Ways in which members of society are made to conform to norms and values.

• A. Rewards
• B. Sanctions
• C. Social control
• D. Status

Answer: (C)

Social control is the process by which society gets its members to follow its norms and values. It works through formal means like laws, police, courts, and school discipline, and through informal pressures from family, friends, peers, and the media. Rewards and sanctions are two sides of this system: positive sanctions (praise, rewards) reinforce conforming behavior, while negative sanctions (reprimands, punishment) discourage deviation. Both are part of how conformity is produced, but the broader idea of social control captures all the ways conformity is encouraged and enforced. For example, a teacher praising good work persuades students to follow classroom norms, while being grounded for misbehavior sends a message that deviation has consequences. Status can influence behavior, but it doesn’t by itself explain how norms and values are enforced across society like social control does.