Of course, this is not manifested in the complete conformity of certain individuals, because everyone has their own opinion and view on a particular issue. However, very often the public is able to influence the behavior of the individual, to shape and change his attitude to his own actions. This phenomenon is characterized by the ability of certain representatives of society to respond to something with the help of sanctions.

They can be very different: positive and negative, formal and informal, legal and moral, and so on. To a large extent it depends on what exactly the act of the individual consists of.

For example, for many of us, the most enjoyable is an informal positive sanction. What is its essence? First of all, it is worth saying that both informal and formal sanctions can be positive. The first take place, for example, at the place of work of a person. The following example can be given: an office worker made several profitable deals - the authorities issued a letter for this, promoted him and raised his wages. This fact was captured in certain documents, that is, officially. Therefore, in this case, we see a formal positive sanction.

Actually, an informal positive sanction

However, in addition to official approval from the authorities (or the state), a person will receive praise from his colleagues, friends, relatives. This will manifest itself in verbal approval, handshakes, hugs, and so on. Thus, an informal positive sanction will be given by society. It does not find a material manifestation, but for most of the individuals it is more significant than even an increase in wages.

There are a huge number of situations in relation to which informal positive sanctions can be applied. Examples will be given below.

Thus, it can be traced that this type of encouragement for the actions of one or another individual is most often manifested in simple everyday situations.

However, as with wage increases, formal positive sanctions can coexist with informal ones. For example, a person received during the fighting. Along with official praise from the state, he will receive approval from others, universal honor and respect.

So, we can say that formal and informal positive sanctions can be applied to the same act.