Social control is a set of rules and regulations that enforce behavior within the norms of society. And while there are many different types of social control, it can be either informal or formal. Informal social control is when people internalize behaviors that fit into the norm. For example, opening the door for the person behind you or dressing professionally for a job interview are all forms of informal social control. On the other end, formal social control is when sanctions for deviating from acceptable behaviors are enforced through policies and legal institutions. We can see forms of formal social control through the mass incarceration of undocumented immigrants and drug policies enforced heavily in Black communities. When social control becomes racialized, it means that social control is used primarily to target people of color. Genocide, segregation, assimilation, and separatism are all examples of byproducts created by racialized social control. The Black Panther Party, an organization to protect Black communities, faced some of the most extreme social control methods. Because of the rising influence they were achieving, they were labeled as threats. The Black Panthers created social programs that greatly aided their communities. These social programs include medical care, free food, and legal assistance for Black communities. However, the government heavily opposed the Black Panther Party because of their fight for equal rights. To control the Black Panther Party, all of its leaders and members were either arrested or assassinated by the FBI. They were victims of raids and gun control policies that were made to target them. Other forms of racialized social control are enacted through legislation. New Jim Crow laws, which are laws that are used to target Black communities, and Juan Crow laws, laws that heavily target those of Hispanic or Latino origins, are used to force Black and Brown individuals to follow social norms. And while all individuals, regardless of race or ethnicity, face some form of social control, racialized policies enforce these methods heavily in Black and Brown communities. As a result, the criminal justice system witnesses higher incarceration rates of Black and Brown individuals.

Licenses and Attributions for Conclusion

“Conclusion” by Shanell Sanchez, revised by Jessica René Peterson, is licensed under CC BY 4.0.