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Law and Society

The role of law in society, social control and moral panic

  • 4 things to know
  • Components 3 and 4

Overview

Recall questions on the function of law in society and its two-way relationship with society, formal and informal mechanisms of social control, and moral panic, from identification of a threat and media amplification to the authorities' response and resulting changes in the law.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

How do authorities typically respond during a moral panic?

Key term

What is the potential outcome of moral panic in terms of the legal system?

Key term

What functions does law perform in society?

Evaluation

How does law interact with social change?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What is the primary function of law in society?

    Model answer

    Law functions as a mechanism for maintaining order and regulating behaviour by establishing rules that govern conduct and providing sanctions for non-compliance.

  2. 2

    How does law regulate behaviour in society?

    Model answer

    By establishing rules that govern conduct and providing sanctions (penalties) for those who fail to comply with these rules.

  3. 3

    Explain the two-way relationship between law and society.

    Model answer

    Law shapes society through social control by prohibiting certain behaviours and promoting others, while society shapes law as changing social attitudes lead to legal reform.

  4. 4

    What are formal mechanisms of social control?

    Model answer

    Official institutions such as the police, courts, and prisons that enforce legal rules.

  5. 5

    What are informal mechanisms of social control?

    Model answer

    Unofficial pressures from family, peers, education, and community that encourage conformity to social norms.

  6. 6

    How can the media act as an agent of social change in relation to law?

    Model answer

    By creating moral panic, which involves disproportionate public concern about a perceived threat, often leading to demands for new laws or stricter enforcement.

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