The Implementation of Technologies in Relation to Social Control

Implementation of Technologies in Relation to Social Control
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Institution
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Social controls are the general processes that are used to regulate individuals or a group’s behavior in order to gain conformity and compliance to a given set of rules of the state of or a social group. Social control is identified in two forms: informal social control which is the control of behavior in regard to the norms of the group within which one lives in; formal social control which involves rules enforced by the government to promote harmony among people. The latter kind of control covers a large group of people and is usually implemented at nations and global level.
Technology has played a big role in the implementation of formal social control especially after tragic events such as the 9/11 among others. Indeed, social control has become a defining characteristic of the modern society. War on terror is one single most motivator for social control. It has intensified the need for a government to know about its citizens as things such as internet has diffused to other institutions beyond the military as well as the increase in sharing of information among public and private agencies. The central thing involving social control is the enforcement of rules rather than relying on the uncertainty of human choice in regard to social rules. Contemporary control transcends physical barriers, distance and time that would otherwise impede implementation of social control should traditional methods are used. Data is easily stored, retrieved, consolidated for central access, analyzed and transferred from one place to another in significantly short periods (Elleithy, 2008).
Deployment of contemporary social control is mostly seen in protected environments such as prisons, government offices and high profile private offices and/or businesses. With such control, societies seem to be moving towards a maximum security society where every social aspect is monitored. Private police for instance heavily rely on technology to monitor their surrounding and target thereof. Children for example are can be monitored through implementation of various devices such as geographic location devices, advanced electronic equipment to test drug usage and devices that record the time the children leave and get back in their apartment among others (Trottier, 2012).
In a socially controlled environment, the goal is to eradicate or limit violations of the environment surrounding a person whether physical or social. Social control is highly preventive when implemented. Problems can be anticipated and counter measures designed. In other cases where it is not preventable, strategies are designed to reduce the effects of any eventuality.
One of the commonest methods of social control is surveillance of personal data in spaces such as social networks. Facebook for ex...