Power & Social Control (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology): Revision Note

What is power?

• Power is the ability of an individual or group to get others to do what they want — even if there is resistance

• Power exists in all areas of life, including families, schools, workplaces, and politics

• Sociologists study how power is gained, maintained and challenged, and how it leads to inequality between different social groups

Everyday power relationships

• Power is part of everyday life

• People enter power relationships when they try to control or influence other people’s behaviour, e.g.:

  • parents and children

  • teachers and students

  • the public and the police

• Inequalities in power can be based on:

  • social class

  • gender

  • ethnicity

  • age

  • religion

  • disability

  • sexuality

• For instance:

  • elite groups use wealth and status to maintain power

  • minority ethnic groups often face prejudice and have less access to positions of authority

  • men still hold more power than women due to patriarchal structures in society

Power in social life

• Power can come from different sources:

  • Economic power: owning property, wealth or businesses

  • Political power: influencing or making government decisions

  • Social power: being respected, admired, or influential, e.g. celebrities or religious leaders

• Historically, power was concentrated among men and the wealthy

  • In Victorian times women had little legal or political power and men were heads of households

  • Feminism has challenged this, and women now have greater equality and representation, though men still dominate senior positions, e.g.:

    • in 1918, there was only 1 female MP in Parliament

    • by 2015 there were 191 female MPs out of 650, showing progress but continued male dominance in formal power

Agencies of social control

• Agencies of social control are institutions that maintain order and encourage people to follow society’s rules

• They are divided into two main types:

  • formal

  • informal

• Both types of control encourage conformity and discourage deviant or criminal behaviour

Formal sources of power

• Formal sources of power are held by people or institutions with legal or official authority

• This power is backed by laws and formal rules, e.g.:

  • schools can exclude students or give detentions for breaking rules

  • workplaces can discipline or dismiss employees

  • the police, courts and prisons have authority to enforce laws and punish offenders

  • the government and monarchy hold political and legal power to make decisions affecting society

• These are known as formal agencies of social control — they use formal rules and sanctions to ensure people follow laws and regulations

Informal sources of power

• Informal sources of power come from everyday social relationships rather than official authority

• This kind of power is based on influence, respect and social norms, e.g.:

  • in families, parents hold power over children and use sanctions such as grounding or taking away privileges

  • in schools, teachers use praise, warnings, or extra responsibilities to encourage good behaviour

  • among friends, informal power works through peer pressure or social approval

• These are known as informal agencies of social control — they help people learn what behaviour is acceptable and maintain social order

Sociological perspectives

Consensus view

• Functionalists believe that formal and informal power help society work smoothly

• They argue that social control maintains stability and shared values by encouraging people to follow rules and norms

• Without social control, society would become disorganised and chaotic

Conflict view

• Marxists argue that formal power mainly benefits the ruling class, who use it to protect their wealth and privilege

  • Because political power stems from economic power, the bourgeoisie also possess political power as a result of their economic dominance

• Feminists add that patriarchy means men still hold more power than women, both at home and in the workplace

  • Men generally have a bigger share of wealth and social status

  • Women are held back by a glass ceiling, which acts as an invisible barrier preventing women from reaching top positions and earnings due to oppression and exploitation in work, home and state

• These theories see power as a way for dominant groups to maintain control over others