Sanctions

Definition

Sanctions are social responses that reward or punish behavior, aiming to encourage conformity to cultural norms and values. They can be formal, like laws and regulations, or informal, such as social approval or disapproval.

Related terms

Norms: Norms are the unwritten rules that dictate the expected behavior of individuals within a society or group.

Deviance: Deviance refers to any behavior that violates societal norms and is subject to sanctions.

Social Control: Social control involves mechanisms, such as sanctions, that regulate individual and group behavior, aiming to conform members of a society to its norms and rules