What aspect does social control primarily handle in society?

Social control primarily handles the prevention of deviant behavior in society. This concept refers to the mechanisms, strategies, and institutions that societies employ to regulate individual behavior and maintain social order. Social control can be both formal, such as laws and law enforcement agencies, and informal, such as social norms and expectations conveyed through family, peer groups, and community interactions.

The primary goal of social control is to ensure conformity to established norms and values, which helps to reduce instances of behaviors considered deviant or disruptive. By maintaining consistent expectations about acceptable behavior, societies can promote stability and cohesion, allowing for organized functioning within various social institutions.

While options discussing encouragement of deviance, promoting individual freedom, and reducing social inequality touch on significant aspects of sociological theory and social structures, they do not encapsulate the role of social control itself. Instead, social control focuses explicitly on the mechanisms used to deter behaviors that violate societal norms.