Social Problems and Social Control in India
Domain 8: Social Problems and Social Control in India
This domain tests your ability to define a social problem sociologically, explain its causes, and evaluate control mechanisms. Expect questions on poverty, unemployment, dowry, domestic violence, child labour, communalism, casteism and corruption.
Core rules
- A social problem is a condition widely regarded as harmful and requiring collective action; definitions are contested and change over time.
- Causes are structural as well as individual: inequality, patriarchy, caste exclusion, unemployment, weak enforcement and cultural norms.
- Social control is the process by which society enforces norms. Informal control works through family, neighbourhood, religion, caste panchayats and public opinion; formal control through law, police, courts and prisons.
- Legal instruments include the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961; the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955; the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989; the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005; and the POCSO Act, 2012. Law is necessary but not sufficient: awareness, implementation and social support matter.
Worked example
Dowry demand persists despite prohibition because it is tied to marriage markets, status competition and patrilineal inheritance. A purely legal response punishes offenders after the fact; effective control combines enforcement, education, economic security for women and community monitoring.
Traps
Do not assume a problem is social merely because it is common. Do not say law alone solves social problems. Do not ignore informal control. Do not confuse a social problem with a personal trouble.