Social control is best defined as which of the following?

• A. A policy of manufacturing deviant behavior
• B. Means to condition or limit actions to conform to social norms
• C. Internal acceptance of norms as identity
• D. A formal law enforcement mechanism

Answer: (B)

Social control is about the ways a society regulate actions to keep them aligned with its norms. It works through both formal means like laws and police and informal means like praise, shame, and family or peer expectations to guide behavior before and after actions occur. The best choice captures this broad functioning by describing social control as a means to condition or limit actions to conform to social norms. It emphasizes guiding behavior toward expected patterns rather than creating deviance or being limited to internal self-perception. The other options miss key parts: manufacturing deviant behavior is the opposite of controlling behavior toward norms; internal acceptance of norms as identity focuses on self-definition rather than external regulation; and a formal law enforcement mechanism only represents one tool within the larger system of social control.