Editing Social control (section)

===Reward and punishment===
{{See also|Mesolimbic pathway|Reward system}}

Informal controls reward or [[Punishment|punish]] acceptable or unacceptable behavior (i.e., [[deviance (sociology)|deviance]]) and are varied from individual to individual, group to group, and society to society. For example, at a [[Women's Institutes (British)|Women's Institute]] meeting, a disapproving look might convey the message that it is inappropriate to flirt with the minister. In a [[Organized crime|criminal gang]], on the other hand, a stronger sanction applies in the case of someone threatening to inform to the police of illegal activity.<ref>{{Citation
  | last = Livesay
  | first = Chris
  | title = Informal Social Control
  | work = Culture and Identity
  | publisher = Sociology Central
  | url = http://www.sociology.org.uk/p2s5an4.htm
  | access-date =  2007-09-08}}</ref>

Social control by use of reward is known as [[positive reinforcement]]. In society and the laws and regulations implemented by the government tend to focus on punishment or the enforcing negative sanctions to act as a deterrent as means of social control.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Grabosky |first1=P.N. |title=Regulation by Reward: On the Use of Incentives as Regulatory Instruments |journal=Law & Policy |date=July 1995 |volume=17 |issue=3 |page=257 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-9930.1995.tb00150.x }}</ref>