In: Psychology
The different means in society that controls the actions and behaviors of people, and bring them to conformity and compliance to rules and regulations of that particular society and culture is social control agencies. The social control agencies can be both formal and informal agencies of control.
Formal agencies are those that controls the individual behavior and actions through well written rules and regulations and have the system of punishment,when these rules and regulations are violated. Example - Police, Judiciary, Bureaucracy etc.
Informal social control agencies do not have written rules and regulations, and are direct form of control. But they are more effective in shaping the behaviors of individuals to compliance and conformity to the rules and values of the society. They are associated with the fear of social shunning, if not followed. The examples are : Family, Neighborhood, Cultural customs and traditions, Religions, Folklores etc.