Which term refers to the attitudes or behaviors that maintain social norms through ridicule or other informal means?

The correct answer is informal social control, which refers to the ways in which individuals and groups enforce social norms through non-formal means. This type of control operates outside of formal rules and laws, relying instead on social pressure, ridicule, and other informal mechanisms to encourage conformity and discourage deviant behavior.

For instance, when members of a community express disapproval of someone’s actions through gossip or public shaming, they are engaging in informal social control. This contrasts with formal social control, which involves laws and regulations that are enforced by authorities. Informal social control plays a significant role in maintaining social order by promoting adherence to societal expectations through socialization processes and peer interactions, rather than through official sanctions or interventions.

The other terms do not encapsulate the concept as accurately. Socialization refers to the lifelong process of learning and internalizing the values and norms of a society, rather than mechanisms of enforcement. Peer pressure specifically emphasizes the influence peers have on an individual, which may be a form of informal social control but does not capture the broader scope of behaviors and attitudes tied to maintaining social norms. Conformity describes the act of aligning behaviors and attitudes to fit into a group but does not directly address the informal means used to uphold norms.